37-5B-26. Prohibited practices. No person may, directly or indirectly, in connection with the offer or sale of a franchise:

(1) Make any claim or representation, orally, visually, or in writing, that contradicts the information required to be in the disclosure document;

(2) Misrepresent that any person:

(a) Purchased a franchise from the franchisor or operated a franchise of the type offered by the franchisor; or

(b) Can provide an independent and reliable report about the franchise or the experiences of any current or former franchisees;

(3) Disseminate any financial performance representations to prospective franchisees unless the franchisor has a reasonable basis and written substantiation for the representation at the time the representation is made, and the representation is included in the franchisor's disclosure document and the franchise seller:

(a) Discloses the dates when the reported level of financial performance was achieved and of those outlets whose data were used in arriving at the representation, and the number and percent that actually attained or surpassed the stated results if the representation relates to the past performance of the franchisor's outlets; and

(b) Includes a clear and conspicuous admonition that a new franchisee's individual financial results may differ from the result stated in the financial performance representation;

(4) Fail to make available to prospective franchisees, and to the director upon reasonable request, written substantiation for any financial performance representations made in the disclosure document;

(5) Fail to furnish a copy of the franchisor's disclosure document to a prospective franchisee earlier in the sales process than required by § 37-5B-17, upon reasonable request;

(6) Fail to furnish a copy of the franchisor's most recent disclosure document and any quarterly updates to a prospective franchisee, upon reasonable request, before the prospective franchisee signs a franchise agreement;

(7) Present for signing a franchise agreement in which the terms and conditions differ materially from those presented as an attachment to the disclosure document, unless the franchise seller informed the prospective franchisee of the differences at least seven days before execution of the franchise agreement;

(8) Disclaim or require a prospective franchisee to waive reliance on any representation made in the disclosure document or in its exhibits or amendments. However, this provision is not intended to prevent a prospective franchisee from voluntarily waiving specific contractual terms and conditions set forth in his or her disclosure document during the course of franchise sale negotiations; and

(9) Fail to return any funds or deposits in accordance with any conditions disclosed in the franchisor's disclosure document, franchise agreement, or any related document.Source: SL 2008, ch 203, § 26.