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Show The Magna Times. Thursday, March 19, 1992 9 GTORY Contact our experts Monday through Friday 8:30 Call 250-565- 6 NO CANCELLATIONS AFTER TUESDAY AT 5 p.m. a.m.-- 5 p.m. DEADLINE FOR WANT ADS: 3 p.m. Tues, CMiitaoXed U.S. businesses locked out of $100 billion Japanese industry to cease and desist The Division of Consumer Protection in the Dept, of Commerce has issued a Cease and Desist order to the Utah Law Enforcement Coalition, upon the finding that the organization does not have a valid permit to solicit for a charitable purpose, and that they are soliciting in violation of the , law. According to the division, it is unlawful for any organization to 'knowingly Solicit, request; promote, advertise, or sponsor the solicitation of any contribution for a charitable purpose, unless the organization is the holder of a permit issued by the division. This order to cease and desist is effective immediately and prohibits Utah Law Enforcement Coalition from conducting charitable solicitations in Utah. Utah Law Enforcement Coalition has 10 days to request a hearing before the division, at which time they may challenge this order. Advertise in the Magna Times for RESULTS! Monroe shock absorbers, Diehard batteries, and Champion spark plugs may have many potential customers in Japan, but their American manufacturers are virtually locked n out of the auto replacement parts and service market by restrictive Japanese laws and regulations. The Japanese auto services industry is more than twice as large as the countrys telecommunications industry, over which so many turf battles liave been fought, said John Beck, a consultant to several Fortune 100 companies in Japan. Beck, a Brigham Young University assistant professor and publisher of the Asian Century Business Report, said laws in Japan keep U.S. companies from competing in the auto parts and service industry, an area that offers poor selection and economy to Japanese consumers. He said repair shops in Japan monopolize their markets and, since there is no precedent for consumer action in Japan, often mark up goods and services by as much as 45 percent. Japanese consumers pay twice as much as American consumers for repairs and have little decisionmaking power. With the consumer being the only Japanese loser in the transaction, it is not surprising that the government and automobile industry officials are reluctant to push for change, Beck $100-billio- Utah customers may participate in class action settlement against U.S. WEST The recent settlement of a class action lawsuit against U.S. WEST Com- munications creates the opportunity for over five million U.S. WEST customers in seven western states, including Utah, to claim refunds or credits on their bills. The amount committed to cover these is $100,000,000. Current telephone customers should receive a letter from the U.S. District Court that contains the claim form. Claim forms were mailed to Utah customers on March 17 and 19, 1992. According to Santa Fe lawyer Gary Duncan, You only get paid if onyou fill out and mail in the form. It to minutes few a complete. takes ly Former U.S. WEST customers may use a form that will be published in many newspapers or may call to request a claim form. Former customers may receive refunds, and current customers may receive a credit on their phone bills. said Japanese policy that is meeting with increased consumer dissatisfaction is a mandatory auto inspection program known as shaken (pronounced shock-enWhen a car is three years old, a repair shop inspects the vehicle and, without consumer input or approval, replaces parts and makes repairs. At one dealership, the average cost of the work was 77,300 One ). yen (U.S. $600). The average car owner never even asks whats being done on the car or why, said Beck. In the United States, theres a very strict system of calling for approval before parts are replaced. Theres nothing like that in Japan. The shaken inspections are when the car is three years old, then every two years until the car is 11 years old. The average car in Japan is only 4.5 years old (compared with 7.6 years old in the U.S.), because many Japanese buy new cars to avoid their second shaken inspection at five years. According to Beck, Japanese college students said in a recent survey that shaken was what they found most expensive in their lives, even more expensive than college tuition and air rec-quir- ed travel. He says repair shops in Japan are able to maintain a monopoly and make huge profits on their products and services because they have veto power over applications for new ser 1982-198- 9. placed restrictions on foreign retailers, has provided a precedent for consumer-mandate- d change. He believes pressure, from both within Japan and from foreign governments, may help open the auto service and parts market. I think the way Japan works, you need to apply pressure constantly and, at the same time, let Japanese customers know how much more theyre paying for parts than if the market were free and open. Prospective foreign entrants shohld launch public relations campaigns to help Japanese consumers understand how much theyre losing through governmental regulation of this market. Beck, who spends nearly as much time consulting and working in Japan as he does on campus, says that despite the disappointments of President Bushs recent trip to Japan, the U.S. still has plenty of clout with the Japanese. Theres a lot of good will among the Japanese politicians, but sometimes you have to push a little bit to bring about change. We have a lot of strength there, a lot of trump cards we can play at any time. Sometimes its a difficult political maneuver, but applying pressure has worked. Becks research on the Japanese parts and service industry appears in a front-pag- e article of the March issue Transportation Bureau. This is like Walmart having to get permission from the local Sears, and Target stores before they are able to open in a new location. Repair shop associations have admitted they are hesitant to license new shops because it could weaken the competitive nature of the auto repair industry in their local district, Beck said. The approval system is also a challenge to dealers providing service to foreign cars sold in Japan. Jaguar Japan tried to open garages to service its own vehicles and, after five years of effort, had only one service location in Tokyo, a city of'8.2 million people. The company admits it has inadequate facilities to serve its customers, but applications for service centers have been denied or bogged down in red tape. It is expected that American cars sold in Japan will face the same repair challenges. While most Japanese are hesitant to use their clout as customers, Beck said they realize the prices they pay for shaken are too high and are learning to assert themselves better as of The Asian Century, a new naindividuals. e The recent repeal of the Large-Scal- tional newsletter examining Asian Retail Stores Law, a law that business practices. rt, TRADE WIGHT Those eligible include residential business customers and single-lin- e who paid for telephone-wirin- g maintenance plans between Customers who had service calls during the period covered by the settlement are not eligible for refunds or credits. The amount of each customers refund will vary depending on the type of wire maintenance service and the length of time the customer was charged for the service. In addition, U.S. WEST is required by the settlement to identify on the phone bill certain optional services for which a customer is paying. A customer may cancel these at any time. The lawsuit claimed that U.S. WEST was charging its customers for inside wire maintenance service, now called Linebacker, without their knowledge. U.S. WEST denied the allegations but settled the case after extensive negotiations. vice centers and vendors. If a Sears Auto Center, Meineke brake shop, or Midas muffler shop wanted to set up shop in Tokyo, the competition would review the applications before they could be approved by the Land YOU ARE INVITED TO TRADE NIGHT EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT 7:30 P.M. PLACE - - SANDY, UTAH BUILDERS MARKET MIDDLE BUILDING. UPSTAIRS MEETING PUCE 9176 SOUTH 300 WEST You can enjoy trading your items, business products, or services for the things you need. Exchange for Vacations, Jewelry, Advertising, Insurance, Printing, Restaurants, Airfare, Hotel, Furniture, Vehicles, Craft Items 8 much more TRADE NIGHT - Admission charge only $5 per person. Its lots of fun and saves you lots of money on the things you need. 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