Any person, firm or corporation engaged in or purporting to furnish retail merchants the financial or credit rating of any person who is the actual or prospective customer of such retail merchant shall, before furnishing such rating, submit, either in person or by mailing, to his last known post office address, to the person whose rating is about to be reported, a request asking for a statement of the assets and liabilities of such person.
R.L. 1910, § 2906.