SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) -- California Attorney General Jerry Brown has sued the owner of 22 Bay Area Midas Muffler shops, accusing him of a massive "bait and switch scam."
Undercover stings found that shops owned by Modesto resident Maurice "Mike" Glad were advertising brake specials to draw customers in and regularly charged patrons for unnecessary repairs, according to Brown.
Brown's office said that agents posing as customers were pressured by Glad's technicians with false or misleading statements to purchase parts and services and that the shops overcharged people $300 on average.
"I'm devastated for myself, devastated for my employees, devastated for my customers," Glad said. "I've been in business 32 years and we've worked really hard to build trust and build a relationship with them."
Glad's attorneys told KCBS the stings were extremely deceptive and designed to confuse and mislead technicians.
The lawsuit seeks $222 million in penalties, costs and reimbursements to customers.
(kmm)
Print Story
DW.pageParams = {
siteId: '255'
};
DW.clear();
DW.trackClicks();
