Except as otherwise provided in Section 3.40.130 of this chapter, no person shall accept any payment for any merchandise in advance of the delivery thereof or for the performance of any service in advance of such performance or for the furnishing of any labor and materials in advance of the furnishing thereof, without having on his person or exposed to view of the public in the place where such payment is received at the time of the receipt thereof, a permit to receive such advance payment which has been issued to such person, or his employer, by the Chief of Police as authorized by this chapter and not revoked, or without exhibiting such permit to any police officer or person upon his request. The purpose of this chapter is to protect the public welfare by protecting persons purchasing merchandise or contracting to obtain the performance of services or the furnishing of labor and materials from suffering substantial loss as the result of the payment for merchandise which is never delivered or for the performance of services which are never performed or for the furnishing of labor and materials which are never furnished and from suffering substantial loss from the receipt of merchandise which substantially fails to correspond in quality or quantity from that upon which a substantial payment was made in advance of delivery and from the performance of services and the furnishing of labor and materials which substantially fail to correspond in quality or quantity to those promised when any substantial advance payment thereon was made and for the purpose of discouraging theft, misrepresentation and unfulfilled promises in such transactions and to provide a practical remedy for relief therefrom. This chapter shall apply only to payments made in the city to a person there and then present. (Ord. 1845 § 2 (part), 1972).