Aaron

The nation's second-largest chain of rent-to-own furniture and appliance stores has agreed to pay $28.4 million to settle a case in which it violated California's consumer protection and privacy laws, attorney general Kamala Harris announced Monday. Aaron's Inc. overcharged customers, omitted important contract disclosures and installed software that could track the keystrokes of people who rented computers and even activate webcams or microphones to record users, according to a complaint filed by Harris’ office. Last year, Aaron's settled a case with the Federal Trade Commission over spyware installed on computers.

Aaron's Inc. on Tuesday said it plans to close 44 underperforming stores in the third quarter of fiscal 2014 and continue other cost-reduction initiatives in response to disappointing core business performance. The electronics, furniture and appliances rentals retailer also revised its earnings guidance downward for the second quarter. The company praised the performance of its recently purchased Progressive Finance unit. "With that said, we're disappointed with our core business results and are taking aggressive action to respond to the challenging economic environment and the evolving industry in which we operate," said Ronald W. Allen, CEO, Aaron's. 

Aaron's Inc., a rent-to-own retailer, has agreed to stop using software to secretly spy on and photograph customers who rented computers. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) had accused Aaron's and its franchisees of using software to monitor customers’ computer keystrokes and secretly watch them in their homes through the computers’ webcams. In some instances, the company captured images of customers engaged in what the FTC called "intimate activities."

Atlanta -- Aaron's has appointed Robert W. Kamerschen as the company’s senior VP and general counsel. Kamerschen will be responsible for managing all legal and governmental affairs for Aaron's, including employment law, regulatory matters, intellectual...

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