(a) Sections 3052 and 3052b shall not apply to any service dealer registered with the Bureau of Repair Services pursuant to Chapter 20 (commencing with Section 9800) of Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code if the dealer reasonably believes that the serviced product is of nominal value. For purposes of this section, nominal value shall be ascertained as follows: the product is not readily salable for more than the legitimate charges against it, and either the original retail value of the product was under two hundred dollars ($200) and the product is over three years old, or the original retail value is over two hundred dollars ($200) and the product is over six years old.

Service dealers may use any available materials or information, including, but not limited to, industry publications, code dates, sales records, or receipts to assist in determining value and age of the serviced product.

(b) A service dealer may select one of the following alternative methods for the disposal of unclaimed serviced products determined to have a value as specified in subdivision (a):

(1) The service dealer may provide the owner of the product with the following written notice to be mailed following completion of work on the serviced product:

DATE BROUGHT IN

DATE MAILED

DATE PRODUCT TO BE SOLD IF NOT CLAIMED

NOTICE:  YOUR PRODUCT HAS BEEN DETERMINED BY THIS SERVICE DEALER TO BE ONE WHICH WAS EITHER ORIGINALLY SOLD FOR LESS THAN $200 AND IS NOW OVER THREE YEARS OLD OR ONE WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY SOLD FOR MORE THAN $200 AND WHICH IS NOW OVER SIX YEARS OLD AND THE CHARGES FOR SERVICING YOUR PRODUCT WILL EXCEED ITS CURRENT VALUE.  UNDER CALIFORNIA CIVIL CODE SECTION 3052.5(a) IF YOU OR YOUR AGENT FAIL TO CLAIM YOUR PRODUCT WITHIN 90 DAYS AFTER THE DEALER MAILS A COPY OF THIS NOTICE TO YOU IT MAY BE SOLD OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF BY HIM OR HER.

The notice shall be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested. A serviced product may be disposed of 90 days after the date of deliverance evidenced by the signature in the returned receipt.

(2) The service dealer may publish public notice of the intended sale in a newspaper of general circulation. The notice shall contain a description of the serviced product, the name of the serviced product owner, and the time by which and place where the product may be redeemed. The notice shall be published for a minimum of five times. A serviced product may be disposed of 90 days after the last date of publication.

(3) A service dealer may, upon receipt of any product to be serviced by him or her, provide the owner of the product with the following notice, written in at least 10-point boldface type:

DATE BROUGHT IN

DATE MAILED

DATE PRODUCT TO BE SOLD IF NOT CLAIMED

NOTICE:  YOUR PRODUCT HAS BEEN DETERMINED BY THIS SERVICE DEALER TO BE ONE WHICH WAS EITHER ORIGINALLY SOLD FOR LESS THAN $200 AND IS NOW OVER THREE YEARS OLD OR ONE WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY SOLD FOR MORE THAN $200 AND WHICH IS NOW OVER SIX YEARS OLD AND THE CHARGES FOR SERVICING YOUR PRODUCT WILL EXCEED ITS CURRENT VALUE.  UNDER CALIFORNIA CIVIL CODE SECTION 3052.5(a) IF YOU OR YOUR AGENT FAIL TO CLAIM YOUR PRODUCT WITHIN 90 DAYS AFTER THE DEALER MAILS A COPY OF THIS NOTICE TO YOU IT MAY BE SOLD OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF BY HIM OR HER.

PRINT YOUR NAME AND MAILING ADDRESS WHERE NOTICE MAY BE SENT TO YOU IN THE SPACE PROVIDED BELOW AND SIGN WHERE INDICATED TO SHOW THAT YOU HAVE READ THIS NOTICE.

IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH THE ABOVE DETERMINED VALUE OF YOUR ITEM, DO NOT SIGN THIS DOCUMENT.

This notice shall be signed, addressed, and dated by the owner, with a copy to be retained by both the owner and the service dealer. At the completion of service, the service dealer shall by first-class mail, mail a completed copy of the notice to the owner of the serviced product at the address given on the notice form. A serviced product may be disposed of 90 days after the date of mailing.

(c) For purposes of this section, an owner is the person or agent who authorizes the original service or repair, or delivers the product to the service dealer.

(Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 538, Sec. 57. Effective January 1, 2007.)