Unless the context or subject matter otherwise requires, the definitions given in this article govern the construction of this chapter.

“Goods” means tangible chattels bought for use primarily for personal, family or household purposes, including certificates or coupons exchangeable for such goods, and including goods which, at the time of the sale or subsequently are to be so affixed to real property as to become a part of such real property whether or not severable therefrom, but does not include any vehicle required to be registered under the Vehicle Code, nor any goods sold or leased with such a vehicle if sold under a contract governed by Section 2982 or leased under a contract governed by Section 2985.7. “Goods” also includes a trailer which is sold in conjunction with a

vessel, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 9840 of the Vehicle Code, unless the sales transaction is exempted under Section 1801.4. As used in this section, “trailer” means a vehicle designed solely for carrying vessels.

“Services” means work, labor and services, for other than a commercial or business use, including services furnished in connection with the sale or repair of goods as defined in Section 1802.1 or furnished in connection with the repair of motor vehicles (except for service contracts as defined by subdivision (p) of Section 2981 which are sold in conjunction with the sale or lease of a vehicle required to be registered under the Vehicle Code) or in connection with the improvement of real property or the providing of insurance, but does not include the services of physicians or dentists, nor services for which the tariffs, rates, charges, costs or

expenses, including in each instance the deferred payment price, are required by law to be filed with and approved by the federal government or any official, department, division, commission or agency of the United States.

“Finance charge” means the amount however denominated or expressed which the retail buyer contracts to pay or pays for the privilege of purchasing goods or services to be paid for by the buyer in installments. “Finance charge” does not include the amounts, if any, charged for insurance premiums, including premiums of the kind and to the extent described in paragraph (2) of subsection (e) of Section 226.4 of Regulation Z, delinquency charges, attorney’s fees, court costs, collection expenses, official fees, extension or deferral agreement charges as provided by Section 1807.1, or amounts for insurance, repairs to or preservation of the goods, or

preservation of the holder’s security interest therein advanced by the holder subsequent to the execution of a contract.

“Total of payments” means the amount required to be disclosed pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 226.18 of Regulation Z. The term includes any portion of the downpayment deferred until not later than the second otherwise scheduled payment and which is not subject to a finance charge.

“Holder” means the retail seller who acquires a retail installment contract or installment account executed, incurred or entered into by a retail buyer, or if the contract or installment account is purchased by a financing agency or other assignee, the financing agency or other assignee. The term does not include the pledgee of or the holder of a security interest in an aggregate number of such contracts or installment accounts to secure a bona fide loan thereon.

“Official fees” means the fees required by law and actually to be paid to the appropriate public officer to perfect a lien or other security interest, on or in goods, retained or taken by a seller under a retail installment contract or installment account, and license, certificate of title, and registration fees imposed by law.

“Person” means an individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, association or other group, however organized.

“Financing agency” means a person engaged in this State in whole or in part in the business of purchasing retail installment contracts, or installment accounts from one or more retail sellers. The term includes but is not limited to a bank, trust company, private banker, or investment company, if so engaged.

“Billing cycle” means the time interval between regular monthly billing statement dates.

“Regulation Z” means any rule, regulation, or interpretation promulgated by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (“Board”) under the Federal Truth in Lending Act, as amended (15 U.S.C. 1601, et seq.), and any interpretation or approval issued by an official or employee of the Federal Reserve System duly authorized by the board under the Truth in Lending Act, as amended, to issue such interpretations or approvals.

forwarded to, and received in this state by, a buyer who is a resident of this state, shall be deemed to be an offer or agreement to sell in this state.

“Simple-interest basis” means the determination of a finance charge, other than an administrative finance charge, by applying a constant rate to the unpaid balance as it changes from time to time, either:

on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of 12 months of 30 days each and on the assumption that all payments will be received by the seller on their respective due dates; reference in this chapter to the “360-day basis” shall mean this method of determining the finance charge.

“Precomputed basis” means the determination of a finance charge by multiplying the original unpaid balance of the contract by a rate and multiplying that product by the number of payment periods elapsing between the date on which the finance charge begins to be assessed and the date of the last scheduled payment.