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Time - Man of the Year
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Time_Man_of_the_Year_Compact_Publishing_3YX-Disc-1_Compact_Publishing_1993.iso
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062292
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06229913.000
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1992-09-22
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THE WEEK, Page 27BUSINESS"Systematic Looting"
In an undercover sting, Sears' auto-repair service gets nailed
For years, Sears Roebuck & Co. has billed itself the place
"where America shops." Last week the giant retailer's $3
billion automobile-repair division was branded a place where
Americans are being systematically robbed. After an 18-month
investigation, the California department of consumer affairs
charged that nearly half of Sears' 72 auto-service centers in
the state routinely overcharge customers an average $223 for
repairs, and that Sears mechanics also billed undercover agents
for work that was never done. Spurred by a 50% increase in
consumer complaints against Sears auto shops over the past three
years, say California officials, they began a probe that reveals
a "constant pattern of abuse." Consumer-affairs director Jim
Conran is seeking revocation of Sears' license to perform auto
repairs in California. Says he: "These are not honest mistakes.
This is the systematic looting of the public." Sears denies the
charges. A spokesman for the company says that "while honest
mistakes may have been made, we disagree with some of the
allegations."