421.102 Purposes; rules of construction.

(1) Chapters 421 to 427 shall be liberally construed and applied to promote their underlying purposes and policies.

(2) The underlying purposes and policies of chs. 421 to 427 are:

(a) To simplify, clarify and modernize the law governing consumer transactions;

(b) To protect customers against unfair, deceptive, false, misleading and unconscionable practices by merchants;

(c) To permit and encourage the development of fair and economically sound consumer practices in consumer transactions; and

(d) To coordinate the regulation of consumer credit transactions with the policies of the federal consumer credit protection act.

(3) A reference to a provision of chs. 421 to 427 includes reference to a related rule or order of the administrator adopted under chs. 421 to 427.

History: 1971 c. 239; 1979 c. 89.

Consumer act penalties are improper when the underlying contract is tainted with illegality. Shea v. Grafe, 88 Wis. 2d 538, 274 N.W.2d 670 (1979).

The consumer act may constitutionally regulate sales to residents by out-of-state mail order retailer. Aldens, Inc. v. LaFollette, 552 F.2d 745.

Wisconsin consumer act — a critical analysis. Heiser, 57 MLR 389.

Wisconsin consumer act — a freak out? Barrett, Jones, 57 MLR 483.

Protection for consumers against unfair and deceptive business. Jeffries, 57 MLR 559.

An overview of the Wisconsin consumer act. Stute, 1973 WBB No. 1.

Private enforcement of consumer laws in Wisconsin. Waxman. WBB May 1983.

Wisconsin consumer credit laws before and after the consumer act. Crandall, 1973 WLR 334.

Mandatory Arbitration of Consumer Rights Cases. Schneider & Quirk. Wis. Law. Sept. 2002.

Navigating Wisconsin's Consumer Protection System. Greene. Wis. Law. Sept. 2017.