Consumer Affairs FA

13. The new FTC rules do not apply to charities. But the Colorado Charitable Solicitations Act was enacted to protect the public from fraudulent charitable solicitations. The act defines charitable organizations, requires them to register with the Colorado Secretary of State if they conduct a promotion, mandates certain disclosures to potential contributors and provides contributors with certain cancellation rights.

There are many charitable promotions that "sound" like the organizations that we know, such as cancer..., police... heart...How do we determine if a solicitation is legitimate or fraudulent? The charity must register with the Secretary of State and provide the following information: the name and address of the solicitor, the address where all its records are kept and the purposes of the solicitation campaign.

Contributors have the right to cancel. The contributor may cancel a monetary contribution until midnight of the third business day after the day the contributor receives written confirmation of the contribution. Notice of cancellation may be given orally or in writing. The solicitor must refund the money within 10 days. These rules apply to out-of-state organizations telemarketing here in Colorado. If you have a question about a charity, call your Consumer Office or the Secretary of State