If, as a result of the investigation, a violation is found, the Fair Trade Commission creates a preliminary notice of a cease and desist order and surcharge payment order before the final decision is made regarding the content and issuance of the order. Notification of the content of such an order is called a "preliminary notice."

As you can see in the above illustration, a company or store that receives a preliminary notice is given the opportunity to state its opinions about the details of the measures taken by the Fair Trade Commission and produce evidence. This is necessary for making a fair administrative disposition.