I don't know about you, but one thing that really bugs me is false or misleading advertising and promotions that misrepresent or misconstrue a product or service to lure customers.

I recently received a flier in bold block letters that promised an automotive brake job for $99, but when I inquired about it, I was told that the price of $99 only pertained to the brake pads. The serviceman then pointed to the bottom of the flier, where in small print (that I would need a magnifying glass to read), the real truth was revealed.

The same thing happens when you buy a new or used car. The sticker price declares one thing, but when preparation, title fees and other extras are added, the total is quite different.

Do you wonder why the automotive industry is in trouble? Any industry is only as good as the dealers that represents it. With the shenanigans that are being perpetrated by its dealers, the only surprising thing is that it took so long for the public to wise up. Truth in advertising has become a travesty, and customer satisfaction is the least of the seller's concerns.

The same might be said for many contractors, builders and so-called service companies that do shoddy or incomplete work with little or no concern for the individual who is being ripped off.

There was a time when Americans prided themselves in their work ethics, and a job well done left a satisfied customer and a contractor with a good reputation. Today, the opposite seems to be the

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norm. The standard practice today seems to be deception in the form of half truths, duplicity or downright falsehood.

My grandfather came to America uneducated, unable to speak the language and with only the clothes on his back. But with hard work, a determination to succeed and an honest endeavor to satisfy his customers, he built a prosperous business.

Today, the way to prosperity seems to be by deceiving the public with false claims or to bilk them out of what they are legally and morally entitled to. It is a sad state of affairs when one cannot believe the flier, handbill or poster that is displayed on a given product and is at the mercy of unscrupulous dealers or businesses whose stock in trade seems to be underhandedness.

There are many auto dealers out there who are now crying the blues because, in their eyes, GM and Chrysler have hung them out to dry, but in many cases they have only themselves to blame. I have purchased a few new cars in my day, but if I thought I had been taken advantage of, I would never go back to that dealership again, and I would certainly not recommend them to my friends.

In a small town, especially, word of mouth can make or break a dealer, and ethical treatment applied to the buyer can lead to repeat sales. But by the same token, someone who feels they have been victimized will look elsewhere for their next purchase.

Every business deserves to make a fair profit, and it's reasonable to assume that through the evenhanded treatment of its customers, a business should expand, prosper and continue to grow, even during hard times. But success often leads to greed, and when that happens, a good thing can lead to loss and frustration.

A time-honored road to achievement in business is to treat every customer as if he were the most important figure in the world, which in fact he is. Without him, you are just another venture gone wrong.

Joe Bushika of Stamford, Vt. writes his column every week for the Transcript.