Senate Bill 235 Summary

• Amends the Michigan Consumer Protection Act to define unfair, unconscionable, or deceptive trade practices including misrepresentation of goods, false advertising, and deceptive pricing.

• Prohibits merchants from requiring consumers to disclose social security numbers as a condition of selling goods or services, except for credit applications, legally required disclosures, credit reporting, background checks, or fraud prevention in remote transactions.

• Restricts merchants from displaying more than the last 4 digits of credit/debit card account numbers or any expiration date on consumer transaction receipts, effective March 1, 2005 for manual transactions and July 1, 2005-2006 for electronic devices.

• Requires merchants extending or offering credit to provide consumers with name, address, and contact information for filing complaints or obtaining data about consumer credit practices.

• Establishes rules prohibiting false affiliation claims between performing groups and recording groups in live musical performances, with exceptions for authorized performers, federal trademark owners, and tribute performances clearly identified as such.