Two Midas vehicle repair shops in Tucson have agreed to pay $50,000 to create a consumer relief fund after a sting by the Arizona Attorney General’s Office found evidence of fraudulent business practices.
Owners of the two shops at 6740 E. Tanque Verde Road and 333 W. Valencia Road agreed to the payment as part of an out-of-court settlement, the Attorney General’s office said.
The settlement agreement, which still needs a judge’s approval, also calls for the owners to conduct and document annual ethics training for management and staff for the next five years.
“Auto repair shops must adhere to Arizona’s laws requiring honest business practices,” Attorney General Mark Brnovich said Wednesday in a news release announcing the settlement. Consumers who believe they were defrauded at either site have until Sept. 15 to file a claim for financial relief.
Both Midas locations are jointly owned by Pima County resident Christopher Conforti and by Nicholas Conforti of Collier County in Florida, who could not be reached for comment. A phone message left with an employee at the Tanque Verde Road location was not immediately returned Wednesday afternoon.
The owners did not admit to wrongdoing in the settlement.
To be considered for restitution, consumers must file an online complaint, including receipts and other evidence of payment by the Sept. 15 deadline.
The Attorney General’s office sent undercover investigators to the two locations in 2020 posing as customers with car troubles. The vehicles they brought in for service were certified ahead of time by experts who documented their mechanical condition, the agency said.
The Valencia Road shop charged a state investigator around $400 for unnecessary work including spark plug replacement, a three-part fuel system service kit and throttle body service that was not performed.
At the Midas location on Tanque Verde Road, an assistant manager said the vehicle needed a new serpentine belt, and the air conditioning system needed refrigerant removed and recharged. Midas charged $300 for the work, none of which was actually done, the agency’s lawsuit said.
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