(1) This section neither limits the liability of nor imposes liability on a card issuer as a manufacturer, supplier, seller, or lessor of property or services sold or leased pursuant to the credit card. This section may subject a card issuer to claims and defenses of a cardholder against a seller or lessor arising from sales or leases made pursuant to the credit card.

(2) A card issuer is subject to claims and defenses of a cardholder against the seller or lessor arising from the sale or lease of property or services by a seller or lessor licensed, franchised, or permitted by the card issuer or a person related to the card issuer to do business under the trade name or designation of the card issuer or a person related to the card issuer, to the extent of the original amount owing to the card issuer with respect to the sale or lease of the property or services as to which the claim or defense arose.

(3) Except as otherwise provided in this section, a card issuer, including a lender credit card issuer, is subject to all claims and defenses of a cardholder against the seller or lessor arising from the sale or lease of property or services pursuant to the credit card:

(a) if the original amount owing to the card issuer with respect to the sale or lease of the property or services as to which the claim or defense arose exceeds $50.00;

(b) if the residence of the cardholder and the place where the sale or lease occurred are in the same state or within 100 miles of each other;

(c) if the cardholder has made a good faith attempt to obtain satisfaction from the seller or lessor with respect to the claim or defense; and

(d) to the extent of the amount owing to the card issuer with respect to the sale or lease of the property or services as to which the claim or defense arose at the time the card issuer has written notice of the claim or defense. Written notice of the claim or defense may be given before the attempt specified in item (c). For the purposes of this section, written notice is any written notification other than notice on a coupon, billing statement or other payment medium or material supplied by the creditor which sets forth or otherwise enables the assignee to identify the name and account number (if any) of the debtor.

(4) For the purpose of determining the amount owing to the card issuer with respect to a sale or lease pursuant to a revolving loan account or a revolving charge account, payments received for the account are deemed to have been applied first to the payment of loan finance charges or credit service charges in the order of their entry to the account and then to the payment of debts in the order in which the entries of the debts are made to the account.

(5) An agreement may not limit or waive the claims or defenses of a cardholder under this section.

HISTORY: 1976 Act No. 686 Section 29.