-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE----- Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov Originator-Key-Asymmetric: MFgwCgYEVQgBAQICAf8DSgAwRwJAW2sNKK9AVtBzYZmr6aGjlWyK3XmZv3dTINen TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA, OeXBSJAbC2txOs3O2nvERU8iSte82LQ/qpWLiZLZy1YZ6iNGmVwy/gJ+VI2CAmGt AI0g0nr3n1+vEIyxE4E4EQ== 0000088255-96-000099.txt : 19960906 0000088255-96-000099.hdr.sgml : 19960906 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0000088255-96-000099 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: 8-K PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 8 CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT: 19960822 ITEM INFORMATION: Other events ITEM INFORMATION: Financial statements and exhibits FILED AS OF DATE: 19960905 SROS: NONE FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: SEARS ROEBUCK ACCEPTANCE CORP CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000088255 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: SHORT-TERM BUSINESS CREDIT INSTITUTIONS [6153] IRS NUMBER: 510080535 STATE OF INCORPORATION: DE FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 8-K SEC ACT: 1934 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 001-04040 FILM NUMBER: 96626226 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 3711 KENNETT PIKE CITY: GREENVILLE STATE: DE ZIP: 19807 BUSINESS PHONE: 3028883112 8-K 1 SRAC FORM 8-K DATED AUGUST 22, 1996 SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 ________________ FORM 8-K CURRENT REPORT Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) August 22, 1996 SEARS ROEBUCK ACCEPTANCE CORP. (Exact name of registrant as specified in charter) Delaware 1-4040 51-0080535 (State or Other (Commission (IRS Employer Jurisdiction of File Number) Identification No.) Incorporation) 3711 Kennett Pike, Greenville, Delaware 19807 (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code) Registrant's telephone number, including area code (302) 888-3112 Item 5. Other Events. On August 22, 1996, Registrant executed a Distribution Agreement with Goldman, Sachs, & Co., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Morgan, Stanley & Co. Incorporated and Salomon Brothers Inc (the "Distribution Agreement"), relating to $2,000,000,000 aggregate initial offering price of Medium-Term Notes Series III, to be sold from time to time pursuant to the Distribution Agreement. Also on August 22, 1996, Registrant and Sears, Roebuck and Co. entered into an agreement (the "Extension Agreement") to extend the terms of the Fixed Charge Coverage and Ownership Agreement dated May 15, 1995 to cover the securities registered under Registration Statement No. 333-9817. Item 7. Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and Exhibits. 1 Distribution Agreement, dated August 22, 1996, among Registrant, Sears, Roebuck and Co., Goldman, Sachs & Co., Merrill Lynch, Pierce Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated and Salomon Brothers Inc 4(a) Form of fixed rate Medium Term Note Series III. 4(b) Form of floating rate Medium Term Note Series III. 4(c) Extension Agreement dated August 22, 1996 between Registrant and Sears, Roebuck and Co. 5 Opinion of Robert J. Pence dated August 28, 1996, relating to the validity of $2,000,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Medium-Term Notes Series III. 8 Opinion of Baker & McKenzie, special tax counsel to Registrant, dated August 27, 1996. 23(a) Consent of Robert J. Pence (included in Exhibit 5). 23(b) Consent of Baker & McKenzie (included in Exhibit 8). 99 Letter of Representations, dated as of August 27, 1996, between the Registrant, Chase Manhattan Bank and The Depository Trust Company. SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized. SEARS ROEBUCK ACCEPTANCE CORP. Date: September 4, 1996 By: /s/ STEPHEN D. CARP STEPHEN D. CARP Vice President, Finance EXHIBIT INDEX 1 Distribution Agreement, dated August 22, 1996, among Registrant, Sears, Roebuck and Co., Goldman, Sachs & Co., Merrill Lynch, Pierce Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated and Salomon Brothers Inc 4(a) Form of fixed rate Medium Term Note Series III. 4(b) Form of floating rate Medium Tern Note Series III. 4(c) Extension Agreement dated August 22, 1996 between Registrant and Sears, Roebuck and Co. 5 Opinion of Robert J. Pence dated August 28, 1996, relating to the validity of $2,000,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Medium-Term Notes Series III. 8 Opinion of Baker & McKenzie, special tax counsel to Registrant, dated August 27, 1996. 23(a) Consent of Robert J. (included in Exhibit 5). 23(b) Consent of Baker & McKenzie (included in Exhibit 8). 99 Letter of Representations, dated as of August 27, 1996, between the Registrant, Chase Manhattan Bank and The Depository Trust Company. EX-1 2 Exhibit 1 Sears Roebuck Acceptance Corp. $2,000,000,000 Medium-Term Notes Series III DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT August 22, 1996 Sears Roebuck Acceptance Corp., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), proposes to issue and sell from time to time its medium-term debt securities (the "Notes") in an aggregate initial offering price up to U.S. $2,000,000,000 (the equivalent in foreign currency or currency units), and agrees with each person serving as an agent pursuant to this Agreement (individually, an "Agent", and collectively, the "Agents") as set forth herein. Subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, the Company hereby (i) appoints each Agent as an agent of the Company for the purpose of soliciting and receiving offers to purchase Notes from the Company and (ii) agrees that whenever it determines to sell Notes directly to any Agent as principal, it will enter into a separate agreement (each a "Terms Agreement"), substantially in the form of Annex I hereto, relating to such sale in accordance with Section 2(b) hereof (unless the Company and such Agent shall otherwise agree). The Notes will be issued under an indenture, dated as of May 15, 1995 (the "Indenture"), between the Company and The Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A., as Trustee (the "Trustee"). The Notes shall have the currency denomination, maturities, annual interest rates (whether fixed or floating), redemption provisions and other terms set forth in the Prospectus referred to below as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time. The Notes will be issued, and the terms and rights thereof established, from time to time by the Company in accordance with the Indenture and the Administrative Procedure attached hereto as Annex II as it may be amended from time to time by written agreement between the Agents and the Company (the "Procedure") and, if applicable, will be specified in a related Terms Agreement. 1. Each of the Company and Sears, Roebuck and Co. ("Sears") represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each Agent that: (a) A registration statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 33-9817) in respect of U.S. $4,000,000,000 aggregate principal amount (or the equivalent in foreign currency or currency units) of debt securities of the Company, including the Notes, has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") in the form heretofore delivered to such Agent, excluding exhibits (whether or not incorporated by reference) to such registration statement but including all documents incorporated by reference in the prospectus included therein, and such registration statement in such form has been declared effective by the Commission and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of such registration statement has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or threatened by the Commission (any preliminary prospectus included in such registration statement being hereinafter called a "Preliminary Prospectus;" the various parts of such registration statement, including all exhibits thereto but excluding Form T-1, each as amended at the time such part became effective, being hereinafter collectively called the "Registration Statement;" the prospectus relating to the Notes, in the form in which it has most recently been filed with the Commission on or prior to the date of this Agreement, being hereinafter called the "Prospectus;" any reference herein to any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to the applicable form under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act") as of the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as the case may be; any supplement to the Prospectus that sets forth only the terms of a particular issue of Notes being hereinafter called a "Pricing Supplement;" any reference to any amendment or supplement to any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents filed after the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as the case may be, under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and incorporated therein by reference; and any reference to the Prospectus as amended or supplemented shall be deemed to refer to the Prospectus as amended or supplemented with respect to Notes sold pursuant to this Agreement, in the form in which it is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of Regulation C under the Act, including any documents incorporated by reference therein as of the date of such filing); (b)Except for statements in such documents which do not constitute part of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus pursuant to Rule 412 of Regulation C under the Act and after substituting therefor any statements modifying or superseding such excluded statements (i) the documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and none of such documents, when they became effective or were so filed, as the case may be, contained, in the case of documents which became effective under the Act, an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and, in the case of documents which were filed under the Exchange Act with the Commission, an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and (ii) any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, when such documents become effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and will not contain, in the case of documents which become effective under the Act, an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and in the case of documents which are filed under the Exchange Act with the Commission, an untrue statement of material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by any Agent expressly for use in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented to relate to a particular issuance of Notes; the Indenture has been duly qualified under, and conforms in all material respects to the requirements of, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the "Trust Indenture Act"); and (c)Except for statements in documents incorporated therein by reference which do not constitute part of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus pursuant to Rule 412 of Regulation C under the Act and after substituting therefor any statements modifying or superseding such excluded statements, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus conformed, and any amendments or supplements thereto will, when they become effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, conform, in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the Trust Indenture Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and do not and will not, as of the applicable effective date in the case of the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto and as of the applicable filing date in the case of the Prospectus and any supplement thereto, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by any Agent expressly for use in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented to relate to a particular issuance of Notes. 2. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each Agent that: (a)Upon payment therefor as provided herein and in any Terms Agreement, the Notes will have been duly and validly authorized, and (assuming their due authentication by the Trustee) will have been duly and validly issued and will be valid outstanding obligations of the Company in accordance with their terms, except as the same may be limited by insolvency, bankruptcy, reorganization, or other laws relating to or affecting the enforcement of creditors' rights or by general equity principles, and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture; (b)The issue and sale of the Notes and the compliance by the Company with all of the provisions of the Notes, the Indenture, this Agreement and any Terms Agreement will not conflict with or result in any breach which would constitute a material default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any of the property or assets of the Company material to the Company, pursuant to the terms of, any indenture, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument for borrowed money to which the Company is a party or by which the Company may be bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company material to the Company, is subject, nor will such action result in any material violation of the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, or the By-Laws of the Company or, to the best of its knowledge, any statute or any order, rule or regulation applicable to the Company of any court or any Federal, State or other regulatory authority or other governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company, and no consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or filing with, any court or any such regulatory authority or other governmental body is required for the solicitation of offers to purchase Notes and the issue and sale of the Notes, except as may be required under the Act, the Exchange Act, the Trust Indenture Act and securities laws of the various states and other jurisdictions in which the Agents will solicit offers to purchase Notes from the Company and will purchase Notes as principal, as the case may be; and (c)Immediately after the settlement of any sale of Notes by the Company resulting from solicitation by such Agent hereunder and immediately after any Time of Delivery (as defined below) relating to a sale to an Agent as principal, the aggregate principal amount of Notes which shall have been issued and sold by the Company hereunder or under any Terms Agreement and of any debt securities of the Company (other than such Notes) that shall have been issued and sold pursuant to the Registration Statement will not exceed the amount of debt securities registered under the Registration Statement. 3.(a) On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained, and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, each of the Agents hereby severally and not jointly agrees to act as agent of the Company, to use its reasonable efforts to solicit offers to purchase the Notes from the Company upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Prospectus relating to the Notes as amended or supplemented from time to time and in the Procedure. Subject to the provisions of this Section 3 and to the Procedure, offers for the purchase of Notes may be solicited by each Agent as agent for the Company at such time and in such amounts as such Agent deems advisable; provided, however, that the Company reserves the right to sell Notes directly on its own behalf or through other agents, dealers or underwriters, and to appoint additional persons from time to time to serve as Agents pursuant to this Agreement. Each Agent agrees that it will not solicit an offer to purchase Notes or deliver any of the Notes in any jurisdiction outside the United States of America except under circumstances that will result in compliance with the applicable laws thereof. Each Agent understands that no action has been taken to permit a public offering in any jurisdiction outside the United States of America where action would be required for such purpose. The Agents further undertake that in connection with the distribution of Notes denominated in any foreign currency or currency unit, they will as agent, directly or indirectly, not solicit offers to purchase and as principal under any Terms Agreement or otherwise, directly or indirectly, not offer, sell or deliver, such Notes in or to residents of the country issuing such currency, except as permitted by applicable law. The Company reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to instruct the Agents to suspend at any time, for any period of time or permanently, the solicitation of offers to purchase the Notes. Promptly after receipt of notice from the Company, but in any event not less than one business day thereafter, the Agents will suspend solicitation of offers to purchase Notes from the Company until such time as the Company has advised them that such solicitation may be resumed. The Company agrees to pay each Agent, at the time of settlement of any sale of a Note by the Company, the purchase of which is solicited by such Agent, a commission in United States dollars (which, in the case of Notes denominated in other than United States dollars, shall be based upon the Market Exchange Rate (as defined below) for such currency or currency unit at the time of any acceptance of an offer to purchase a Note) in an amount equal to the following percentage of the principal amount of such Note sold (or at such other amount as may from time to time be negotiated between such Agent and the Company): Maturity Commission (percentage of aggregate principal amount of Notes sold) 9 months to less than 1 year.................... .125% 1 year to less than 18 months.................... .150% 18 months to less than 2 years.................. .200% 2 years to less than 3 years.................... .250% 3 years to less than 4 years.................... .350% 4 years to less than 5 years................... .450% 5 years to less than 6 years................... .500% 6 years to less than 7 years................... .550% 7 years to less than 11 years.................. .600% 11 years to less than 15 years................. .625% 15 years to less than 20 years................. .675% 20 years to 30 years........................... .750% Greater than 30 years.......................... to be negotiated Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if, at or prior to the time of settlement, the Company and an Agent have entered into, or such Agent has arranged for the Company to enter into, a contract with respect to the sale of the currency (other than United States dollars) or currency unit in which a Note has been denominated and the purchase of which was solicited by such Agent, the commission in United States dollars payable by the Company to such Agent shall be based upon the same exchange rate set forth in such contract. The authorized denominations of Notes denominated in a currency or currency unit other than United States dollars shall be equivalent, as determined by the Market Exchange Rate for such currency or currency unit on the business day immediately preceding the date on which the offer for such Notes is accepted, of U.S. $1,000 (rounded down to an integral multiple of 1,000 units of such currency or currency unit), and any larger amount. The authorized denominations of Notes denominated in United States dollars shall be U.S. $1,000 and any larger amount in integral multiples of $1,000. The "Market Exchange Rate" on a given date for a given foreign currency means the noon buying rate in New York City for cable transfers in such currency as certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on such date; provided, however, that in the case of European Currency Units, Market Exchange Rate means, unless otherwise agreed by the Company and the Agents, the rate of exchange determined by the Council of European Communities (or any successor thereto) as published on such date or the most recently available date in the Official Journal of the European Communities (or any successor publication). Unless otherwise agreed between the Company and each Agent, each Agent shall communicate to the Company, orally or in writing, each offer to purchase Notes received by it as Agent other than those rejected by such Agent in accordance herewith. The Company shall have the sole right to accept offers to purchase Notes and may reject any proposed purchase of Notes. Each Agent shall have the right, in its discretion reasonably exercised, to reject any proposed purchase of Notes received by it, and any such rejection by it shall not be deemed a breach of its agreements contained herein. (b) Each sale of Notes to any Agent as principal shall be made in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and (unless the Company and such Agent shall otherwise agree) a Terms Agreement which will provide for the sale of such Notes. Terms Agreements, each of which shall be substantially in the form of Annex I hereto, may take the form of an exchange of any standard form of written telecommunication between any Agent, the Company and Sears, including by telecopy or telex. The Company, Sears and any Agent who is a party to a Terms Agreement agree to exchange executed copies of such Terms Agreement as promptly as practicable after they have entered into such Terms Agreement pursuant to the foregoing exchange of written telecommunication. The Agents may utilize a selling or dealer group in connection with the reoffering of the Notes purchased as principal. For each sale of Notes to an Agent as principal that is not made pursuant to a Terms Agreement, the procedural details relating to the issue and delivery of such Notes and payment therefor shall be as set forth in the Procedure. For each such sale of Notes to an Agent as principal that is not made pursuant to a Terms Agreement, the Company agrees to pay such Agent a commission (or grant an equivalent discount) as provided in Section 3(a) and in accordance with the schedule set forth therein or established from time to time pursuant thereto, except as the parties otherwise agree in writing. Each time and date of delivery of and payment for Notes to be purchased by an Agent as principal, whether set forth in a Terms Agreement or in accordance with the Procedure, is referred to herein as a "Time of Delivery." (c) Procedural details relating to the issue and delivery of Notes, the solicitation of offers to purchase Notes, and the payment in each case therefor, shall be as set forth in the Procedure. The provisions of the Procedure shall apply to all transactions contemplated hereunder other than those made pursuant to a Terms Agreement. Each of the Agents and the Company agrees to perform the respective duties and obligations specifically provided to be performed by each of them in the Procedure. The Company will furnish to the Trustee a copy of the Procedure as from time to time in effect. 4. The documents required to be delivered pursuant to Section 8 hereof shall be delivered at the offices of the Company, 3711 Kennett Pike, Greenville, Delaware, at 11:00 a.m., New York time, on the date of this Agreement, or at such other date and time as the Agents and the Company agree (such time and date being referred to herein as the "Closing Date"). 5. Each of the Company and Sears covenants and agrees with each Agent: (a) Prior to the termination of the offering of the Notes, to make no amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (except for a Pricing Supplement or a supplement relating to an offering of securities other than the Notes) without first having furnished the Agents with a copy of the proposed form thereof and given the Agents a reasonable opportunity to review the same; to advise the Agents promptly of any such amendment or supplement after such Time of Delivery and furnish the Agents with copies thereof, to prepare, with respect to any Notes to be sold through or to such Agent pursuant to this Agreement, a Pricing Supplement with respect to such Notes in a form previously approved by such Agent and to file such Pricing Supplement pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2) under the Act not later than the close of business of the Commission on the second business day after the date on which such Pricing Supplement is first used or the date of determination of the offering price; and to file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company or Sears, respectively, with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or 14 of the Exchange Act for so long as the delivery of a prospectus is required in connection with the offering or sale of the Notes, and during such same period to advise the Agents, promptly after the Company or Sears receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or has become effective or any supplement to the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus (other than any Pricing Supplement and any supplement relating to any offering of securities other than the Notes) has been filed with, or mailed for filing to, the Commission, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any prospectus relating to the Notes, of the suspension of the qualification of the Notes for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement or Prospectus or for additional information; and, in the event of the issuance of any such stop order or of any such order preventing or suspending the use of any such prospectus or suspending any such qualification, to use promptly its best efforts to obtain its withdrawal; (b) Promptly from time to time to take such action as the Agents reasonably may request to qualify the Notes for offering and sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as the Agents may request and to comply with such laws so as to permit the continuance of sales and dealings therein for as long as may be necessary to complete the distribution or sale of the Notes provided that in connection therewith neither the Company nor Sears shall be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction; (c) To furnish the Agents with copies of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto, and with copies of the Prospectus as amended or supplemented, other than any Pricing Supplement (except as provided in the Procedure), in the form in which it is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 under the Act or in the form first used to confirm sales which was not required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the Act, in such quantities as the Agents may from time to time reasonably request, and, if the delivery of a prospectus is required at any time in connection with the offering or sale of the Notes (including Notes purchased from the Company by such Agent as principal) and if at such time any event shall have occurred as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made when such Prospectus is delivered, not misleading, or, if for any other reason it shall be necessary during such same period to amend or supplement the Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act any document incorporated by reference in the Prospectus in order to comply with the Act, the Exchange Act or the Trust Indenture Act, to (i) notify the Agents to suspend solicitation of offers to purchase Notes from the Company (and, if so notified, the Agents shall promptly cease such solicitations), (ii) prepare and cause to be filed with the Commission, after having furnished the Agents with a copy of the proposed form and given the Agents a reasonable opportunity to review the same, an amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented that will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance and (iii) supply such Prospectus as then amended or supplemented to the Agents in such quantities as the Agents may reasonably request; if such amendment or supplement, and any documents, certificates and opinions furnished to the Agents pursuant to Section 8 in connection with the preparation or filing of such amendment or supplement are reasonably satisfactory in all respects to the Agents, the Agents will, upon the filing of such amendment or supplement with the Commission and upon the effectiveness of an amendment to the Registration Statement if such an amendment is required, resume the Agents obligation to solicit offers to purchase Notes hereunder; if such amendment or supplement, or any documents, certificates and opinions furnished to the Agents pursuant to Section 8 in connection with the preparation or filing of such amendment or supplement, are not satisfactory to the Agents, the Agents will as promptly as reasonably practicable notify the Company and Sears in writing; (d) To make generally available to its security holders, in accordance with the provisions of Rule 158 under the Act or otherwise, as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than forty-five days after the end of the fourth full fiscal quarter (ninety days in the case of the last fiscal quarter in any fiscal year) following the fiscal quarter ending after the latest of (x) the effective date of the Registration Statement, (y) the effective date of the post-effective amendment thereto hereinafter referred to and (z) the date of filing of the report hereinafter referred to, an earning statement of the Company and Sears and its consolidated subsidiaries, respectively, (which need not be audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Act and covering a period of at least twelve consecutive months beginning after the latest of (i) the effective date of such Registration Statement, (ii) the effective date of the post-effective amendment, if any, to such Registration Statement (within the meaning of Rule 158) and (iii) the date of filing of the last report of the Company or Sears incorporated by reference into the Prospectus (within the meaning of Rule 158); and (e) That each acceptance by the Company of an offer to purchase Notes hereunder shall be deemed to be an affirmation to such Agent that the representations and warranties of the Company and Sears contained in or made pursuant to this Agreement are true and correct as of the date of such acceptance as though made at and as of such date, and an undertaking that, if a settlement occurs with respect to such acceptance, such representations and warranties will be true and correct as of such settlement date as though made at and as of such date (except that such representations and warranties shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented relating to such Notes). 6. The Company covenants and agrees with each Agent that, except as may otherwise be specified in any Terms Agreement, during the period beginning from the date of any Terms Agreement and continuing to and including the earlier of (i) the termination of the trading restrictions for the Notes purchased thereunder, of which termination such Agent or Agents party to the Terms Agreement agree to give the Company prompt notice confirmed in writing and (ii) the Time of Delivery for such Notes, not to offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of any debt securities of the Company which (i) mature nine months or more after such Time of Delivery, (ii) mature within six months of the maturity of such Notes and (iii) are denominated in the same currency or currency unit specified in the Terms Agreement, without the prior written consent of such Agent or Agents, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, except pursuant to arrangements of which such Agent or Agents have been advised by the Company prior to the time of execution of such Terms Agreement, which advice is confirmed in writing (which may be by telecopy or telex, receipt acknowledged) to such Agent or Agents by the end of the business day following the date of such Terms Agreement. 7. The Company covenants and agrees with each Agent that the Company will pay or cause to be paid, whether or not any sale of Notes is consummated, the following: (i) the fees and expenses of the Company's counsel and accountants in connection with the registration of the Notes under the Act and all other expenses in connection with the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and amendments and supplements thereto and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Agents; (ii) the fees and expenses of counsel for the Agents, which counsel has been approved by the Company, incurred heretofore or hereafter in connection with the transactions contemplated hereunder; (iii) the cost of printing or reproducing this Agreement, any Terms Agreement, any Indenture, any Blue Sky and Legal Investment Memoranda and any other documents in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of the Notes; (iv) all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Notes for offering and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section 4(b) hereof, including fees and disbursements of counsel for the Agents in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky and legal investment surveys; (v) any fees charged by security rating services for rating the Notes; (vi) any filing fees incident to any required review by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. of the terms of the sale of the Notes; (vii) the cost of preparing the Notes; (viii) the fees and expenses of any Trustee and any transfer or paying agent of the Company and the fees and disbursements of counsel for any Trustee or such agent in connection with any Indenture and the Notes; (ix) on a monthly basis all out-of-pocket expenses (including without limitation advertising expenses) incurred by such Agent connected with the solicitation of offers to purchase and the sale of Notes so long as such expenses have been approved by the Company; and (x) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of the Company's obligations hereunder (other than costs and expenses incurred by any Agent) which are not otherwise specifically provided for in this Section 7. 8. The obligation of each Agent, as agent of the Company, at any time ("Solicitation Time") to solicit offers to purchase the Notes and the obligation of each Agent to purchase Notes as principal pursuant to any Terms Agreement or otherwise shall in each case be subject, in such Agent's discretion, to the condition that all representations and warranties and other statements of the Company or Sears herein are true and correct at and as of the Closing Date, as of the date of the effectiveness of any amendment to the Registration Statement (including the filing of any document incorporated by reference therein), as of the date any supplement to the Prospectus is filed with the Commission, as of any Time of Delivery, as of each acceptance by the Company of an offer to purchase Notes hereunder and as of each settlement date relating to such sale, the condition that each of the Company and Sears shall have performed all of its obligations hereunder theretofore to be performed, and the following additional conditions: (a) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with to the Agents reasonable satisfaction; (b) All corporate proceedings and related matters in connection with the organization of the Company, the validity of the Indenture and the registration, authorization, issue, sale and delivery of the Notes shall have been satisfactory to the Agents' counsel, and such counsel shall have been furnished with such papers and information as they may reasonably have requested to enable them to pass upon the matters referred to in this Section 8(b); (c) Counsel to the Company and Sears, who may be an employee of the Company or of Sears, shall have furnished to the Agents such counsel's written opinion, dated the Closing Date, each Time of Delivery and the date of effectiveness of each amendment or the filing of each supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (including the filing under the Act or the Exchange Act of documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented but excluding amendments or supplements (i) relating to an offering of securities other than the Notes, (ii) constituting a Pricing Supplement, (iii) setting forth or incorporating by reference financial statements or other information as of and for a fiscal quarter or (iv) relating solely to the incorporation by reference of Sears proxy statement for its annual meeting of shareholders or of a filing by the Company or Sears of a Current Report on Form 8-K under the Exchange Act unless in the case of clauses (iii) or (iv) above, in such Agent's reasonable judgment, such financial statements or other information contained in such documents are of such a character that an opinion of counsel should be furnished), as the case may be, in form and substance satisfactory to the Agents in the Agents' reasonable judgement to the effect that: (i) Each of the Company and Sears has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of its respective state of incorporation; (ii) The authorized capital stock of the Company consists of 500,000 shares of common stock, par value $100 per share, all of the issued and outstanding shares of which are owned by Sears, Roebuck and Co., and the authorized capital stock of Sears is as set forth or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement; (iii) SRAC is not an "investment company" within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended; (iv) Each of this Agreement and any applicable Terms Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered on the part of the Company, and this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered on the part of Sears; (v) The issue and sale of the Notes and the compliance by the Company with all of the provisions of the Notes, the Indenture, this Agreement and any applicable Terms Agreement will not (a) conflict with or result in any breach which would constitute a material default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any of the property or assets of the Company, material to the Company, pursuant to the terms of, any indenture, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument for borrowed money known to such counsel to which the Company is a party or by which the Company may be bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company, material to the Company, is subject, (b) result in any material violation of the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, or the By-Laws of the Company or (c) to the best of the knowledge of such counsel, result in any material violation of any statute or any order, rule or regulation applicable to the Company of any court or any Federal, State or other regulatory authority or other governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company, other than the Act, the Exchange Act, the Trust Indenture Act, and the rules and regulations pursuant to each such act, and other than the securities laws of the various states or other jurisdictions which are applicable to the issue and sale of the Notes; and, to the best knowledge of such counsel, no consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or filing with, any court or any such regulatory authority or other governmental body is required for the issue and sale of the Notes except as may be required under the Act, the Exchange Act, the Trust Indenture Act and securities laws of the various states or other jurisdictions which are applicable to the issue and sale of the Notes; (vi) The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered on the part of the Company and, as to the Company, is a valid and binding instrument in accordance with its terms except as the foregoing may be limited by insolvency, bankruptcy, reorganization or other laws relating to or affecting the enforcement of creditors' rights or by general equity principles, and has been qualified under the Trust Indenture Act; the Notes have been duly authorized and (assuming due authentication by the Trustee) when duly executed, issued and delivered pursuant to the Indenture and any Terms Agreement, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company in accordance with their terms, entitled to the benefits of the Indenture, except as the foregoing may be limited by insolvency, bankruptcy, reorganization or other laws relating to or affecting the enforcement of creditors' rights or by general equity principles; (vii) The Fixed Charge Coverage and Ownership Agreement and the Extension Agreement have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the parties thereto and are valid and binding instrument in accordance with their terms except as the same may be limited by insolvency, bankruptcy, reorganization or other laws relating to or affecting the enforcement of creditors' rights or by general equity principles; (viii) Such counsel does not know of any pending legal or governmental proceedings required to be described in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented which are not described as required; (ix) Except for statements in such documents which do not constitute part of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus pursuant to Rule 412 of Regulation C under the Act and after substituting therefor any statements modifying or superseding such excluded statements, the documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented (other than the financial statements and related schedules, the analyses of operations and financial condition and other financial, statistical and accounting data therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion), when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder; (x) Except for statements in such documents which do not constitute part of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus pursuant to Rule 412 of Regulation C under the Act and after substituting therefor any statements modifying or superseding such excluded statements, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended or supplemented (excluding the documents incorporated by reference therein) (other than the financial statements and related schedules, the analyses of operations and financial condition and other financial, statistical and accounting data therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion) comply as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations thereunder; the answers in the Registration Statement to Items 9 and 10 (insofar as it relates to such counsel) of Form S-3 are to the best of such counsel's knowledge accurate statements or summaries of the matters therein set forth and fairly present the information called for with respect to those matters by the Act and the rules and regulations thereunder; and (xi) Such counsel does not know of any contract or other document to which the Company or Sears is a party required to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or required to be incorporated by reference into the Prospectus as amended or supplemented or required to be described in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented which has not been so filed, incorporated by reference or described. In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely to the extent such counsel deems appropriate upon certificates of officers or other executives of the Company, Sears and its business groups and subsidiaries and of public officials as to factual matters and upon opinions of other counsel. In rendering the opinion referred to in subdivision (v) above, such counsel need not express an opinion as to whether, with respect to any Notes denominated in a currency other than United States dollars, a court located in the United States of America would grant a judgment relating to the Notes in other than United States dollars, nor an opinion as to the date which any such court would utilize for determining the rate of conversion into United States dollars in granting such judgment. Such counsel shall also state that: (a) nothing has come to such counsel's attention which has caused such counsel to believe that any of the documents referred to in subdivision (ix) above (other than the financial statements, the analyses of operations and financial condition and other financial, statistical and accounting data therein, as to which such counsel need express no belief), in each case after excluding any statement in any such document which does not constitute part of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus as amended or supplemented pursuant to Rule 412 of Regulation C under the Act and after substituting therefor any statement modifying or superseding such excluded statement, when such documents became effective or were filed, as the case may be, contained, in the case of documents which became effective under the Act, an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and, in the case of documents which were filed under the Exchange Act with the Commission, an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and (b) nothing has come to such counsel's attention which has caused such counsel to believe that the Registration Statement or Prospectus as amended or supplemented (other than the financial statements, the analyses of operations and financial condition and other financial, statistical and accounting data therein, as to which such counsel need express no belief) contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; (d) On the Closing Date, each Time of Delivery and the date of effectiveness of each amendment or the filing of each supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus setting forth or incorporating by reference amended or supplemental financial information, as the case may be, the independent certified public accountants who have certified the financial statements of the Company and Sears and its subsidiaries included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement shall have furnished to the Agents a letter or letters, dated the Closing Date or such applicable date, as the case may be, in form and substance satisfactory to the Agents, to the effect set forth in Annex III hereto (modified in the case of amended or supplemented financial information to reflect such amended and supplemental financial information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended or supplemented to the date of such letter, provided that if the Registration Statement or the Prospectus is amended or supplemented solely to include or incorporate by reference unaudited quarterly financial information, the scope of such letter, which shall be satisfactory in form and substance to such Agent, may be limited to relate to such unaudited financial information unless any other accounting, financial or statistical information included or incorporated by reference therein is of a character that, in the reasonable judgment of such Agent, such letter should address such other information); (e) (i) The Company and Sears shall not have sustained, after the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus and (A) prior to the Closing Date, any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as contemplated in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented through the date of this Agreement and (B) prior to each Time of Delivery, any such loss or interference, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented through the date that the Agent agreed to purchase such Notes as principal; and (ii) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented and (A) prior to the Closing Date, there shall not have been any material change in the capital stock accounts or long-term debt of the Company or any material adverse change in the general affairs, financial position, stockholders' equity or results of operations of the Company, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented through the date of this Agreement and (B) prior to each Time of Delivery, there shall not have been any such change, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented through the date that the Agent agreed to purchase such Notes as principal, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii), in the judgment of such Agent makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the solicitation by such Agent of offers to purchase Notes from the Company or the purchase by such Agent of Notes from the Company as principal, as the case may be; (f) During the period in which the Agents are soliciting offers to purchase Notes, including the period between the date that any Agent agreed to purchase such Notes as principal and the related Time of Delivery, no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded the Company's or Sears debt securities by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. or Standard & Poor's Corporation; provided, however, that this Section 6(f) shall not apply to any such rating agencies which shall have notified the Company of the downgrading in the rating of such debt securities and of which the Company shall have given the Agents written notice prior to the execution of the Terms Agreement; (g) During the period in which the Agents are soliciting offers to purchase Notes, including the period between the date that any Agent agreed to purchase such Notes as principal and the related Time of Delivery, neither (i) the United States shall have become engaged in the outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving the United States or there has been a declaration by the United States of a national emergency or a declaration of war, (ii) a banking moratorium shall have been declared by either Federal or New York State authorities or, in the case of Notes denominated in other than United States dollars, by the authorities of the country of the currency in which such Notes are denominated, (iii) trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange shall have been suspended nor limited or minimum prices shall have been established by such Exchange, nor (iv) in the case of Notes denominated in other than United States dollars, any change involving such currency exchange rates, exchange controls, taxation or similar matters, any of which events, in the Agents' judgment, renders it inadvisable to proceed with the solicitation by the Agents of offers to purchase Notes from the Company or the purchase by the Agents of Notes from the Company as principal, as the case may be; and (h) Each of the Company and Sears shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to the Agents at the Closing Date, each Time of Delivery and the date of effectiveness of each amendment or the filing of each supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (including the filing under the Act or the Exchange Act of documents which are incorporated by reference in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented but excluding amendments or supplements (i) relating to an offering of securities other than the Notes, (ii) constituting a Pricing Supplement, or (iii) relating solely to the incorporation by reference of Sears proxy statement for its annual meeting of shareholders or of a filing by the Company or Sears of a Current Report on Form 8-K under the Exchange Act, unless in the case of clause (iii) above, in such Agent's reasonable judgment, the information contained in such documents is of such a character that certificates of officers referred to below should be furnished, as the case may be) certificates of officers of the Company and Sears satisfactory to the Agents, as to the accuracy at and as of the Closing Date or such applicable date, as the case may be, of the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company and Sears, respectively, herein and as to the performance by each of the Company and Sears of all its obligations hereunder to be performed at or prior to the Closing Date or such applicable date, as the case may be, and the Company shall have also furnished the Agents similar certificates satisfactory to the Agents as to the matters set forth in subdivision (a) of this Section 8. 9. (a) The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Agent against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Agent may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Prospectus as amended or supplemented, or any amendment or supplement thereto furnished by the Company or Sears, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or (in the case of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus as amended or supplemented or any amendment or supplement thereto) necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (in the case of any Preliminary Prospectus) necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and will reimburse each Agent for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Agent in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim; provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in any Preliminary Prospectus, or the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Prospectus as amended or supplemented or any such amendment or supplement in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Agents expressly for use therein; and provided, further, that the Company shall not be liable to any Agent or any person controlling such Agent under the indemnity agreement in this subdivision (a) with respect to the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or the Prospectus as amended or supplemented or any amendment or supplement thereto, as the case may be, to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability of such Agent or controlling person results solely from the fact that such Agent sold Notes to a person to whom there was not sent or given, at or prior to the written confirmation of such sale, a copy of the Prospectus (excluding documents incorporated by reference) or of the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented (excluding documents incorporated by reference), whichever is most recent, if the Company has previously furnished copies thereof to such Agent. (b) Each Agent will indemnify and hold harmless the Company against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, or the Prospectus as amended or supplemented, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or the alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or (in the case of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or the Prospectus as amended or supplemented or any amendment or supplement thereto) necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (in the case of any Preliminary Prospectus) necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in any Preliminary Prospectus or the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or the Prospectus as amended or supplemented or such amendment or supplement in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Agent expressly for use therein; and will reimburse the Company for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. (c) Within a reasonable period after receipt by an indemnified party under subdivision (a) or (b) above of notice of the commencement of any action with respect to which indemnification is sought under such subdivision or contribution may be sought under subdivision (d) below, such indemnified party shall notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof. In case any such action shall be brought against any indemnified party, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate in, and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party, and after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation. (d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 9 is unavailable to an indemnified party under subdivision (a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the contributing Agent on the other from the offering of the Notes and also the relative fault of the Company and Sears on the one hand and the contributing Agent on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the contributing Agent on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the sale of Notes (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total commissions or discounts received by the contributing Agent. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or Sears on the one hand or the contributing Agent on the other and the parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission of the Company or Sears on the one hand and the contributing Agent on the other hand. With respect to any Agent, such relative fault shall also be determined by reference to the extent (if any) to which such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) with respect to any Preliminary Prospectus result from the fact that such Agent sold Notes to a person to whom there was not sent or given, at or prior to the written confirmation of such sale, a copy of the Prospectus (excluding documents incorporated by reference) or of the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented (excluding documents incorporated by reference) if the Company has previously furnished copies thereof to such Agent. The Company and the contributing Agent agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this subdivision (d) were determined by per capita allocation (even if all Agents were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this subdivision (d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to above in this subdivision (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subdivision (d), no Agent shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Notes purchased by or through such Agent were sold exceeds the amount of any damages which such Agent has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The obligations of each of the Agents under this subdivision (d) to contribute are several in proportion to the respective purchases made by or through it to which such loss, claim, damage or liability (or action in respect thereof) relates and are not joint. (e) The obligations of the Company under this Section 9 shall be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each person, if any, who controls any Agent within the meaning of the Act; and each Agent's obligations under this Section 9 shall be in addition to any liability which such Agent may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each officer and director of the Company or Sears and to each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Act. 10. In soliciting offers to purchase Notes from the Company and in performing the other obligations of such Agent hereunder (other than in respect of any purchase by an Agent as principal, pursuant to a Terms Agreement or otherwise), each Agent is acting solely as agent for the Company and not as principal. Each Agent will make reasonable efforts to assist the Company in obtaining performance by each purchaser whose offer to purchase Notes from the Company was solicited by such Agent and has been accepted by the Company, but such Agent shall not have any liability to the Company in the event such purchase is not consummated for any reason. If the Company shall default on its obligation to deliver Notes to a purchaser whose offer it has accepted, the Company shall hold each Agent harmless against any loss, claim or damage arising from or as a result of such default by the Company. 11. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements by any Agent, the Company and Sears set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof) made by or on behalf of any Agent, the Company, Sears, or any officer or director or any controlling person of the Company, Sears or any Agent, and shall survive each delivery of and payment for any of the Notes. 12. The provisions of this Agreement relating to the solicitation of offers to purchase Notes from the Company may be suspended or this Agreement may be terminated at any time by the Company as to any or all Agents or by any Agent insofar as this Agreement relates to such Agent upon the giving of written notice of such suspension or termination to such Agent or the Company, as the case may be. Unless otherwise agreed by the respective parties, any such suspension or termination shall be effective immediately with respect to the party giving such notice and, in the case of the party receiving such notice, at the close of business on the first business day following the receipt of such notice. In the event of such suspension or termination with respect to any Agent, (x) this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect with respect to any Agent as to which such suspension or termination has not occurred, and (y) the Company shall not have any liability to such Agent and such Agent shall not have any liability to the Company, except as provided in any Terms Agreements and in the fifth paragraph of Section 3(a), Section 7, Section 9, Section 10 and Section 11. 13. Except as otherwise specifically provided herein or in the Procedure, all statements, requests, notices and advices hereunder shall be in writing, or by telephone if promptly confirmed in writing, and if to an Agent shall be sufficient in all respects when delivered or sent by facsimile transmission or registered mail to such Agent at the address or facsimile transmission number set forth in the Appointment and Acceptance of Agent relating to the appointment of such Agent, and if to the Company shall be sufficient in all respects when delivered or sent by facsimile transmission or registered mail to the Company at 3711 Kennett Pike, Greenville, Delaware 19807, Attention: Richard F. Kotz, Secretary, Facsimile Transmission No. (302) 888-3150, and if to Sears shall be sufficient in all respects when delivered or sent by facsimile transmission or registered mail to Sears at 3333 Beverly Road, Hoffman Estates, Illinois 60179, Attention: Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, Facsimile Transmission No. (847) 286-2471 with a copy to the Vice President and Treasurer, Facsimile Transmission No. (847) 286-3690. Upon request of any party hereto, any statements, requests, notices and advices transmitted by facsimile shall be promptly followed by delivery of executed documents by registered mail. 14. This Agreement and any Terms Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the benefit of, each Agent, the Company and Sears, and to the extent provided in Section 9, Section 10 and Section 11 hereof, the officers and directors of the Company and Sears and any person who controls any Agent or the Company, and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement or any Terms Agreement. No purchaser of any of the Notes through or from any Agent hereunder shall be deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such purchase. 15. Time shall be of the essence in this Agreement and any Terms Agreement. As used herein, the term "business day" shall mean any day when the office of the Commission in Washington, D.C. is normally open for business or each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a legal holiday for banking institutions in any of the City of Chicago, The City of New York or the City of Wilmington. 16. This Agreement and any Terms Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of New York. 17. This Agreement (including such Appointments and Acceptances of Agent as may be executed and delivered by the Company and Sears and accepted by one or more Agents from time to time) and any Terms Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties hereto and thereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original, but all of such respective counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument. APPOINTMENT AND ACCEPTANCE OF AGENT Each agent designated below is hereby appointed as an Agent on the terms and conditions set forth in the Distribution Agreement. Upon acceptance of such appointment by signing and returning to us three counterparts hereof, the Distribution Agreement shall constitute a binding agreement between the Company, Sears and each such Agent in accordance with its terms. Very truly yours, SEARS ROEBUCK ACCEPTANCE CORP. By: /S/Stephen D. Carp Vice President, Finance SEARS, ROEBUCK AND CO. By: /S/Alice M. Peterson Vice President and Treasurer Agents Designated Hereby: Accepted in New York, New York, as of the date set forth on the first page of the Distribution Agreement: GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO. Address: 85 Broad Steet, New York, New York 10004, Attn: Registration Department Facsimile Transmission No.: (212) 902-3000 /S/Goldman, Sachs & Co. MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INCORPORATED Address: 250 Vesey Street, 23rd Floor, World Financial Center, North Tower, New York, New York 10281, Attn: MTN Product Management Facsimile Transaction No.: (212) 449-2234 By:/S/Scott G. Primrose Authorized Signatory MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INCORPORATED Address: 1585 Broadway, New York, New York 10036, Attn: Managing Director, Short- and Medium-Term Note Department Facsimile Transmission No.: (212) 761-0780 Copy to: 1585 Broadway, New York, New York 10036, Attn: Investment Banking Information Center Facsimile Transmission No.: (212) 761-0260 By:/S/Catherine A. Kennedy SALOMON BROTHERS INC. Address: Seven World Trade Center, 32st Floor, New York, New York 10048, Attn: Medium-Term Note Department Facsimile Transmission No.: (212) 783-2274 By:/S/Anne Clark Wolff ANNEX I Sears Roebuck Acceptance Corp. $ Medium Term Notes Series __ TERMS AGREEMENT _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ Dear Sirs: ,199 Sears Roebuck Acceptance Corp. (the "Company") proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein and in the Distribution Agreement, dated ___________, 199_ (the "Distribution Agreement"), between the Company and Sears, Roebuck and Co. ("Sears") on the one hand and the Agents thereunder on the other, to issue and sell to you the securities specified in the Schedule hereto (the "Purchased Notes"). Each of the provisions of the Distribution Agreement not specifically related to the solicitation by such firms, as agents of the Company, of offers to purchase Notes is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and shall be deemed to be part of this Agreement to the same extent as if such provisions had been set forth in full herein, provided that for purposes of this Agreement all references in the Distribution Agreement to the "Agents" shall be deemed to refer to you alone. Nothing contained herein or in the Distribution Agreement shall make any party hereto an agent of the Company or make such party subject to the provisions in the Distribution Agreement relating to the solicitation of offers to purchase securities from the Company, solely by virtue of its execution of this Terms Agreement. Each of the representations and warranties set forth therein shall be deemed to have been made at and as of the date of this Terms Agreement, except that each representation and warranty in Sections 1 and 2 of the Distribution Agreement which makes reference to the Prospectus shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty as of the date of the Distribution Agreement in relation to the Prospectus (as therein defined), and also a representation and warranty as of the date of this Terms Agreement in relation to the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to relate to the Purchased Notes. Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Distribution Agreement are used herein as therein defined. An amendment to the Registration Statement, or a supplement to the Prospectus, as the case may be, relating to the Purchased Notes, in the form heretofore delivered to you is now proposed to be filed with, or in the case of a supplement, mailed for filing to, the Commission. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the Distribution Agreement incorporated herein by reference, the Company agrees to issue and sell to you and you agree to purchase from the Company the Purchased Notes, at the time and place, in the principal amount and at the purchase price set forth in the Schedule hereto. If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and return to us two counterparts hereof, and upon acceptance hereof by you this letter and such acceptance hereof, including those provisions of the Distribution Agreement incorporated herein by reference, shall constitute a binding agreement between you, the Company and Sears. SEARS ROEBUCK ACCEPTANCE CORP. By: SEARS, ROEBUCK AND CO. By: Accepted: [_______________________________________ By: ] SCHEDULE TO ANNEX I Title of Purchased Notes: [Medium-Term Notes, Series III] [ % Notes due ] Aggregate Principal Amount: [$ or units of other Specified Currency] [Currency Swap or Forward Arrangements:] [Price to Public:] Purchase Price by : % of the principal amount of the Purchased Notes [, plus accrued interest from to ] [and accrued amortization, from to ] Specified Funds for Payment of Purchase Price: immediately available funds Indenture: Indenture, dated as of May 15, 1995, as supplemented to the date hereof, between the Company and The Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A., as Trustee Form of Purchased Notes: [Certificated form only][Global form only] Time of Delivery: Closing Location: Maturity: Interest Rate: [ %] [Specify floating rate provisions, if any] Interest Payment Dates: [months and dates] Documents to be Delivered: The following documents referred to in the Distribution Agreement shall be delivered as a condition to the Closing: [(1) The opinion referred to in Section 8(c).] [(2) The accountants' letter referred to in Section 8(d).] [(3) The officers' certificate referred to in Section 8(h).] Lock-Out Provisions: [Describe modifications, if any, to the lock-out provisions set forth in Section 6 of the Distribution Agreement.] Syndicate Provisions: [Set forth any provisions relating to underwriters' default and step-up of amounts to be purchased by underwriters acting with ] ANNEX II Sears Roebuck Acceptance Corp. ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE Medium-term notes (the "Notes") in the aggregate initial offering price of up to $2,000,000,000 are to offered from time to time by Sears Roebuck Acceptance Corp. (the "Company") through agents of the Company (together, in such capacity, the "Agents"). Each Agent has agreed to use its reasonable efforts to solicit offers to purchase Notes directly from the Company (an Agent, in relation to a purchase of a particular Note by a purchaser solicited by such Agent, being herein referred to as the "Selling Agent") and may also purchase Notes from the Company as principal (an Agent, in relation to a purchase of a Note by such Agent as principal other than pursuant to a Terms Agreement being herein referred to as the "Purchasing Agent"). The Notes are being sold pursuant to a Distribution Agreement, dated August 22, 1996 (the "Distribution Agreement"), between the Company, Sears, Roebuck and Co. ("Sears") and the Agents, to which this Administrative Procedure is attached as Annex II. The Notes will be issued pursuant to an Indenture, dated as of May 15, 1995 (the "Indenture"), between the Company and The Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A., as Trustee (the "Trustee"). Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Indenture or the Notes shall be used herein as therein defined. In the case of purchases of Notes by any Agent as principal, the relevant terms and settlement details related thereto, including the Time of Delivery referred to in the first paragraph of Section 8, will (unless the Company and such Agent otherwise agree) be set forth in a Terms Agreement entered into between such Agent and the Company and Sears pursuant to the Distribution Agreement. The procedures to be followed during, and the specific terms of, the solicitation of offers by the Agents and the sale as a result thereof by the Company are explained below. The procedures are subject, and are qualified in their entirety by reference, to all of the respective provisions of the Distribution Agreement and the Indenture. The Company will advise each Agent in writing of those persons handling administrative responsibilities ("Designated Persons") with whom such Agent is to communicate regarding offers to purchase Notes and the details of their delivery. I. General Procedures Registration: Notes will be issued only in fully registered form and will be either (a) Book-Entry Notes represented by one or more global notes (each a "Global Note") held by the Trustee, as agent for The Depository Trust Company ("DTC") and recorded in the book-entry system maintained by DTC or (b) Certificated Notes delivered in certificated form to the Selling Agent or Purchasing Agent. All Notes will be issued as Book-Entry Notes except as otherwise approved in advance by the Company and except that non-U.S. dollar denominated Notes will be issued as Certificated Notes only unless otherwise specified in a Prospectus Supplement or Pricing Supplement. Maturities: Each Note will mature on a date, selected by the purchaser and agreed to by the Company, which will be at least nine months from the date of original issuance by the Company of such Note (the "Settlement Date"). Price to Public: Each Note will be issued at the percentage of principal amount specified in the Prospectus (as defined in Section 1(a) of the Distribution Agreement) relating to the Notes. Currencies: Notes will be denominated in U.S. dollars or in such other currency or currency unit as is specified in the Prospectus (the "Specified Currency"). Denominations: The denomination of any Book-Entry, Global or Certificated Note will be a minimum of U.S. $1,000 or any amount in excess thereof in integral multiples of $1,000 or the equivalent, as determined pursuant to the provisions of the Indenture, of U.S. $1,000 (rounded down to an integral multiple of 1,000 units of such Specified Currency) and any amounts in excess thereof. Interest Payments: As specified in the Indenture and the Form of Note. Acceptance of Offers: Each Agent will promptly advise the Company by telephone or other appropriate means of offers to purchase Notes received by it other than those rejected by such Agent. Each Agent may, in its discretion reasonably exercised, reject any offer received by it. Each Agent also may make offers to the Company to purchase Notes as a Purchasing Agent in accordance with Section 2(b) of the Distribution Agreement. The Company will have the sole right to accept offers to purchase Notes and may reject any such offer. If the Company accepts an offer to purchase Notes, it will confirm such acceptance in writing to the Selling Agent or Purchasing Agent, as the case may be. If the Company rejects an offer, it will promptly notify the Agent involved. Filing and Delivery of Prospectus: If the Company accepts an offer to purchase a Note, the Company will prepare a Pricing Supplement reflecting the terms of such Note and will arrange to have a Pricing Supplement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") as soon as practicable after the preparation thereof and will supply at least one such Pricing Supplement to the Selling Agent or the Purchasing Agent, as the case may be, not later than 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the Business Day following the date of acceptance of such offer. With respect to each Note sold pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, the Selling Agent shall send a copy of the Prospectus as most recently amended or supplemented (together with the Pricing Supplement relating to such Note) to the purchaser or its agent prior to or together with the delivery of (a) the written confirmation of sale (including, in the case of a book-entry security, the confirmation through DTC's Institutional Delivery System) or (b) the delivery of such Note, whichever is earlier. Confirmation: For each offer accepted by the Company, the Selling Agent will issue a written confirmation to each purchaser containing the Sale Information (as defined below), plus delivery and payment instructions. Currency Swaps: Unless otherwise requested by the Company, each time an Agent advises the Company of an offer to purchase Notes denominated in a currency or currency unit other than U.S. dollars, such Agent will provide the Company information with respect to currency swap or forward arrangements that, as of the time the offer is communicated to the Company, such Agent is prepared to enter into or arrange with a third party to enter into in order to exchange amounts to be received from the purchaser of such Note at the Settlement Date and to exchange amounts to be paid by the Company on the interest payment dates and at maturity. Settlement-- Sales as Principal: In the event of a purchase of Notes by an Agent or Agents, as principal or underwriter (other than as Purchasing Agent), appropriate settlement details will be set forth in the applicable Terms Agreement to be entered into between such Agent or Agents and the Company pursuant to the Distribution Agreement. Settlement-- Sales as Agent: All offers solicited by the Agents and accepted by the Company will be settled on the third Business Day (as defined below) after the date of acceptance unless otherwise agreed by the purchaser and the Company and the Settlement Date shall be specified upon acceptance of such offer. The term "Business Day" means a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday on which commercial banks in any of New York City, the City of Chicago or the City of Wilmington and, (i) if the Note is denominated in a currency other than U.S. dollars, in the capital of the country of the Specified Currency, or (ii) if the Note is denominated in European Currency Units, in Brussels, are not required or authorized to be closed. Communication of Sale Information to the Company by Selling Agent: For each offer accepted by the Company, the Selling Agent or Purchasing Agent, as the case may be, will provide (unless provided by the purchaser directly to the Company) to a Designated Person by facsimile transmission or other acceptable means the following information (the "Sale Information"): (1) If a Certificated Note, exact name of the registered owner, (2) If a Certificated Note, exact address of the registered owner, (3) If a Certificated Note, taxpayer identification number of the registered owner (if available), (4) If a Book-Entry Note, the DTC Participant Number of the institution through which the customer will hold the beneficial interest in the Global Note, (5) Principal amount of the Note, (6) Trade date of Note, (7) If a Fixed Rate Note, the interest rate, (8) Settlement Date, (9) Maturity date, (10) Currency or currency unit in which the Note is to be denominated and, if other than U.S. dollars, the applicable Exchange Rate for such currency or currency unit, (11) Indexed Currency, the Base Rate and the Exchange Rate Determination Date, if applicable, (12) Issue Price, (13) Selling Agent's commission or Purchasing Agent's discount, as the case may be (to be paid upon settlement as a discount from gross proceeds of sale except as provided below under "Delivery of Notes and Cash Payment"), (14) Net proceeds to the Company, (15) If a redeemable Note with a Redemption Commencement Date, such of the following as are applicable: (i) Redemption Commencement Date, (ii) Initial Redemption Price (% of par), and (iii) Amount (% of par) that the Redemption Price shall decline (but not below par) on each anniversary of the Redemption Commencement Date, (16) If a redeemable or repayable Note with a Redemption Date or Redemption Dates, such of the following as are applicable: (i) the Redemption Date or Redemption Dates, (ii) whether the Note is redeemable or repayable at the option of the Company or the Holder or both, (iii) the Redemption Price (% of par) on each Redemption Date, (iv) the notice period during which the option to redeem may be exercised, and (v) the method by which notice of redemption is to be given, (17) If a Floating Rate Note, such of the following as are applicable: (i) Interest Rate Basis, (ii) Index Maturity, (iii) Spread, (iv) Spread Multiplier, (v) Maximum Rate, (vi) Minimum Rate, (vii) Initial Interest Determination Date, (viii) Interest Reset Dates, (ix) Calculation Dates, (x) Interest Determination Dates, and (xi) Calculation Agent, (18) Interest Payment Dates, (19) Regular Record Dates, (20) Denomination of certificates to be delivered at settlement, and (21) That the Note is a Certificated Note (if applicable), (22) To the extent known to the Agent, any information not otherwise expressly set forth in the Prospectus Supplement which is required pursuant to Item 501(c)(7) or 508 of Regulation S-K promulgated by the Commission, including, but not limited to, the initial public offering price of the Notes, if other than 100% of the principal amount, and (23) If an Agent purchases Notes as a principal, the extent, if any, to which the items specified in Sections 8(c), 8(d) and 8(h) of the Distribution Agreement are required to be furnished as of the Time of Delivery. In addition, the Selling Agent will use its reasonable efforts to provide in writing the following information to the Company and the Trustee: (24) One of the following: a. In the case of a foreign registered owner (other than a Financial Institution (as defined below)), an IRS Form W-8 that has been duly and properly signed by the registered owner. b. In the case of a registered owner which is a Financial Institution, a statement from the Financial Institution signed under penalties of perjury stating that the Financial Institution has received from the beneficial owner an IRS Form W-8 that has been duly and properly signed by the registered owner together with a copy of such Form W-8. c. In the case of a registered owner who is a United States person, an IRS Form W-9 that has been duly and properly signed by the registered owner. A "Financial Institution" is a securities clearing organization, a bank, or another financial institution that holds customers' securities in the ordinary course of its trade or business which holds a Note for a beneficial owner who is a foreign person. After receiving the Sale Information the Company will, after recording the Sale Information and any necessary calculations, provide appropriate documentation to the Trustee necessary for the preparation, authentication and delivery of such Note. Change in Interest Rate, Maturity or Currency Denomination: The Company and the Agents will discuss from time to time the rates of interest per annum to be borne by, and the maturity and currency denomination of, Notes that may be sold as a result of the solicitation of offers by the Agents. Suspension of Solicitation; Amendment or Supplement: The Company may instruct the Agents to suspend solicitation of offers to purchase Notes at any time, whereupon the Agents will as promptly as possible (but in any event not later than one business day after receipt of such instruction) suspend solicitation until such time as the Company has advised the Agents that solicitation of offers to purchase Notes may be resumed. If the Company proposes to amend or supplement the Registration Statement or the Prospectus relating to the Notes (except in the case of a Pricing Supplement), it will promptly advise the Agents and will furnish to the Agents such proposed amendment or supplement and, after the Agents have been afforded a reasonable opportunity to review such amendment or supplement, will cause such amendment or supplement to be filed with the Commission. The Company will promptly provide the Agents with copies of any such amendment or supplement and confirm to the Agents that such amendment or supplement has been filed with the Commission. In the event that at the time the Agents suspend solicitation of offers to purchase Notes there shall be any outstanding offers to purchase Notes that have been accepted by the Company but for which settlement has not occurred, the Company, consistent with its obligations under the Distribution Agreement, promptly will advise the Agents whether such sales may be settled and whether copies of the Prospectus as supplemented at the time of the suspension may be delivered in connection with the settlement of such sales. The Company will have the sole responsibility for such decision and for any arrangements which may be made in the event that the Company determines that such sales may not be settled or that copies of such Prospectus may not be so delivered. Authenticity of Signatures: The Trustee will furnish the Agents from time to time with the specimen signatures of each of the Trustee's officers, employees or agents who have been authorized by the Trustee to authenticate Notes, but the Agents will have no obligation or liability to the Company or the Trustee in respect of the authenticity of the signature of any officer, employee or agent of the Company or the Trustee on any Note. Advertising Cost: The Company will determine with the Agents the amount of advertising that may be appropriate in the solicitation of offers to purchase the Notes. Advertising expenses will be paid by the Company. II. Book-Entry Procedures In connection with the qualification of Book-Entry Notes for eligibility in the book-entry system maintained by DTC, the Trustee will perform the custodial, document control and administrative functions described below, in accordance with its obligations under a Letter of Representations from the Company and the Trustee to DTC, dated March 28, 1996, and a Medium-Term Note Certificate Agreement, dated March 10, 1989 between the Trustee and DTC (the "Certificate Agreement"), and the Trustee's obligations as a participant in DTC including DTC's Same-Day Funds Settlement System ("SDFS"). Issuance: All Fixed Rate Notes which have the same original issue date, redemption or repayment provisions, Interest Payment Dates, Regular Record Dates, interest rate, Specified Currency and maturity date (collectively, the "Fixed Rate Terms") will be represented initially by a single Global Note in fully registered form without coupons. All Floating Rate Notes which have the same original issue date, redemption or repayment provisions, Interest Payment Dates, Regular Record Dates, Interest Rate Basis, Interest Determination Dates, Interest Reset Dates, Calculation Dates, Index Maturity, Spread or Spread Multiplier, if any, Minimum Rate, if any, Maximum Rate, if any, Specified Currency and maturity date (collectively, the "Floating Rate Terms") will be represented initially be a single Global Note in fully registered form without coupons. Identification: The Company has received from the CUSIP Service Bureau of Standard & Poor's Corporation (the "CUSIP Service Bureau") a series of approximately 900 CUSIP numbers for future assignment to Global Notes, and the Company has delivered to the Trustee and DTC such list of such CUSIP numbers. The Trustee will assign CUSIP numbers to Global Notes as described below. DTC will notify the CUSIP Service Bureau periodically of the CUSIP numbers that have been assigned to Global Notes. The Trustee will notify the Company at any time when fewer than 100 of the reserved CUSIP numbers remain unassigned to Global Notes, and, if it deems necessary, the Company will reserve additional CUSIP numbers for assignment to Global Notes. Upon obtaining such additional CUSIP numbers, the Company will deliver a list of such additional numbers to the Trustee and DTC. Registration: Each Global Note will be registered in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee for DTC, on the Security Register maintained under the Indenture. The beneficial owner of a Book-Entry Note (or one or more indirect participants in DTC designated by such owner) will designate one or more participants in DTC (the "Participants") to act as agent or agents for such owner in connection with the book-entry system maintained by DTC, and DTC will record in book-entry form, in accordance with instructions provided by such Participants, a credit balance with respect to such Book-Entry Note in the account of such Participants. The ownership interest of such beneficial owner in such Book-Entry Note will be recorded through the records of such Participants or through the separate records of such Participants and one or more indirect participants in DTC. Transfers: Transfers of a Book-Entry Note will be accomplished by book entries made by DTC and, in turn, by Participants (and in certain cases, one or more indirect participants in DTC) acting on behalf of beneficial transferors and transferees of such Book-Entry Note. Exchanges: The Trustee, at the Company's request, may deliver to DTC and the CUSIP Service Bureau at any time a written notice of consolidation specifying (a) the CUSIP numbers of two or more outstanding Global Notes having the same Fixed Rate Terms or Floating Rate Terms, as the case may be (except that original issue dates need not be the same), and for which interest has been paid to the same date; (b) a date, occurring at least 30 days after such written notice is delivered and at least 30 days before the next Interest Payment Date for the related Book-Entry Notes, on which such Global Notes shall be exchanged for a single replacement Global Note; and (c) a new CUSIP number to be assigned to such replacement Global Note. Upon receipt of such a notice, DTC will send to its participants (including the Trustee) a written reorganization notice to the effect that such exchange will occur on such date. Prior to the specified exchange date, the Trustee will deliver to the CUSIP Service Bureau written notice setting forth such exchange date and the new CUSIP number and stating that, as of such exchange date, the CUSIP numbers of the Global Notes to be exchanged will no longer be valid. On the specified exchange date, the Trustee will exchange such Global Notes for a single Global Note bearing the new CUSIP number. The CUSIP numbers of the exchanged Global Notes will, in accordance with CUSIP Service Bureau procedures, be cancelled and not immediately reassigned. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Global Notes to be exchanged exceed $200,000,000 in aggregate principal amount, one replacement Global Note will be authenticated and issued to represent each $200,000,000 of principal amount of the exchanged Global Notes and an additional Global Note will be authenticated and issued to represent any remaining principal amount of such Global Notes, subject to the minimum denomination restrictions described in General Procedures - Denominations (see "Denominations" below). Denominations: Global Notes representing Book-Entry Notes will be denominated in principal amounts not in excess of $200,000,000. If one or more Book-Entry Notes having an aggregate principal amount in excess of $200,000,000 would, but for the preceding sentence, be represented by a single Global Note, then one Global Note will be issued to represent each $200,000,000 principal amount of such Book-Entry Note or Book-Entry Notes and an additional Global Note will be issued to represent any remaining principal amount of such Book-Entry Note or Book-Entry Notes, subject to the minimum denomination restrictions described in General Procedures - Denominations. In such a case, each of the Global Notes representing such Book-Entry Note or Notes shall be assigned the same CUSIP number. Interest: DTC will arrange for each pending deposit message described under Settlement Procedure B below to be transmitted to Standard & Poor's Corporation, which will use the message to include certain terms of the related Global Note in the appropriate daily bond report published by Standard & Poor's Corporation. Payments of Principal, Premium, if any, and Interest: Payments of Interest Only. Promptly after each Regular Record Date (or as soon thereafter as such information is determined), the Trustee will deliver to the Company and DTC a written notice specifying by CUSIP number the amount of interest to be paid on each Global Note on the following Interest Payment Date (other than an Interest Payment Date coinciding with the Maturity) and the total of such amounts. DTC will confirm the amount payable on each Global Note on such Interest Payment Date by reference to the daily bond reports published by Standard & Poor's Corporation. On such Interest Payment Date, the Company will pay to the Trustee, and the Trustee in turn will pay to DTC, such total amount of interest due (other than at Maturity), at the times and in the manner set forth below under "Manner of Payment." Payments at Maturity. On or about the first Business Day of each month (or as soon thereafter as such information is determined), the Trustee will deliver to the Company and DTC a written list of principal, premium, if any, and interest to be paid on each Global Note maturing or subject to redemption or repayment in the following month. The Trustee, the Company and DTC will confirm the amounts of such principal, premium (if any) and interest payments with respect to each such Global Note on or about the fifth Business Day preceding the maturity date of such Global Note. At such maturity date, the Company will pay to the Trustee, and the Trustee in turn will pay to DTC, the principal of and premium, if any, on such Global Note, together with interest due at such maturity date, at the times and in the manner set forth below under "Manner of Payment." Promptly after payment to DTC of the principal, premium, if any, and interest due at maturity of all Book-Entry Notes represented by a particular Global Note, the Trustee will cancel such Global Note, make appropriate entries in its records and dispose of such Global Note as provided in the Indenture. Manner of Payment. The total amount of any principal, premium and interest due on Global Notes on any Interest Payment Date or at maturity shall be paid by the Company to the Trustee in funds immediately available for use by the Trustee as of noon, New York City time, on such date. The Company will make such payment on such Global Notes by wire transfer to the Trustee or by instructing the Trustee to withdraw funds from an account maintained by the Company at the Trustee. The Company will confirm any such instructions in writing to the Trustee. For maturity, redemption and other principal payments, prior to 1:00 p.m., New York City time, on each such date or as soon as possible thereafter following receipt of such funds from the Company, the Trustee will pay by separate wire transfer (using Fedwire message entry instructions in a form previously specified by DTC) to an account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York previously specified by DTC, in funds available for immediate use by DTC, each payment of interest, principal and premium, if any, due on Global Notes on such date; and for interest payments, the Trustee will pay DTC in same day funds on the Interest Payment Date in accordance with existing arrangements between the Trustee and DTC. Thereafter on each such date, DTC will pay, in accordance with its SDFS operating procedures then in effect, such amounts in funds available for immediate use to the respective Participants with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective holdings in principal amount of beneficial interest in such Global Note as are recorded in the book-entry system maintained by DTC. Once payment has been made to DTC, neither the Company nor the Trustee shall have any responsibility or liability for the payment by DTC of the principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, the Book-Entry Notes to such Participants. Withholding Taxes. The amount of any taxes required under applicable law to be withheld from any interest payment on a Book-Entry Note will be determined and withheld by the Participant, indirect participant in DTC or other Person responsible for forwarding payments and materials directly to the beneficial owner of such Book-Entry Note, or as applicable law may otherwise require. Settlement Procedures: Settlement Procedures with regard to each Book-Entry Note sold by each Agent will be as follows: A. Upon receiving the Sale Information, the Company will, as soon as practicable, advise the Trustee by facsimile transmission of the Sale Information and the name of such Agent. B. The Trustee will assign a CUSIP number to the Global Note representing such Book-Entry Note and will communicate to DTC and the Agent through DTC's Participant Terminal System, a pending deposit message specifying such of the following Settlement information as applicable: 1. The following information: (a) Principal amount of the purchase. (b) In the case of a Fixed Rate Note, the interest rate, or, in the case of a Floating Rate Note, the initial interest rate, the Interest Reset Dates, the Interest Payment Dates, the Interest Rate Basis, Index Maturity, Spread or Spread Multiplier, if any, and the Minimum Rate and Maximum Rate, if any. (c) Settlement date. (d) Maturity date. (e) Price. (f) DTC Participant Number of the institution through which the customer will hold the beneficial interest in the Global Note. 2. The numbers of the participant accounts maintained by DTC on behalf of the Trustee and the Agent. 3. Identification as a Fixed Rate Note or a Floating Rate Note. 4. The initial Interest Payment Date for such Note, number of days by which such date succeeds the related DTC record date (which term means the Regular Record Date, or in the case of Floating Rate Notes which reset weekly, the date five calendar days immediately preceding the applicable Interest Payment Date) and, for Fixed Rate Notes, the amount of interest payable on such Interest Payment Date per $1,000 principal amount of Note. 5. The frequency of interest payments. 6. The frequency of interest rate resets. 7. The CUSIP number of the Global Note representing such Book-Entry Notes. 8. Whether such Global Note represents any other Book-Entry Notes issued or to be issued. The Trustee will also orally notify the Agent of the CUSIP number assigned to the Global Note. C. The Trustee will prepare a Global Note representing such Book-Entry Note in a form that has been approved by the Company. D. The Trustee will authenticate the Global Note representing such Book-Entry Note and maintain possession of such Global Note. E. DTC will credit such Book-Entry Note to the participant account of the Trustee maintained by DTC. F. The Trustee will enter an SDFS deliver order through DTC's Participant Terminal System instructing DTC to (i) debit such Book-Entry Note to the Trustee's participant account and credit such Book-Entry Note to the participant account of the Agent maintained by DTC and (ii) debit the settlement account of the Agent and credit the settlement account of the Trustee maintained by DTC, in an amount equal to the price of such Book-Entry Note less the Agent's commission. The entry of such a deliver order shall be deemed to constitute a representation and warranty by the Trustee to DTC that (a) the Global Note representing such Book-Entry Note has been issued and authenticated and (b) the Trustee is holding such Global Note pursuant to the Certificate Agreement. G. The Agent will enter an SDFS deliver order through DTC's Participant Terminal System instructing DTC to (i) debit such Book-Entry Note to the Agent's participant account and credit such Book-Entry Note to the participant accounts of the Participants to whom such Book-Entry Note is to be credited maintained by DTC and (ii) debit the settlement accounts of such Participants and credit the settlement account of the Agent maintained by DTC, in an amount equal to the initial public offering price of the Book-Entry Note so credited to their accounts. H. Transfers of funds in accordance with SDFS deliver orders described in Settlement Procedures F and G will be settled in accordance with SDFS operating procedures in effect on the Settlement Date. I. The Trustee will credit to an account of the Company maintained at The Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A. funds available for immediate use in an amount equal to the amount credited to the Trustee's DTC settlement account in accordance with Settlement Procedure F. J. The Agent will confirm the purchase of each Book- Entry Note to the purchaser thereof either by transmitting to the Participant to whose account such Note has been credited a confirmation order through DTC's Participant Terminal System or by mailing a written confirmation to such purchaser. In all cases the Prospectus as most recently amended or supplemented (including the applicable Pricing Supplement) must accompany or precede such confirmation. Settlement Procedures Timetable: For offers accepted by the Company, Settlement Procedures A through J shall occur no later than the respective times (New York City time) listed below: Settlement Procedure Time A 11:00 a.m. on the Business Day following the date of acceptance. B 2:00 p.m. on the Business Day following the date of acceptance. C 5:00 p.m. on the Business Day before the Settlement Date. D 9:00 a.m. on the Settlement Date. E 10:00 a.m. on the Settlement Date. F-G 2:00 p.m. on the Settlement Date. H 4:45 p.m. on the Settlement Date. I-J 5:00 p.m. on the Settlement Date. Settlement Procedure H is subject to extension in accordance with any extension of Fedwire closing deadlines and in the other events specified in the SDFS operating procedures in effect on the Settlement Date. If Settlement of a Book-Entry Note is rescheduled or cancelled, the Trustee will deliver to DTC, through DTC's Participant Terminal System, a cancellation message to such effect by no later than 2:00 p.m., New York City time, on the Business Day immediately preceding the scheduled Settlement Date. Failures: If the Trustee has not entered an SDFS deliver order with respect to a Book-ntry Note pursuant to Settlement Procedure F (which may be evidenced by facsimile transmission), the Trustee, at the Company's direction, shall deliver to DTC, through DTC's Participant Terminal System, as soon as practicable, but no later than 2:00 p.m. on any business day, a withdrawal message instructing DTC to debit such Book-Entry Note to the participant account of the Trustee maintained at DTC. DTC will process the withdrawal message, provided that such participant account contains a principal amount of the Global Note representing such Book-Entry Note that is at least equal to the principal amount of such Book-Entry Note to be debited. If withdrawal messages are processed with respect to all the Book-Entry Notes issued or to be issued represented by a Global Note, the Trustee will void such Global Note, make appropriate entries in its records and, unless otherwise directed by the Company, destroy the Certificate. The CUSIP number assigned to such Global Note shall, in accordance with CUSIP Service Bureau procedures, be cancelled and not immediately reassigned. If withdrawal messages are processed with respect to a portion of the Book-Entry Notes represented by a Global Note, the Trustee will exchange such Global Note for two Global Notes, one of which shall represent such Book-Entry Notes (which shall be cancelled immediately after issuance), and the other of which shall represent the remaining Book-Entry Notes previously represented by the surrendered Global Note and shall bear the CUSIP number of the surrendered Global Note. If the purchase price for any Book-Entry Note is not timely paid to the Participants with respect to such Note by the beneficial purchaser (other than a Purchasing Agent) thereof (or a person, including an indirect participant in DTC, acting on behalf of such purchaser), such Participants and, in turn, the related Agent may enter SDFS deliver orders through DTC's Participant Terminal System debiting such Note free to such Agent's Participant Account and crediting such Note free to the Participant Account of the Trustee and shall notify the Trustee and the Company thereof. Thereafter, the Trustee, (i) will immediately notify the Company, once the Trustee has confirmed that such Note has been credited to its Participant Account, and the Company shall transfer by Fedwire (immediately available funds) to such Agent an amount equal to the price of such Note which was previously sent by wire transfer to the account of the Company maintained at The Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A. in accordance with settlement procedure I, and (ii) the Trustee will deliver the withdrawal message and take the related actions described in the preceding sentences of this paragraph. Such debits and credits will be made on the Settlement Date, if possible, and in any event not later than 5:00 p.m. on the following Business Day. If such failure shall have occurred for any reason other than default by the Agent in the performance of its obligations hereunder or under the Distribution Agreement, the Company will reimburse the Agent on an equitable basis for its loss of the use of funds during the period when they were credited to the account of the Company. In addition, if such failure shall have occurred by reason of a default by the Company in the performance of its obligations under the Distribution Agreement, the Company will pay the Selling Agent any commission to which it would have been entitled in connection with such sale. Notwithstanding the foregoing, upon any failure to settle with respect to a Book-Entry Note, DTC may take any actions in accordance with its SDFS operating procedures then in effect. In the event of a failure to settle with respect to a Book-Entry Note that was to have been represented by a Global Note also representing other Book-Entry Notes, the Trustee will provide, in accordance with Settlement Procedures C and D, for the authentication and issuance of a Global Note representing such other Book-Entry Notes and will make appropriate entries in its records. Trustee Not to Risk Funds: Nothing herein shall be deemed to require the Trustee to risk or expend its own funds in connection with any payment to the Company, or the Agents or DTC, it being understood by all parties that payments made by the Trustee to either the Company, DTC or the Agents shall be made only to the extent that funds are provided to the Trustee for such purpose. III. Certificated Notes procedures Payment at Maturity: As specified in the Indenture and the Form of Note. Settlement: Prior to 3:00 p.m., New York City time, on the Business Day prior to the Settlement Date, the Company will instruct the Trustee or its agent by facsimile transmission or other acceptable written means to authenticate and deliver the Certificated Notes no later than 2:15 p.m., New York City time, on the Settlement Date. If the Settlement Date is the same day as the date of acceptance, then prior to 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the Settlement Date the Company will instruct the Trustee or its agent by facsimile transmission or other acceptable written means to authenticate and deliver the Certificated Notes no later than 2:15 p.m., New York time, on the Settlement Date. Certificated Notes denominated in a currency or currency unit other than U.S. dollars shall have a Settlement Date not less than two Business Days after the acceptance of the offer by the Company. Delivery of Notes and Cash Payment: Upon receipt of appropriate documentation and instructions, the Company will cause the Trustee to prepare and authenticate each Note and appropriate receipts. Each Certificated Note shall be authenticated and dated on the Settlement Date therefor. The Trustee will deliver each authenticated Certificated Note to the Selling Agent for the benefit of the purchaser in accordance with written instructions (or oral instructions confirmed in writing (which may be given by telex or telecopy) on the next business day) from the Company. Delivery by the Trustee of each Certificated Note will be made against a receipt therefor. Upon verification by the Selling Agent that a Certificated Note has been prepared and properly authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and registered in the name of the purchaser in the proper principal amount and other terms in accordance with the Sale Information, payment will be made to the Company's account at The Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A. on behalf of the Company by the Selling Agent on behalf of the purchaser the same day as the Selling Agent's receipt of such Certificated Note in immediately available funds. If either (i) the Certificated Note is denominated in U.S. dollars or (ii) the Certificated Note is denominated in a currency or currency unit other than U.S. dollars and, at or prior to the Settlement Date, the Company and the Selling Agent have entered into, or the Selling Agent has arranged for the Company to enter into, a contract with respect to the sale of the Specified Currency, the amount payable by the Selling Agent pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be the issue price of the Certificated Note (or the U.S. dollar equivalent pursuant to such contract) less the Selling Agent's commission determined in accordance with Section 2(a) of the Distribution Agreement. In all other cases, the Selling Agent's commission shall not be discounted from the gross proceeds but shall be paid separately by the Company in U.S. dollars in immediately available funds on the Settlement Date. The payment by the Selling Agent shall be made only upon prior receipt by such Agent of immediately available funds from or on behalf of the purchaser in the Specified Currency unless such Agent decides, at its option, to advance its own funds for such payment against subsequent receipt of funds from the purchaser. Upon delivery of a Certificated Note to the Selling Agent and the verification provided in the preceding paragraph, the Selling Agent shall promptly deliver such Certificated Note to the purchaser or its agent. Failures: In the event that a purchaser (other than a Purchasing Agent) shall fail to accept delivery of and make payment for any Certificated Note, the Selling Agent will forthwith notify the Trustee and the Company by telephone or by facsimile transmission. If the Certificated Note has been delivered to the Selling Agent on behalf of the purchaser, the Selling Agent will immediately return the Certificated Note to the Trustee. If funds have been advanced by the Selling Agent for the purchase of such Note, The Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A. will, upon instruction by the Company and upon receipt of the Certificated Note, debit the account of the Company in an amount equal to the amount previously credited thereto in respect of the Note and will either credit the account of or return such funds to the Selling Agent. Such debits and credits or returns will be made on the Settlement Date if possible and, in any event, not later than the business day following the Settlement Date. If such failure shall have occurred for any reason other than default by the Selling Agent in the performance of its obligations under the Distribution Agreement, the Company will reimburse the Selling Agent on an equitable basis for its loss of the use of the funds during the period when they were credited to the account of the Company. In addition, if such failure shall have occurred by reason of a default by the Company in the performance of its obligations under the Distribution Agreement, the Company will pay the Selling Agent any commission to which it would have been entitled in connection with such sale. Immediately upon receipt of the certificate representing the Note in respect of which the failure occurred, the Trustee will void such Certificated Note, make appropriate entries in its records and, unless otherwise instructed by the Company, destroy the certificate. ANNEX III Pursuant to Section 8(d) of the Distribution Agreement, the Company's and Sears independent certified public accountants shall furnish letters to the effect that: (i) They are independent certified public accountants with respect to the Company and Sears and its consolidated subsidiaries within the meaning of the Act and the applicable published rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and the answer to Item 10 of the Registration Statement is correct insofar as it relates to them; (ii) In their opinion, the financial statements and schedules and the additional financial information examined by them and included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the published rules and regulations thereunder; (iii) On the basis of limited procedures, not constituting an examination in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, including a reading of the unaudited financial statements and schedules and other information referred to below, a reading of the latest available interim financial statements of the Company and Sears and certain of its subsidiaries, inspection of the minute books of the Company and Sears and certain of its subsidiaries since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, inquiries of officials of the Company and Sears and its subsidiaries responsible for financial and accounting matters and such other inquiries and procedures as may be specified in such letter, nothing came to their attention that caused them to believe that: (A) the unaudited consolidated statements of income, consolidated statements of financial position and consolidated statements of changes in financial position of the Company and of Sears and its consolidated subsidiaries included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus do not comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Exchange Act and the published rules and regulations thereunder; or (B) as of a specified date not more than five business days prior to the date of delivery of such letter, there have been any changes in the capital stock accounts, long-term debt, short-term debt, or any decreases in net assets or other items specified by the Agents, in each case as compared with amounts shown or included in the latest statement of financial position of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, except in each case for changes, increases or decreases which the Prospectus discloses have occurred or may occur or which are described in such letter; and (iv) In addition to the examination referred to in their report(s) included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus and the limited procedures, inspection of minute books, inquiries and other procedures referred to in clause (iii) above, they have carried out certain specified procedures, not constituting an audit, with respect to certain amounts, percentages and financial information specified by the Agents which are derived from the general accounting records of the Company and Sears and its subsidiaries, which appear in the Prospectus (excluding documents incorporated by reference), or in Part II of, or in exhibits and schedules to, the Registration Statement specified by the Agents or in documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus specified by the Agents, and have compared certain of such amounts, percentages and financial information with the accounting records of the Company and Sears and its subsidiaries and have found them to be in agreement. All references in this Annex III to the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to the Prospectus as amended or supplemented (including the documents incorporated by reference therein) as of the Closing Date referred to in Section 8(d) thereof and to the Prospectus as amended or supplemented (including the documents incorporated by reference therein) as of the date of the amendment, supplement, incorporation or the Time of Delivery relating to the Terms Agreement requiring the delivery of such letter under Section 8(d) thereof. EX-4 3 REGISTERED SEARS ROEBUCK ACCEPTANCE CORP. REGISTERED No. FXR- MEDIUM-TERM NOTE SERIES III CUSIP (FIXED RATE) Except as otherwise provided in Section 2.10 of the Indenture, this Note may be transferred, in whole but not in part, only to another nominee of the Depository or to a successor Depository or to a nominee of such successor Depository. Unless this Note is presented by an authorized representative of The Depository Trust Company (55 Water Street, New York, New York) to the Company or its agent for registration of transfer, exchange or payment, and any Note issued upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, this Note is registered in the name of Cede & Co. or such other name as requested by an authorized representative of The Depository Trust Company and any payment hereon is made to Cede & Co., ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OF OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL since the registered owner hereof, Cede & Co., has an interest herein. ORIGINAL ISSUE DATE: REDEMPTION COMMENCEMENT DATE: INTEREST RATE: REDEMPTION PRICE: IF A REDEMPTION COMMENCEMENT DATE IS SPECIFIED ABOVE, THE REDEMPTION PRICE SHALL BE % OF THE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF THIS NOTE TO BE REDEEMED AND THE REDEMPTION PRICE SHALL DECLINE AT EACH ANNIVERSARY OF THE REDEMPTION COMMENCEMENT DATE BY % OF THE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF THIS NOTE TO BE REDEEMED UNTIL THE REDEMPTION PRICE IS 100% OF SUCH PRINCIPAL AMOUNT. MATURITY DATE: INTEREST PAYMENT DATES: OTHER PROVISIONS: Sears Roebuck Acceptance Corp., a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (herein referred to as the "Company", which term includes any successor corporation under the Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby promises to pay to or registered assigns, upon presentation and surrender of this Note, on the Maturity Date shown above (except to the extent redeemed prior to the Maturity Date) at the office or agency of the Company in the Borough of Manhattan of The City of New York, or, at the option of the Holder, such office or agency, if any, maintained by the Company in the city in which the principal executive offices of the Company are located or the city in which the principal corporate trust office of the Trustee is located, the principal sum of _______________________________ ______________________________ Principal Amount Specified Currency and to pay interest thereon at the rate per annum shown above. This Note will bear interest from the Original Issue Date specified above or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest on this Note has been paid or duly provided for. Unless otherwise specified above, interest will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months. Interest on this Note shall be payable on the Interest Payment Dates and on the Maturity Date indicated above (or the date of redemption), except that if this Note was originally issued between a Regular Record Date and an Interest Payment Date, the first payment of interest will be made on the Interest Payment Date following the next succeeding Regular Record Date to the registered Holder on such next succeeding Regular Record Date. If any Interest Payment Date falls on a day that is not a Business Day, the interest payment shall be postponed to the next succeeding Business Day, and no interest on such payment shall accrue for the period from and after the Interest Payment Date. If the Maturity Date of this Note falls on a day that is not a Business Day, the payment of interest and principal may be made on the next succeeding Business Day with the same force and effect as if made at maturity, and no interest on such payment shall accrue for the period from and after the Maturity Date. The Regular Record Date shall be the May 1 and November 1 next preceding any May 15 or November 15 Interest Payment Date and the date 15 calendar days prior to any other Interest Payment Date, whether or not such date shall be a Business Day. "Business Day" as used herein means each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday which is not a legal holiday for banking institutions in any of the City of Wilmington, Delaware, the City of Chicago, The City of New York or the city in which the principal corporate trust office of the Trustee is located and, if this Note is denominated in a currency other than Dollars, in ________________________________________________________________ _____________. Principal Financial Center of Country Issuing Currency Payments of interest with respect to any Interest Payment Date or Maturity Date (or date of redemption) will include interest accrued to, but excluding, such Interest Payment Date or Maturity Date (or date of redemption). The principal of (and premium, if any), and interest on, this Note is payable by the Company in the Specified Currency. Interest payable on any Interest Payment Date (other than Defaulted Interest) shall be payable to the person who is the registered Holder at the close of business on the immediately preceding Regular Record Date. Interest payable upon redemption or at maturity (other than a redemption or maturity occurring on an Interest Payment Date) will be paid to the same person to whom the principal amount of this Note is payable. Payment of principal of (and premium, if any), and interest on, this Note on any day (if the Holder of this Note is a Depository as defined in the Indenture referred to on the reverse hereof or a nominee of such a Depository) will be made in accordance with any applicable provisions of such written agreement between the Company, the Trustee and such Depository (or its nominee) as may be in effect from time to time or (if the Holder of this Note holds an aggregate principal amount of $10,000,000 or more of Notes with respect to which such payment of principal (and premium, if any) or interest, as applicable, is to be made on such day) will be made by wire transfer if the Holder shall have designated in writing to the Trustee an account with a bank located in the country issuing the Specified Currency or such other country as shall be satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee. If payment of interest is to be made by wire transfer, such information must be received by the Trustee at its corporate trust office in the Borough of Manhattan of The City of New York on or prior to the Regular Record Date for an Interest Payment Date. The Trustee will, subject to applicable laws and regulations and until it receives notice to the contrary, make such payment to such Holder by wire transfer to the designated account. If a payment of interest is not made in accordance with such a written agreement or by wire transfer, payment will be made by check. Checks for payment of interest on an Interest Payment Date will be mailed to the Holder at the address of such Holder appearing on the Security Register on the applicable Regular Record Date. To receive payment of a U.S. dollar denominated Note upon redemption or at maturity, a Holder must make presentation and surrender of such Note on or before the Redemption Date or Maturity Date, as applicable. Payment (other than payment in accordance with a written agreement between the Company, the Trustee and a Depository (or its nominee) as set forth above) will be made by check unless proper wire instructions are on file with the Trustee or are received at presentment. To receive payment of a Note denominated in a Foreign Currency upon redemption or at maturity, a Holder must make presentation and surrender not less than two Business Days prior to the Redemption Date or Maturity Date, as applicable. Upon presentation and surrender of a Note denominated in a Foreign Currency at any time after the date two Business Days prior to the Redemption Date or Maturity Date, as applicable, the Company will pay the principal amount (and premium, if any) of such Note, and any interest due upon redemption or at maturity (unless the Redemption Date or Maturity Date is an Interest Payment Date), two Business Days after such presentation and surrender. The Company will pay any administrative costs imposed by banks in connection with sending payments by wire transfer, but any tax, assessment or governmental charge imposed upon payments will be borne by the Holders of the Notes in respect of which payments are made. Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Note set forth on the reverse hereof, and such further provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as though fully set forth at this place. This Note shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture referred to on the reverse hereof, or become valid or obligatory for any purpose, until the certificate of authentication hereon shall have been signed by or on behalf of the Trustee under such Indenture. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Instrument to be duly executed under its corporate seal. Dated: SEARS ROEBUCK ACCEPTANCE CORP. CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION By This is one of the Notes designated and referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture. THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK, President as Trustee By By Authorized Signatory Vice President, Finance and Assistant Secretary SEARS ROEBUCK ACCEPTANCE CORP. Medium-Term Note Series III This Note is one of a duly authorized issue of debentures, notes, bonds or other evidences of indebtedness of the Company (hereinafter called the "Securities") of the series hereinafter specified, unlimited in aggregate principal amount, all issued or to be issued under or pursuant to an indenture dated as of May 15, 1995, executed between the Company and THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK, N.A., as Trustee; to which indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto (herein collectively called the "Indenture") reference is hereby made for a specification of the rights and limitation of rights thereunder of the Holders of the Securities, the rights and obligations thereunder of the Company and the rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Trustee. The Securities may be issued in one or more series, which different series may be issued in various aggregate principal amounts, may mature at different times, may bear interest (if any) at different rates, may be subject to different redemption provisions (if any), may be subject to different covenants and defaults and may otherwise vary as in the Indenture provided. This Note is one of a series designated as the "Medium-Term Notes Series III" (hereinafter referred to as the "Notes") of the Company, unlimited in aggregate principal amount. All terms used in this Note which are defined in the Indenture and which are not otherwise defined in this Note shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture. For purposes of the Notes, the term "Fixed Charge Coverage and Ownership Agreement shall mean the Fixed Charge Coverage and Ownership Agreement as extended by the Extension Agreement relating to debt securities of which the Notes are a part. The Notes are issuable only in registered form without coupons and will be either (a) Book-Entry Notes represented by one or more global notes (each a "Global Note") recorded in the book-entry system maintained by the Depository or (b) certificated notes issued to, and registered in the names of, the beneficial owners or their nominees ("Certificated Notes"). Notes are issuable in minimum denominations of (i) in the case of Notes denominated in Dollars, U.S. $1,000 and in any larger amount in integral multiples of $1,000 and (ii) in the case of Notes denominated in any Foreign Currency, the equivalent in such Foreign Currency determined in accordance with the Market Exchange Rate for such Foreign Currency on the Business Day immediately preceding the date on which the Company accepts an offer to purchase a Note, of U.S. $1,000 (rounded to an integral multiple of 1,000 units of the Foreign Currency), and in any larger amount. In the manner and subject to the limitations provided in the Indenture, the Global Notes or Certificated Notes are exchangeable, without charge except for any tax or other governmental charge imposed in relation thereto, for other Notes of authorized denominations for a like aggregate principal amount, at the office or agency of the Company in the Borough of Manhattan of The City of New York, or, at the option of the Holders thereof, such office or agency, if any, maintained by the Company in the city in which the principal executive offices of the Company are located or the city in which the principal corporate trust office of the Trustee is located. Unless this Note is denominated in Dollars, in the event that the currency in which this Note is denominated is not available for payment at a time at which any payment is required hereunder due to the imposition of exchange controls or other circumstances beyond its control, the Company may, in full satisfaction of its obligation to make such payment, make instead a payment in an equivalent amount of Dollars, determined in accordance with the Market Exchange Rate for such currency on the latest date for which such rate was established on or before the date on which payment is due, and such substituted payment of Dollars shall not constitute a default under this Note or the Indenture. If a Redemption Commencement Date is specified above, this Note may be redeemed, whether or not any other Note is concurrently redeemed, at the option of the Company, as a whole, or from time to time in part, on any Business Day on or after the Redemption Commencement Date and prior to the Maturity Date, upon mailing by first-class mail, postage prepaid, a notice of such redemption not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date, to the Holder of this Note at his address appearing in the Security Register, as provided in the Indenture (provided that, if the Holder of this Note is a Depository or a nominee of a Depository, notice of such redemption shall be given in accordance with any applicable provisions of such written agreement between the Company, the Trustee and such Depository (or its nominee) as may be in effect from time to time), at the Redemption Price specified on the face of this Note (expressed in percentages of the principal amount hereof to be redeemed) together in each case with interest accrued to the Redemption Date (subject to the right of the Holder of record on a Regular Record Date to receive interest due on an Interest Payment Date). In the event of redemption of this Note in part only, a new Note or Notes of this series, and of like tenor, for the unredeemed portion hereof will be issued in the name of the Holder hereof upon the cancellation hereof. In case a default, as defined in the Indenture, shall occur and be continuing with respect to the Notes, the principal amount of all Notes then outstanding under the Indenture may be declared or may become due and payable upon the conditions and in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture. The Indenture provides that such declaration may in certain events be annulled by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Notes outstanding. To the extent permitted by, and as provided in, the Indenture, modifications or alterations of the Indenture, or of any indenture supplemental thereto, and of the rights and obligations of the Company and the Holders of the Notes, may be made with the consent of the Company by the affirmative vote or consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Securities then outstanding (as defined in the Indenture) of each series to be affected, evidenced as in the Indenture provided; provided, however, that no such modification or alteration shall (i) change the stated maturity of the principal of (and premium, if any), or interest on, any Security, or reduce the principal amount of (and premium, if any), or the rate of interest on, any Security, or change the Currency in which the principal of (and premium, if any), or interest on, such Security is denominated or payable, or reduce the amount of the principal of an Original Issue Discount Security that would be payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.1 of the Indenture without the consent of the Holder of each outstanding Security so affected, or (ii) reduce the percentage of Securities, the vote or consent of the Holders of which is required for such modifications and alterations, without the consent of the Holders of all Securities affected. The Indenture also provides that the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of any series then outstanding may waive any past default with respect to Securities of such series under the Indenture and its consequences, except a default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any), or interest on, any of the Securities. This Note is transferable by the registered Holder hereof or by his attorney duly authorized in writing at the office or agency of the Company in the Borough of Manhattan of The City of New York or, at the option of the Holder hereof, such office or agency, if any, maintained by the Company in the city in which the principal executive offices of the Company are located or the city in which the principal corporate trust office of the Trustee is located, without charge except for any tax, assessment or other governmental charge imposed in relation thereto, but only in the manner and subject to the limitations provided in the Indenture and upon surrender of this Note. Upon any such transfer a Note or Notes of authorized denominations for a like aggregate principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding will be issued in exchange herefor. The Company, the Trustee, any Authenticating Agent, any paying agent and any Security registrar may deem and treat the registered Holder hereof as the absolute owner hereof (whether or not this Note shall be overdue and notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing hereon by anyone other than the Company or any Security registrar) for the purpose of receiving payment of or on account of the principal hereof (and premium, if any), and interest hereon, and for all other purposes, and neither the Company, the Trustee, an Authenticating Agent, a paying agent nor the Security registrar shall be affected by any notice to the contrary. All such payments shall be valid and effectual to satisfy and discharge the liability upon this Note to the extent of the sum or sums so paid. No recourse shall be had for the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any), or interest on, this Note or for any claim based hereon or otherwise in any manner in respect hereof, or in respect of the Indenture, against any incorporator, shareholder, officer or director, past, present or future, of the Company or of any predecessor or successor corporation, whether by virtue of any constitutional provision or statute or rule of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or in any other manner, all such liability being expressly waived and released by the acceptance hereof and as part of the consideration for the issue hereof. In the event of any sale or transfer of its assets and liabilities substantially as an entirety to a successor corporation, the predecessor corporation may be dissolved and liquidated as more fully set forth in the Indenture. All Dollar amounts used in or resulting from calculations referred to in this Note shall be rounded to the nearest cent (with one half cent being rounded upwards). This Note shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of Delaware. ASSIGNMENT FORM To assign this Note, fill in the form below: I or we assign and transfer this Note to: (Insert assignee's soc. sec. or tax I.D. no.) _________________________________________________________________ _________________ (Print or type assignee's name, address and zip code) _________________________________________________________________ _________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________ and irrevocably appoint _____________________________________________________agent to transfer this Note on the books of the Company. The agent may substitute another to act for him. Date ___________________________ Your signature ___________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ ___________________ (Sign exactly as your name appears on the other side of this Note.) The signature to this assignment must be guaranteed by a commercial bank or trust company having its principal office or a correspondent in The City of New York or by a member of The New York Stock Exchange. EX-5 4 August 27, 1996 Sears Roebuck Acceptance Corp. 3711 Kennett Pike Greenville, Delaware 19807 Sears, Roebuck and Co. 3333 Beverly Road Hoffman Estates, Illinois 60179 Ladies and Gentlemen: At your request, I have examined (i) Registration Statement No. 333-9817, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"), (the "Registration Statement"), in connection with the registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), of $4,000,000,000 principal amount of debt securities of Sears Roebuck Acceptance Corp. ("SRAC"), for an offering to be made on a continuous or delayed basis pursuant to the provisions of Rule 415 under the Act, (ii) the final prospectus, dated August 22, 1996, relating to the offering and sale of $2,000,000,000 of the aforesaid debt securities, which is part of the Registration Statement referred to in (i) above (the "Prospectus"), and the Prospectus Supplement, dated August 22, 1996, (the "Prospectus Supplement") relating to the offering and sale of up to $2,000,000,000 aggregate principal amount (or its equivalent in foreign currencies) of Medium-Term Notes Series III of SRAC (the "Notes"), (iii) the Indenture dated as of May 15, 1995, between the Company and The Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A., as Trustee, relating to the aforesaid debt securities, (iv) the Distribution Agreement, dated August 22, 1996, between SRAC, Sears, Goldman, Sachs & Co., Merrill Lynch, Pierce Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated and Salomon Brothers Inc, and (vi) the forms of the Notes. I am familiar with the proceedings heretofore taken, and the additional proceedings proposed to be taken relating to the determination of certain terms not set forth in the forms of Notes, by SRAC in connection with the authorization, issuance and sale of the Notes. Subject to the completion of the additional proceedings referred to above, I am of the opinion that the Notes will, upon the issuance and sale thereof in the manner referred to in the Prospectus and Prospectus Supplement, be legally issued and binding obligations of SRAC in accordance with their terms, subject to insolvency, bankruptcy, reorganization, or other laws relating to or affecting the enforcement of creditors' rights or by general equity principles. I express no opinion as to whether, with respect to any Notes denominated in a currency other than United States dollars, a court located in the United States of America would grant a judgment relating to the Notes in other than United States dollars nor an opinion as to the date which any such court would utilize for determining the rate of conversion into United States dollars in granting such judgment. I consent to the incorporation by reference of this opinion into the Registration Statement and to the references to me in the Prospectus. Very truly yours, /S/Robert J. Pence Robert J. Pence Vice President, Law Sears, Roebuck and Co. EX-4 5 REGISTERED SEARS ROEBUCK ACCEPTANCE CORP. REGISTERED No. FLR- MEDIUM-TERM NOTE SERIES III CUSIP (FLOATING RATE) Except as otherwise provided in Section 2.10 of the Indenture, this Note may be transferred, in whole but not in part, only to another nominee of the Depository or to a successor Depository or to a nominee of such successor Depository. Unless this Note is presented by an authorized representative of The Depository Trust Company (55 Water Street, New York, New York) to the Company or its agent for registration of transfer, exchange or payment, and any Note issued upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, this Note is registered in the name of Cede & Co. or such other name as requested by an authorized representative of The Depository Trust Company and any payment hereon is made to Cede & Co. ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL since the registered owner herof, Cede & Co., has an interest herein. ORIGINAL ISSUE DATE: MATURITY DATE: INITIAL INTEREST RATE: MAXIMUM RATE: INDEX MATURITY: MINIMUM RATE: SPREAD (plus or minus): CALCULATION AGENT: SPREAD MULTIPLIER: REDEMPTION COMMENCEMENT DATE: INTEREST RATE BASIS: DESIGNATED CMT MATURITY INDEX: INTEREST PAYMENT DATES: DESIGNATED CMT TELERATE PAGE: INTEREST RESET DATES: REDEMPTION PRICE: IF A REDEMPTION COMMENCEMENT DATE IS SPECIFIED ABOVE, THE REDEMPTION PRICE SHALL BE % OF THE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF THIS NOTE TO BE REDEEMED AND THE REDEMPTION PRICE SHALL DECLINE AT EACH ANNIVERSARY OF THE REDEMPTION COMMENCEMENT DATE BY % OF THE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF THIS NOTE TO BE REDEEMED UNTIL THE REDEMPTION PRICE IS % OF SUCH PRINCIPAL AMOUNT. OTHER PROVISIONS: Sears Roebuck Acceptance Corp., a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of New York (herein referred to as the "Company", which term includes any successor corporation under the indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby promises to pay to or registered assigns, upon presentation and surrender of this Note on the Maturity Date shown above (except to the extent redeemed prior to the Maturity Date) at the office or agency of the Company in the Borough of Manhattan of The City of New York, or, at the option of the Holder, such office or agency, if any, maintained by the Company in the city in which the principal executive offices of the Company are located or the city in which the principal corporate trust office of the Trustee is located, the principal sum of Principal Amount Specified Currency and to pay interest thereon at the rate per annum equal to the Initial Interest Rate shown above until the first Interest Reset Date shown above and thereafter at the rate determined in accordance with the provisions on the reverse hereof depending on the Interest Rate Basis shown above. This Note will bear interest from the Original Issue Date specified above or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest on this Note has been paid or duly provided for. Interest on this Note shall be payable on the Interest Payment Dates and on the Maturity Date indicated above (or the date of redemption), except that if this Note was originally issued between a Regular Record Date and an Interest Payment Date, the first payment of interest will be made on the Interest Payment Date following the next succeeding Regular Record Date to the registered Holder on such next succeeding Regular Record Date. If any Interest Payment Date would fall on a day that is not a Business Day, such Interest Payment Date shall be the next succeeding Business Day (or, if the Interest Rate Basis on this Note is LIBOR, if such day falls in the next calendar month, the next preceding Business Day). If the Maturity Date of this Note falls on a day that is not a Business Day, the payment of interest and principal may be made on the next succeeding Business Day with the same force and effect as if made at maturity, and no interest on such payment shall accrue for the period from and after the Maturity Date. The Regular Record Date shall be the date 15 calendar days prior to each Interest Payment Date, whether or not such date shall be a Business Day. "Business Day" as used herein means each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday which is (a) not a legal holiday for banking institutions in any of the City of Wilmington, Delaware, the City of Chicago, The City of New York or the city in which the principal corporate trust office of the Trustee is located, and (b) if this Note is denominated in a currency other than Dollars, any such day that is not a legal holiday for banking institutions in , and (c) if the Interest Rate Basis Principal Financial Center of Country Issuing Currency with respect to this Note is LIBOR, any such day specified in (a) on which dealings in deposits in U.S. dollars are transacted in the London interbank market. The principal of (and premium, if any), and interest on, this Note is payable by the Company in the Specified Currency. Interest payable on any Interest Payment Date (other than Defaulted Interest) shall be payable to the person who is the registered Holder at the close of business on the immediately preceding Regular Record Date. Interest payable upon redemption or at maturity (other than a redemption or maturity occurring on an Interest Payment Date) will be paid to the same person to whom the principal amount of this Note is payable. Payment of principal of (and premium, if any), and interest on, this Note (if the Holder of this Note is a Depository as defined in the Indenture referred to on the reverse hereof or a nominee of such a Depository) will be made in accordance with any applicable provisions of such written agreement between the Company, the Trustee and such Depository (or its nominee) as may be in effect from time to time or (if the Holder of this Note holds an aggregate principal amount of $10,000,000 or more of Notes with respect to which such payment of principal (and premium, if any) or interest, as applicable, is to be made on such day) will be made by wire transfer if the Holder shall have designated in writing to the Trustee an account with a bank located in the country issuing the Specified Currency or such other country as shall be satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee. If payment of interest is to be made by wire transfer, such information must be received by the Trustee at its corporate trust office in the Borough of Manhattan of The City of New York on or prior to the Regular Record Date for an Interest Payment Date. The Trustee will, subject to applicable laws and regulations and until it receives notice to the contrary, make such payment to such Holder by wire transfer to the designated account. If a payment of interest is not made in accordance with such a written agreement or by wire transfer, payment will be made by check. Checks for payment of interest on an Interest Payment Date will be mailed to the Holder at the address of such Holder appearing on the Security Register on the applicable Regular Record Date. To receive payment of a U.S. dollar denominated Note upon redemption or at maturity, a Holder must make presentation and surrender of such Note on or before the Redemption Date or Maturity Date, as applicable. Payment (other than payment in accordance with a written agreement between the Company, the Trustee and a Depository (or its nominee) as set forth above) will be made by check unless proper wire instructions are on file with the Trustee or are received at presentment. To receive payment of a Note denominated in a Foreign Currency upon redemption or at maturity, a Holder must make presentation and surrender not less than two Business Days prior to the Redemption Date or Maturity Date, as applicable. Upon presentation and surrender of a Note denominated in a Foreign Currency at any time after the date two Business Days prior to the Redemption Date or Maturity Date, as applicable, the Company will pay the principal amount (and premium, if any) of such Note, and any interest due upon redemption or at maturity (unless the Redemption Date or Maturity Date is an Interest Payment Date), two Business Days after such presentation and surrender. The Company will pay any administrative costs imposed by banks in connection with sending payments by wire transfer, but any tax, assessment or governmental charge imposed upon payments will be borne by the Holders of the Notes in respect of which payments are made. Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Note set forth on the reverse hereof, and such further provisions shall for all proposes have the same effect as though fully set forth at this place. This Note shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture referred to on the reverse hereof, or become valid or obligatory for any purpose, until the certificate of authentication hereon shall have been signed by or on behalf of the Trustee under such Indenture. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be duly executed under its corporate seal. Dated: SEARS ROEBUCK ACCEPTANCE CORP. By CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION This is one of the Notes designated and referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture. President THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK, as Trustee By By Authorized Signatory Vice President, Finance and Assistant Secretary SEARS ROEBUCK ACCEPTANCE CORP. Medium-Term Note Series III This Note is one of a duly authorized issue of debentures, notes, bonds or other evidences of indebtedness of the Company (hereinafter called the "Securities") of the series hereinafter specified, unlimited in aggregate principal amount, all issued or to be issued under or pursuant to an indenture dated as of May 15, 1995, executed between the Company and THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK, N.A., as Trustee; to which indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto (herein collectively called the "Indenture") reference is hereby made for a specification of the rights and limitation of rights thereunder of the Holders of the Securities, the rights and obligations thereunder of the Company and the rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Trustee. The Securities may be issued in one or more series, which different series may be issued in various aggregate principal amounts, may mature at different times, may bear interest (if any) at different rates, may be subject to different redemption provisions (if any), may be subject to different covenants and defaults and may otherwise vary as in the Indenture provided. This Note is one of a series designated as the "Medium-Term Notes Series III" (hereinafter referred to as the "Notes") of the Company, unlimited in aggregate principal amount. All terms used in this Note which are defined in the Indenture and which are not otherwise defined in this Note shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture. For purposes of the Notes, the term "Fixed Charge Coverage and Ownership Agreement" shall mean the Fixed Charge Coverage and Ownership Agreement as extended by the Extension Agreement relating to debt securities of which the Notes are a part. This Note will bear interest at a rate per annum equal to the Initial Interest Rate shown on the face hereof until the first Interest Reset Date shown on the face hereof and thereafter at the rate determined in accordance with the applicable provisions below by reference to the Interest Rate Basis shown on the face hereof based on the Index Maturity, if any, shown on the face hereof (i) plus or minus the Spread, if any, specified on the face hereof, or (ii) multiplied by the Spread Multiplier, if any, specified on the face hereof. The rate of interest on this Note shall be reset on each Interest Reset Date; provided, however, that the Initial Interest Rate shall be in effect from the Original Issue Date to the first Interest Reset Date. If any Interest Reset Date would be a day that is not a Market Day, the Interest Reset Date shall be postponed to the next day that is a Market Day, except that if the Interest Rate Basis on this Note is LIBOR and if such Market Day is in the next succeeding calendar month, such Interest Reset Date shall be the immediately preceding Market Day. The term "Market Day" means any day that is not a legal holiday for banking institutions in The City of New York, except that if the Interest Rate Basis on this Note is LIBOR, "Market Day" shall mean any such day on which dealings in deposits in U.S. dollars are transacted in the London interbank market. The "Interest Determination Date" pertaining to an Interest Reset Date, if the Interest Rate Basis for this Note is the Commercial Paper Rate, Prime Rate, LIBOR, CD Rate or Federal Funds Rate, shall be the second Market Day preceding such Interest Reset Date. The "Interest Determination Date" pertaining to an Interest Reset Date, if the Interest Rate Basis for this Note is the Treasury Rate, shall be the day of the week in which such Interest Reset Date falls on which Treasury bills would normally be auctioned. Treasury bills are usually sold at auction on the Monday of each week, unless that day is a legal holiday, in which case the auction is usually held on the following Tuesday, except that such auction may be held on the preceding Friday. If the Interest Rate Basis on this Note is the Treasury Rate and, as the result of a legal holiday, an auction is so held on the preceding Friday, such Friday shall be the Interest Determination Date pertaining to the Interest Reset Date occurring in the next succeeding week. If an auction date shall fall on any Interest Reset Date, then, if the Interest Rate Basis on this Note is the Treasury Rate, such Interest Reset Date shall instead be the first Market Day immediately following such auction date. The "Calculation Date" pertaining to an Interest Determination Date shall be the earlier of (i) the tenth calendar day after each Interest Determination Date or, if such day is not a Business Day, the next succeeding Business Day or (ii) the Business Day immediately preceding the applicable Interest Payment Date or the date of maturity, redemption or repayment. Determination of Commercial Paper Rate. If the Interest Rate Basis on this Note is the Commercial Paper Rate, the Commercial Paper Rate with respect to this Note for each Interest Reset Date shall equal the Money Market Yield (calculated as described below) of the per annum rate (quoted on a bank discount basis) for the relevant Interest Determination Date for commercial paper having the Index Maturity specified on the face hereof as such rate is published by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in "Statistical Release H.15(519) Selected Interest Rates" or any successor publication of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System ("H.15(519)") under the heading "Commercial Paper". In the event that such rate is not published prior to 9:00 A.M., New York City time, on the relevant Calculation Date, then the Commercial Paper Rate with respect to such Interest Reset Date shall be the Money Market Yield of such rate on such Interest Determination Date for commercial paper having the Index Maturity specified on the face hereof as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in its daily statistical release, "Composite 3:30 P.M. Quotations for U.S. Government Securities" or any successor publication published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York ("Composite Quotations") under the heading "Commercial Paper". If by 3:00 P.M., New York City time, on such Calculation Date such rate is not yet published in either H.15(519) or Composite Quotations, the Commercial Paper Rate with respect to such Interest Reset Date shall be calculated by the Calculation Agent and shall be the Money Market Yield of the arithmetic mean of the offered per annum rates (quoted on a bank discount basis), as of 11:00 A.M., New York City time, on such Interest Determination Date, of three leading dealers of commercial paper in The City of New York selected by the Calculation Agent for commercial paper of the Index Maturity specified on the face hereof placed for an industrial issuer whose bond rating is "AA", or the equivalent, from a nationally recognized statistical rating agency; provided, however, that if fewer than three dealers selected as aforesaid by the Calculation Agent are quoting as mentioned in this sentence, the Commercial Paper Rate with respect to such Interest Reset Date shall be the Commercial Paper Rate in effect on such Interest Determination Date. "Money Market Yield" means the rate for which is quoted on a bank discount basis, a yield (expressed as a percentage) calculated in accordance with the following formula: Money Market Yield = D X 360 X 100 where "D" refers to the per annum rate for a security, quoted on a bank discount basis and expressed as a decimal; and "M" refers to the number of days in the period for which accrued interest is being calculated. 360 - (D X M) Determination of Prime Rate. If the Interest Rate Basis on this Note is the Prime Rate, the Prime Rate with respect to this Note for each Interest Reset Date shall equal the rate set forth for the relevant Interest Determination Date in H.15(519) under the heading "Bank Prime Loan". In the event that such rate is not published prior to 9:00 A.M., New York City time, on the relevant Calculation Date, then the Prime Rate with respect to such Interest Reset Date shall be the arithmetic mean of the rates of interest publicly announced by each bank that appears on the display designated as page "USPRIME1" on the Reuter Monitor Money Rates Service (or such other page as may replace the USPRIME1 page on that service for the purpose of displaying prime rates or base lending rates of major United States banks) ("Reuters Screen USPRIME1 Page") as such bank's prime rate or base lending rate as in effect for such Interest Determination Date as quoted on the Reuters Screen USPRIME1 Page on such Interest Determination Date. If fewer than four such rates appear on the Reuters Screen USPRIME1 Page on such Interest Determination Date, the Prime Rate with respect to such Interest Reset Date shall be the arithmetic mean of the prime rates or base lending rates (quoted on the basis of the actual number of days in the year divided by a 360-day year) as of the close of business on such Interest Determination Date by three major banks in The City of New York selected by the Calculation Agent; provided, however, that if fewer than three banks selected as aforesaid by the Calculation Agent are quoting as mentioned in this sentence, the Prime Rate with respect to such Interest Reset Date will be the Prime Rate in effect on such Interest Determination Date. Determination of LIBOR. If the Interest Rate Basis on this Note is LIBOR, LIBOR with respect to this Note for each Interest Reset Date shall be determined in accordance with the following provisions: (i) On the relevant Interest Determination Date, LIBOR will be the rate for deposits in U.S. dollars having the Index Maturity specified on the face hereof, commencing on the second Market Day immediately following such Interest Determination Date that appears on the display designated as page "3750" on the Dow Jones Telerate Service (or such other page as may replace page 3750 on that service for the purposes of displaying London interbank offered rates of major banks) ("Telerate Page 3750") as of 11:00 A.M., London time, on such Interest Determination Date. If such rate does not appear on Telerate Page 3750, LIBOR with respect to such Interest Reset Date shall be determined as described in (ii) below. (ii) With respect to an Interest Determination Date on which no such rate appears on Telerate Page 3750 as described in (i) above, LIBOR shall be determined on the basis of the rates at approximately 11:00 A.M., London time, on such Interest Determination Date at which deposits in U.S. dollars having the Index Maturity specified on the face hereof are offered to prime banks in the London interbank market by four major banks in the London interbank market selected by the Calculation Agent commencing on the second Market Day immediately following such Interest Determination Date and in a principal amount equal to an amount of not less than U.S. $1,000,000 that in the Calculation Agent's judgment is representative for a single transaction in such market at such time (a "Representative Amount"). The Calculation Agent shall request the principal London office of each of such banks to provide a quotation of its rate. If at least two such quotations are provided, LIBOR with respect to such Interest Reset Date shall be the arithmetic mean of such quotations. If fewer than two quotations are provided, LIBOR with respect to such Interest Reset Date shall be the arithmetic mean of the rates quoted at approximately 11:00 A.M., New York City time, on such Interest Determination Date by three major banks in The City of New York, selected by the Calculation Agent, for loans in U.S. dollars to leading European banks having the Index Maturity specified on the face hereof commencing on the Interest Reset Date and in a Representative Amount; provided, however, that if fewer than three banks selected as aforesaid by the Calculation Agent are quoting as mentioned in this sentence, LIBOR with respect to such Interest Reset Date shall be the LIBOR in effect on such Interest Determination Date. Determination of Treasury Rate. If the Interest Rate Basis on this Note is the Treasury Rate, the Treasury Rate with respect to this Note for each Interest Reset Date shall equal the rate for the auction on the relevant Interest Determination Date of direct obligations of the United States ("Treasury bills") having the Index Maturity specified on the face hereof as published in H.15(519) under the heading "U.S. Government Securities/Treasury Bills/Auction Average (Investment)" or, if not so published by 9:00 A.M., New York City time, on the relevant Calculation Date, the auction average rate (expressed as a bond equivalent, on the basis of a year of 365 or 366 days, as applicable, and applied on a daily basis) for such auction as otherwise announced by the United States Department of the Treasury. In the event that the results of such auction of Treasury bills having the Index Maturity specified on the face hereof are not published or reported as provided above by 3:00 P.M., New York City time, on such Calculation Date, or if no such auction is held during such week, then the Treasury Rate shall be the rate set forth in H.15(519) for the relevant Interest Determination Date for the Index Maturity specified on the face hereof under the heading "U.S. Government Securities/Treasury Bills/Secondary Market". In the event such rate is not so published by 3:00 P.M., New York City time, on the relevant Calculation Date, the Treasury Rate with respect to such Interest Reset Date shall be calculated by the Calculation Agent and shall be a yield to maturity (expressed as a bond equivalent, on the basis of a year of 365 or 366 days, as applicable, and applied on a daily basis) of the arithmetic mean of the secondary market bid rates as of approximately 3:30 P.M., New York City time, on such Interest Determination Date, of three primary United States government securities dealers in The City of New York selected by the Calculation Agent for the issue of Treasury bills with a remaining maturity closest to the Index Maturity specified on the face hereof; provided, however, that if fewer than three dealers selected as aforesaid by the Calculation Agent are quoting as mentioned in this sentence, the Treasury Rate with respect to such Interest Reset Date shall be the Treasury Rate in effect on such Interest Determination Date. Determination of CD Rate. If the Interest Rate Basis on this Note is the CD Rate, the CD Rate with respect to this Note for each Interest Reset Date shall equal the rate for the relevant Interest Determination Date for negotiable certificates of deposit having the Index Maturity specified on the face hereof as published in H.15(519) under the heading "CDs (Secondary Market)". In the event that such rate is not published prior to 9:00 A.M., New York City time, on the relevant Calculation Date, then the CD Rate with respect to such Interest Reset Date shall be the rate on such Interest Determination Date for negotiable certificates of deposit having the Index Maturity specified on the face hereof as published in Composite Quotations under the heading "Certificates of Deposit". If by 3:00 P.M., New York City time, on such Calculation Date such rate is not published in either H.15(519) or Composite Quotations, the CD Rate with respect to such Interest Reset Date shall be calculated by the Calculation Agent and shall be the arithmetic mean of the secondary market offered rates, as of 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on such Interest Determination Date, of three leading nonbank dealers of negotiable U.S. dollar certificates of deposit in The City of New York selected by the Calculation Agent for negotiable certificates of deposit of major United States money market banks with a remaining maturity closest to the Index Maturity specified on the face hereof in a denomination of U.S. $5,000,000; provided, however, that if fewer than three dealers selected as aforesaid by the Calculation Agent are quoting as mentioned in this sentence, the CD Rate with respect to such Interest Reset Date shall be the CD Rate in effect on such Interest Determination Date. Determination of Federal Funds Rate. If the Interest Rate Basis on this Note is the Federal Funds Rate, the Federal Funds Rate with respect to this Note for each Interest Reset Date shall equal the rate on the relevant Interest Determination Date for Federal Funds as published in H.15(519) under the heading "Federal Funds (Effective)". In the event that such rate is not published prior to 9:00 A.M., New York City time, on the relevant Calculation Date, then the Federal Funds Rate with respect to such Interest Reset Date will be the rate on such Interest Determination Date as published in Composite Quotations under the heading "Federal Funds/Effective Rate". If by 3:00 P.M., New York City time, on such Calculation Date such rate is not published in either H.15(519) or Composite Quotations, the Federal Funds Rate with respect to such Interest Reset Date shall be calculated by the Calculation Agent and shall be the arithmetic mean of the rates, as of 9:00 A.M., New York City time, on such Interest Determination Date, for the last transaction in overnight Federal Funds arranged by three leading brokers of Federal Funds transactions in The City of New York selected by the Calculation Agent; provided, however, that if fewer than three brokers selected as aforesaid by the Calculation Agent are quoting as mentioned in this sentence, the Federal Funds Rate with respect to such Interest Reset Date shall be the Federal Funds Rate in effect on such Interest Determination Date. Determination of CMT Rate. If the Interest Rate Basis on this Note is the CMT Rate, the CMT Rate with respect to this Note for each Interest Reset Date shall equal the rate displayed on the Designated CMT Telerate Page under the caption "...Treasury Constant Maturities...Federal Reserve Board Release H.15...Mondays Approximately 3:45 P.M.," under the column for the Designated CMT Maturity Index for (i) if the Designated CMT Telerate Page is 7055, the rate on such Interest Determination Date and (ii) if the Designated CMT Telerate Page is 7052, the week, or the month, as applicable, ended immediately preceding the week in which the related Interest Determination Date occurs. If such rate is no longer displayed on the relevant page, or if not displayed by 3:00 P.M., New York City time, on the relevant Calculation Date, the CMT Rate shall be such treasury constant maturity rate for the Designated CMT Maturity Index as published in the relevant H.15(519). If such rate is no longer published, or if not published by 3:00 P.M., New York City time, on the relevant Calculation Date, the CMT Rate shall be such treasury constant maturity rate for the Designated CMT Maturity Index (or other United States Treasury rate for the Designated CMT Maturity Index) for the Interest Determination Date with respect to such Interest Reset Date as may then be published by either the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or the United States Department of the Treasury that the Calculation Agent determines to be comparable to the rate formerly displayed on the Designated CMT Telerate Page and published in the relevant H.15(519). If such information is not published by 3:00 P.M., New York City time, on the relevant Calculation Date, the CMT Rate shall be calculated by the Calculation Agent and will be a yield to maturity, based on the arithmetic mean of the secondary market closing offer side prices as of approximately 3:30 P.M., New York City time, on the Interest Determination Date reported, according to their written records, by three leading primary United States government securities dealers (each, a "Reference Dealer") in The City of New York selected by the Calculation Agent (from five such Reference Dealers selected by the Calculation Agent and eliminating the highest quotation (or, in the event of equality, one of the highest) and the lowest quotation (or, in the event of equality, one of the lowest)), for the most recently issued direct noncallable fixed rate obligations of the United States ("Treasury Notes") with an original maturity of approximately the Designated CMT Maturity Index and a remaining term to maturity of not less than such Designated CMT Maturity Index minus one year. If three or four (and not five) of such Reference Dealers are quoting, than the CMT Rate shall be based on the arithmetic mean of the offer prices obtained and neither the highest nor the lowest of such quotes will be eliminated. If the Calculation Agent cannot obtain three such Treasury Note quotations, the CMT Rate shall be calculated by the Calculation Agent and will be a yield to maturity based on the arithmetic mean of the secondary market offer side prices as of approximately 3:30 P.M., New York City time, on the Interest Determination Date of three Reference Dealers in The City of New York (from five such Reference Dealers selected by the Calculation Agent and eliminating the highest quotation (or, in the event of equality, one of the highest) and the lowest quotation (or, in the event of equality, one of the lowest)), for Treasury Notes with an original maturity closest to the Designated CMT Maturity Index and in an amount of at least $100 million. If three or four (and not five) of such Reference Dealers are quoting, than the CMT Rate shall be based on the arithmetic mean of the offer prices obtained and neither the highest nor the lowest of such quotes will be eliminated; provided, however, that if fewer than three Reference Dealers selected by the Calculation Agent are quoting, the CMT Rate shall be the CMT Rate in effect on such CMT Interest Determination Date. If two Treasury Notes with an original maturity as described in the second preceding sentence have remaining terms to maturity equally close to the Designated CMT Maturity Index, the quotes for the Treasury Note with the shorter remaining term to maturity will be used. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the interest rate on this Note shall not be greater than the Maximum Interest Rate, if any, or less than the Minimum Interest Rate, if any, shown on the face hereof. At the request of the Holder hereof, the Calculation Agent will provide to the Holder hereof the interest rate then in effect and, if determined, the interest rate which will become effective as of the next Interest Reset Date. The Calculation Agent shall calculate the interest rate hereon in accordance with the provisions hereof on or before each Calculation Date. The Calculation Agent's determination of any interest rate will be final and binding in the absence of manifest error. Unless otherwise specified on the face of this Note, accrued interest on this Note from the date of issue or from the last date to which interest has been paid shall be calculated by multiplying the face amount hereof by an accrued interest factor. Unless otherwise specified on the face of this Note, such accrued interest factor is computed by adding the interest factor calculated for each day from the date of issue, or from the last date to which interest has been paid, to but excluding the date for which accrued interest is being calculated. Unless otherwise specified on the face of this Note, the interest factor (expressed as a decimal, rounded if necessary to the next higher one hundred thousandth of a percentage point for each such day) shall be computed by dividing the interest rate (expressed as a decimal) applicable to such date by 360 if the Interest Rate Basis with respect to this Note is the Commercial Paper Rate, Prime Rate, LIBOR, CD Rate or Federal Funds Rate, or by the actual number of days in the year, if the Interest Rate Basis with respect to this Note is the Treasury Rate or the CMT Rate. The applicable interest rate on any Interest Reset Date will be the interest rate as reset on such date. The applicable interest rate on any other day will be the interest rate from the immediately preceding Interest Reset Date (or, if none, the Initial Interest Rate). Payments of interest on this Note with respect to any Interest Payment Date or Maturity Date (or date of redemption) will include interest accrued to but excluding such Interest Payment Date or Maturity Date (or date of redemption); provided, however, that if the Interest Reset Dates with respect hereto are daily or weekly, interest payable hereon on any Interest Payment Date, other than interest payable on the date on which principal hereon is payable, will include interest accrued to but excluding the day following the next preceding Regular Record Date. The Notes are issuable only in registered form without coupons and will be either (a) Book-Entry Notes represented by one or more global notes (each a "Global Note") recorded in the book-entry system maintained by the Depository or (b) certificated notes issued to, and registered in the names of, the beneficial owners or their nominees ("Certificated Notes"). Notes are issuable in minimum denominations of (i) in the case of Notes denominated in Dollars, U.S. $1,000 and in any larger amount in integral multiples of $1,000, and (ii) in the case of Notes denominated in any Foreign Currency, the equivalent in such Foreign Currency determined in accordance with the Market Exchange Rate for such Foreign Currency on the Business Day immediately preceding the date on which the Company accepts an offer to purchase a Note, of U.S. $1,000 (rounded to an integral multiple of 1,000 units of the Foreign Currency), and in any larger amount. In the manner and subject to the limitations provided in the Indenture, the Global Notes or Certificated Notes are exchangeable, without charge except for any tax or other governmental charge imposed in relation thereto, for other Notes of authorized denominations for a like aggregate principal amount, at the office or agency of the Company in the Borough of Manhattan of The City of New York, or, at the option of the Holders thereof, such office or agency, if any, maintained by the Company in the city in which the principal executive offices of the Company are located or the city in which the principal corporate trust office of the Trustee is located. Unless this Note is denominated in Dollars, in the event that the currency in which this Note is denominated is not available for payment at a time at which any payment is required hereunder due to the imposition of exchange controls or other circumstances beyond its control, the Company may, in full satisfaction of its obligation to make such payment, make instead a payment in an equivalent amount of Dollars, determined in accordance with the Market Exchange Rate for such currency on the latest date for which such rate was established on or before the date on which payment is due, and such substituted payment of Dollars shall not constitute a default under this Note or the Indenture. If a Redemption Commencement Date is specified above, this Note may be redeemed, whether or not any other Note is concurrently redeemed, at the option of the Company, as a whole, or from time to time in part, on any Business Day on or after the Redemption Commencement Date and prior to the Maturity Date, upon mailing by first-class mail, postage prepaid, a notice of such redemption not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date, to the Holder of this Note at his address appearing in the Security Register, as provided in the Indenture (provided that, if the Holder of this Note is a Depository or a nominee of a Depository, notice of such redemption shall be given in accordance with any applicable provisions of such written agreement between the Company, the Trustee and such Depository (or its nominee) as may be in effect from time to time), at the Redemption Price specified on the face of this Note (expressed in percentages of the principal amount hereof to be redeemed) together in each case with interest accrued to the Redemption Date (subject to the right of the Holder of record on a Regular Record Date to receive interest due on an Interest Payment Date). In the event of redemption of this Note in part only, a new Note or Notes of this series, and of like tenor, for the unredeemed portion hereof will be issued in the name of the Holder hereof upon the cancellation hereof. In case a default, as defined in the Indenture, shall occur and be continuing with respect to the Notes, the principal amount of all Notes then outstanding under the Indenture may be declared or may become due and payable upon the conditions and in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture. The Indenture provides that such declaration may in certain events be annulled by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Notes outstanding. To the extent permitted by, and as provided in, the Indenture, modifications or alterations of the Indenture, or of any indenture supplemental thereto, and of the rights and obligations of the Company and the Holders of the Notes, may be made with the consent of the Company by the affirmative vote or consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Securities then outstanding (as defined in the Indenture) of each series to be affected, evidenced as in the Indenture provided; provided, however, that no such modification or alteration shall (i) change the stated maturity of the principal of (and premium, if any), or the interest on, any Security, or reduce the principal amount of (and premium, if any), or the rate of interest on, any Security, or change the Currency in which the principal of (and premium, if any), or interest on, such Security is denominated or payable, or reduce the amount of the principal of an Original Issue Discount Security that would be payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.1 of the Indenture without the consent of the Holder of each outstanding Security so affected, or (ii) reduce the percentage of Securities, the vote or consent of the Holders of which is required for such modifications and alterations, without the consent of the Holders of all Securities affected. The Indenture also provides that the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of any series then outstanding may waive any past default with respect to Securities of such series under the Indenture and its consequences, except a default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any), or interest on, any of the Securities. This Note is transferable by the registered Holder hereof or by his attorney duly authorized in writing at the office or agency of the Company in the Borough of Manhattan of The City of New York, or, at the option of the Holder hereof, such office or agency, if any, maintained by the Company in the city in which the principal executive offices of the Company are located or the city in which the principal corporate trust office of the Trustee is located, without charge except for any tax, assessment or other governmental charge imposed in relation thereto, but only in the manner and subject to the limitations provided in the Indenture and upon surrender of this Note. Upon any such transfer a Note or Notes of authorized denominations for a like aggregate principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding will be issued in exchange herefor. The Company, the Trustee, any Authenticating Agent, any paying agent and any Security registrar may deem and treat the registered Holder hereof as the absolute owner hereof (whether or not this Note shall be overdue and notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing hereon by anyone other than the Company or any Security registrar) for the purpose of receiving payment of or on account of the principal hereof (and premium, if any), and interest hereon, and for all other purposes, and neither the Company, the Trustee, an Authenticating Agent, a paying agent nor the Security registrar shall be affected by any notice to the contrary. All such payments shall be valid and effectual to satisfy and discharge the liability upon this Note to the extent of the sum or sums so paid. No recourse shall be had for the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any), or interest on, this Note or for any claim based hereon or otherwise in any manner in respect hereof, or in respect of the Indenture, against any incorporator, shareholder, officer or director, past, present or future, of the Company or of any predecessor or successor corporation, whether by virtue of any constitutional provision or statute or rule of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or in any other manner, all such liability being expressly waived and released by the acceptance hereof and as part of the consideration for the issue hereof. In the event of any sale or transfer of its assets and liabilities substantially as an entirety to a successor corporation, the predecessor corporation may be dissolved and liquidated as more fully set forth in the Indenture. All Dollar amounts used in or resulting from calculations referred to in this Note shall be rounded to the nearest cent (with one half cent being rounded upwards). This Note shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of Illinois. ASSIGNMENT FORM To assign this Note, fill in the form below: I or we assign and transfer this Note to (Insert assignee's soc. sec. or tax I.D. no.) _________________________________________________________________ _________________ (Print or type assignee's name, address and zip code) _________________________________________________________________ _________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________ and irrevocably appoint _______________________________________________________________ agent to transfer this Note on the books of the Company. The agent may substitute another to act for him. _________________________________________________________________ _________________ Date __________________________ Your signature _____________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ ________________ (Sign exactly as your name appears on the other side of this Note. The signature to this assignment must be guaranteed by a commercial bank or trust company having its principal office or a correspondent in The City of New York or by a member of The New York Stock Exchange.) EX-4 6 SEARS, ROEBUCK AND CO. 3333 BEVERLY ROAD HOFFMAN ESTATES, ILLINOIS 60179 AUGUST 22, 1996 Sears Roebuck Acceptance Corp. 3711 Kennett Pike Greenville, Delaware 19807 Gentlemen: This is to confirm our agreement ("Extension Agreement") that the term "Debt Securities" as defined in the Fixed Charge Coverage and Ownership Agreement dated as of May 15, 1995 between Sears Roebuck Acceptance Corp. ("SRAC") and Sears, Roebuck and Co. shall be expanded to include up to $4 billion aggregate initial offering price of debt securities to be issued by SRAC under Registration Statement No. 33-9817. If the foregoing satisfactorily sets forth your understanding of our agreement, please indicate your acceptance by the signature of a duly authorized officer in the space provided below and on the duplicate original of this letter which is enclosed. Very truly yours, SEARS, ROEBUCK AND CO. By:/S/Alan J. Lacy Alan J. Lacy Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Accepted: SEARS ROEBUCK ACCEPTANCE CORP. By: /S/Keith E. Trost Keith E. Trost President EX-8 7 Exhibit 8 August 27, 1996 Sears Roebuck Acceptance Corp. 3711 Kennett Pike Greenville, DE 19807 Gentlemen: Sears Roebuck Acceptance Corp. ("SRAC") may issue up to U.S. $2,000,000,000 of Medium-Term Notes Series III (the "Notes") due at least 9 months from the date of issue as described in the Prospectus Supplement dated August 22, 1996 to the Prospectus dated August 22, 1996 relating to the initial offering and sale of the Notes (the "Prospectus"). This opinion is rendered to you in support of an opinion of Robert J. Pence, Vice President, Law, of even date herewith, rendered pursuant to Section 8(c) of the Distribution Agreement dated August 22, 1996, among SRAC, Goldman, Sachs & Co., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Morgan Stanley & Co., Incorporated and Salomon Brothers Inc. (the "Distribution Agreement"). As special tax counsel to SRAC, we have examined such records and documents of SRAC as we deemed necessary and relevant for purposes of rendering our opinion as to the principal United States federal income and estate tax consequences to persons holding Notes, including (i) the Prospectus, (ii) the Prospectus Supplement, (iii) the Indenture dated as of May 15, 1995 between The Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A., and SRAC, (iv) the form of Notes to be issued under the Indenture, and (v) the Distribution Agreement. Unless otherwise defined herein, all capitalized terms shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement. We have been advised and for purposes of our opinion assume that SRAC will characterize all Notes issued under the Indenture as indebtedness of SRAC for all United States federal income tax purposes. This opinion does not address: (1) Special tax situations, such as dealers in securities or currencies, Holders whose functional currency is not the United States dollar, or persons holding Notes as a hedge against currency risk or as part of a larger integrated financial transaction; (2) Notes issued under the Indenture with a term of 12 months or less at issue prices of less than their stated redemption price at maturity, giving rise to original issue discount for federal income tax purposes; (3) Notes issued under the Indenture providing for payments of principal in amounts to be determined by reference to an index; (4) Notes with original issue discount which are denominated in more than one currency; and (5) Notes with original issue discount with a term of more than five years from the date of issue and having a fixed yield to maturity that equals or exceeds the sum of the applicable federal rate for the calendar month in which the obligation is issued plus five percentage points, including Notes with maturities of more than five years that could have yields in excess of the applicable federal rate plus five percentage points because they provide for contingent or variable payments or because they are subject to redemption before maturity. On the basis of the foregoing, we are of the opinion that under present United States federal income and estate tax laws the principal United States federal income and estate tax consequences to persons holding Notes are as follows: In the opinion of Baker & McKenzie, all Notes issued under the Indenture will be properly characterized as indebtedness of SRAC, and SRAC will so characterize all such Notes for all United States federal income tax purposes. This characterization by SRAC will be binding on every Holder of a Note, unless the Holder discloses its inconsistent characterization on such Holder's federal income tax return. The Internal Revenue Service will not be bound by the characterization of the Notes by SRAC and the Holders. United States Holders As used herein, "United States Holder" means a Holder of a Note who is, or which is, a United States Person. A "United States Person" is (i) a citizen or resident of the United States of America (including the States and the District of Columbia), its territories, possessions and other areas subject to its jurisdiction, including the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (the "United States"), (ii) a corporation or partnership created or organized in the United States or under the laws of the United States or of any State and (iii) an estate or trust the income of which is subject to United States federal income taxation regardless of its source. Payments of Interest and Original Issue Discount. Stated interest on a Note (whether in a foreign currency or U.S. dollars) will be taxable to a United States Holder as ordinary interest income at the time it accrues or is paid in accordance with the United States Holder's method of accounting for tax purposes, subject to the discussion in the succeeding paragraphs. If Notes are issued at a discount from their stated redemption price at maturity equal to or more than one-fourth of one percent of the stated redemption price at maturity multiplied by the number of full years to maturity, such Notes will be original issue discount obligations ("Original Issue Discount Notes"). The difference between the issue price and the stated redemption price at maturity of each such Original Issue Discount Note will constitute original issue discount ("Original Issue Discount"). The stated redemption price at maturity will include all payments other than interest based on a fixed rate or, unless otherwise stated in a Pricing Supplement, a floating rate, payable unconditionally at intervals of one year or less during the entire term of the Original Issue Discount Notes ("Stated Interest"). Each initial Holder of an Original Issue Discount Note will be required to include in gross income, in each taxable year during which the Original Issue Discount Note is held, a portion of the Original Issue Discount calculated on a yield to maturity basis in addition to Stated Interest, if any, paid on such Note, regardless of the United States Holder's method of accounting for tax purposes. A United States Holder should be aware that, because of the above original issue discount rules, such Holder will be required to include increasingly greater amounts of Original Issue Discount in gross income in each successive accrual period in advance of the receipt of the cash attributable to such Original Issue Discount income. A United States Holder of an Original Issue Discount Note must include in gross income the sum of the daily portions of Original Issue Discount with respect to an Original Issue Discount Note for each day during the taxable year such Holder holds such Note. The daily portion is determined by allocating to each day of the accrual period a ratable portion of an amount equal to the excess of (i) the Adjusted Issue Price (as defined below) of the Original Issue Discount Note at the beginning of the accrual period multiplied by the yield to maturity of such Note (determined by compounding at the close of each accrual period and adjusted for the length of the accrual period) over (ii) the amount payable as Stated Interest, if any, on such Note during such accrual period. United States Holders may accrue Original Issue Discount using accrual periods of any length, and such accrual periods may vary in length over the term of the Original Issue Discount Note, provided that each accrual period must be no longer than one year and each scheduled payment of principal or interest must occur either on the final day of an accrual period or on the first day of an accrual period. The Adjusted Issue Price of an Original Issue Discount Note at the start of any accrual period is the issue price of the Original Issue Discount Note increased by the amount of Original Issue Discount accrued during all prior accrual periods. A United States Holder of an Original Issue Discount Note must include in income accrued Original Issue Discount regardless of whether such Holder uses a cash receipts and disbursements method of tax accounting or an accrual basis of tax accounting. The United States tax treatment of any Indexed Notes will be described in the applicable Pricing Supplement. The face of each Original Issue Discount Note will set forth the issue date, issue price, yield to maturity, amount of Original Issue Discount, and any other information required by Treasury regulations. SRAC will furnish to the Internal Revenue Service the amount of Original Issue Discount, the issue date and any additional information required by Treasury regulations. Holders, including subsequent Holders, will be required to determine for themselves the reportable amount of Original Issue Discount income for a year. For a Holder who uses a cash receipts and disbursements basis of tax accounting, if a receipt of payment of stated interest is denominated in a foreign currency, the amount of interest income will be the U.S. dollar value of the foreign currency payment amount translated at the spot rate on the payment date, regardless of whether the payment is in fact converted to U.S. dollars. For a Holder who uses an accrual basis of tax accounting, if an accrual of interest is denominated in a foreign currency, the amount of interest income will be the U.S. dollar value of the amount of interest accrued in foreign currency translated at the appropriate accrual translation rate. The "appropriate accrual translation rate" is the average spot rate in effect during such accrual period or, at the Holder's election, the spot rate on the last day of such accrual period (or on the day of receipt of such interest if such day is within five days of the end of the applicable accrual period). If the latter translation convention is elected, such convention will apply with respect to all other debt instruments held by the Holder during or after the taxable year for which the election is made. Upon receipt of the interest payment in foreign currency or upon disposition of the Note, a Holder will recognize currency gain or loss with respect to the accrued interest equal to the difference between the Holder's accrued foreign currency interest income translated at the appropriate accrual translation rate and the U.S. dollar value of the foreign currency payment translated at the spot rate on the payment date, regardless of whether the payment is in fact converted to U.S. dollars. In the case of Original Issue Discount Notes, Treasury regulations provide similar rules for both cash basis and accrual basis United States Holders for calculating currency gain or loss with respect to accrued Original Issue Discount. Original Issue Discount will accrue in the currency in which the Note is denominated and will be translated into U.S. dollars at the appropriate accrual translation rate. Upon receipt of the accrued Original Issue Discount or the disposition of the Note, such a Holder will recognize currency gain or loss with respect to the accrued Original Issue Discount equal to the difference between the Holder's accrued Original Issue Discount income translated at the appropriate accrual translation rate and the U.S. dollar value of the foreign currency payment translated at the spot rate on the payment date or the date of disposition. Currency gain or loss recognized by a Holder upon receipt of a foreign currency payment will be treated as ordinary income or loss. In accordance with current Treasury regulations, currency gain or loss will not be treated as interest income or expense. If a United States Holder acquires a Note (including an Original Issue Discount Note) other than upon original issue for an amount less than the principal amount or, in the case of an Original Issue Discount Note, less than the Revised Issue Price (defined as the sum of the issue price of the Note and the aggregate amount of Original Issue Discount includible in gross income for all periods prior to the acquisition without regard to acquisition premium) of such Original Issue Discount Note on the date of acquisition, the Note may be considered to be a "market discount bond". As a result, a portion of the gain on the sale or redemption of the Note (see "United States Tax Considerations-- United States Holders--Purchase, Sale and Redemption of Notes") equal to the amount of market discount accrued with respect to the Note while it was held by the United States Holder will be treated as interest income. In addition, interest on indebtedness incurred or continued to purchase or carry a Note that is a market discount bond, to the extent that it exceeds in any year the interest (including Original Issue Discount) on the Note includible in the United States Holder's income for that year, may not be fully deductible in that year. The foregoing market discount rules will not apply if the United States Holder elects to include in income in each taxable year the portion of the market discount attributable to that year (accrued on either a straight line or constant interest rate basis) with respect to all market discount bonds acquired during or after the taxable year in which such election is made. In the case of a Note denominated in a foreign currency, the amount of market discount will be determined in units of foreign currency in which the Note is denominated. Unless the Holder elects to include in income in each taxable year such market discount, the resultant market discount is required to be translated at the spot rate on the date of sale or redemption of the Note. No part of such market discount is treated as currency gain or loss. If the Holder elects to include in income in each taxable year such market discount, the accrued market discount currently includible in income will be translated at the average spot rate for the accrual period. Currency gain or loss with respect to accrued market discount currently includible in income will be determined in a manner similar to that for accrued Original Issue Discount as discussed above. If a United States Holder acquires a Note for an amount more than the principal amount of the Note (or the stated redemption price at maturity of a Note that is an Original Issue Discount), a Holder may elect to amortize such bond premium on a yield to maturity basis. In the case of a Note denominated in a foreign currency, the amount of bond premium will be determined in units of the foreign currency in which the Note is denominated. If a Holder elects to amortize such bond premium, the amount of accrued bond premium in units of foreign currency in each taxable year will reduce interest income in units of foreign currency for such taxable year. Currency gain or loss will be taken into account with respect to accrued bond premium in each taxable year by treating the portion of premium amortized with respect to any period as a return of principal (see "United States Tax Considerations--United States Holders--Purchase, Sale and Redemption of Notes"). Proposed Treasury regulations have been issued that, if finalized in their current form, would require a United States Holder that purchases a Note at a premium under a constant yield method. As proposed, the new rules will be applicable to debt instruments issued on or after 60 days after the regulations are published in final form. However, a holder may elect to apply the new rules to all Notes held on or after the first day of the taxable year that contains the day which is 60 days after the new regulations are published in final form. If a United States Holder acquires an Original Issue Discount Note other than upon original issue for an amount more than the Revised Issue Price of such Note on the date of acquisition, but less than the redemption price of such Note, such a Holder will be required to reduce each daily portion of accrued Original Issue Discount by an allocable portion of such acquisition premium. The allocable portion of such acquisition premium will be equal to the daily portion of accrued Original Issue Discount multiplied by a fraction (i) the numerator of which is the excess of the cost of the Original Issue Discount Note incurred by such Holder over the Revised Issue Price of such Note on the date of acquisition and (ii) the denominator of which is the excess of the stated redemption price of the Original Issue Discount Note at maturity over the Revised Issue Price of such Note on the date of acquisition. In the case of an Original Issue Discount Note denominated in a foreign currency, the amount of acquisition premium will be determined in units of foreign currency in which the Note is denominated. The amount of the allocable portion of acquisition premium in units of foreign currency in each taxable year will reduce accrued Original Issue Discount in units of foreign currency for such taxable year. Currency gain or loss will be taken into account with respect to accrued acquisition premium in each taxable year by treating the portion of acquisition premium amortized with respect to any period as a return of principal (see "United States Tax Considerations--United States Holders--Purchase, Sale and Redemption of Notes"). A Holder may elect to include in gross income its entire return on a Note (i.e., the excess of all remaining payments to be received on the Note over the amount paid for such Note by the Holder) based on the compounding of interest at a constant rate. This election for a Note with amortizable bond premium or market discount results in a deemed election to apply the same accrual principles to all of the Holder's debt instruments with amortizable bond premium or market discount. This election may be revoked only with the consent of the IRS. Purchase, Sale and Redemption of Notes. A United States Holder's tax basis in a Note will be its U.S. dollar cost. Such Holder's original tax basis in a Note will be increased by (i) the net amount of accrued Original Issue Discount included in income and (ii) the amount of accrued market discount included in income. Such Holder's tax basis in a Note will be decreased by (i) the amount of accrued bond premium and (ii) payments other than Stated Interest received by the Holder with respect to a Note. Although the issue has not yet been directly addressed by Treasury regulations, in the case of a Note denominated in a foreign currency, such Holder's original tax basis likely will be increased by (i) the net amount of accrued Original Issue Discount income in units of foreign currency translated at the appropriate accrual translation rate in effect during such accrual period and (ii) the amount of accrued market discount included in income in units of foreign currency translated at the average spot rate in effect during such accrual period. Such Holder's tax basis likely will be decreased by (i) payments treated as receipts of accrued bond premium in units of foreign currency translated at the spot rate on the date of acquisition; (ii) payments treated as receipts of accrued Original Issue Discount translated at the appropriate accrual translation rates, or accrued market discount translated at the average spot rate, for the relevant accrual period; and (iii) payments treated as receipts of principal translated at the spot rate on the date of acquisition. In accordance with current Treasury regulations, payments in units of foreign currency received on a Note by such a Holder will be treated first as a receipt of Stated Interest, second as a receipt of Original Issue Discount to the extent accrued, and finally as a receipt of principal. Subject to the discussion below and the discussion of Notes which are market discount bonds (see "United States Tax Considerations--United States Holders--Payments of Interest and Original Issue Discount"), upon the sale or redemption of a Note, a United States Holder will recognize capital gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized on the sale or redemption of the Note and the tax basis of the Note. The amount realized on a sale or redemption of a Note denominated in a foreign currency will be equal to the sale proceeds or redemption price in units of foreign currency translated at the spot rate on the date of sale or redemption. Except to the extent described in the next paragraph or described in "United States Tax Considerations--United States Holders--Payments of Interest and Original Issue Discount", gain or loss will be long-term capital gain or loss if at the time of the sale or redemption the Note has been held for more than one year. Except to the extent described in the discussion of market discount bonds (see "United States Tax Considerations--United States Holders--Payments of Interest and Original Issue Discount"), the portion of the gain or loss recognized by a United States Holder on the sale or redemption of a Note that is attributable to changes in exchange rates will be treated as ordinary income or loss. If a United States Holder acquires a Note denominated in a foreign currency on or after the date of original issue, such Holder's currency gain or loss with respect to principal will be calculated by multiplying the principal amount in units of foreign currency by the change in spot rates between the date such Holder acquired the Note and the date it was sold or redeemed. For purposes of computing currency gain or loss, the principal amount of a Note will be a Holder's purchase price for the Note in units of foreign currency. The sum of any currency gain or loss with respect to the principal of and accrued but unpaid interest (including accrued but unpaid Original Issue Discount, if any) on a Note will be realized only to the extent of the total gain or loss realized on the sale or redemption. Exchange of Foreign Currency. Foreign currency received as interest on a Note or on the sale or redemption of a Note will have a tax basis equal to its U.S. dollar value (translated at the spot rate) at the time such interest is received or at the time of sale or redemption of the Note. Foreign currency purchased will generally have a tax basis equal to the U.S. dollar cost of acquisition. Any gain or loss recognized on a sale or other disposition of the foreign currency (including its use to purchase Notes or its exchange for U.S. dollars) will be ordinary income or loss. Foreign Holders U.S. Withholding Tax. Under United States federal income tax laws now in effect, and subject to the discussion of backup withholding which follows, payments by SRAC or any paying agent thereof (in its capacity as such) of principal of and interest (including payments of Original Issue Discount, if any) on (and premium, if any, on) a Note to a Holder who is not a United States Person will not be subject to United States federal withholding tax, provided in the case of interest (including payments of Original Issue Discount, if any) that (i) such Holder does not actually or constructively own 10 percent or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of SRAC entitled to vote; (ii) such Holder is not a controlled foreign corporation for United States tax purposes with respect to which SRAC is a "related person" as defined in the Code; and (iii) (A) the beneficial owner of the Note provides a signed written statement to SRAC or its agent, under penalties of perjury, that certifies that it is not a United States Person and provides its name and address, (B) a securities clearing organization, bank or other financial institution that holds customers' securities in the ordinary course of its trade or business (a "Financial Institution") and holds the Note on behalf of the beneficial owner provides an intermediary certificate to SRAC or its agent under penalties of perjury that such a statement has been received from the beneficial owner by it or by a Financial Institution between it and the beneficial owner and furnishes the payor with a copy thereof, or (C) a securities clearing organization that is the last intermediary in the chain before SRAC or its agent (a "qualified clearing organization") electronically provides an intermediary certificate to SRAC or its agent under penalties of perjury that such a statement has been received from the beneficial owner by it or by an intermediary that is a member of the qualified clearing organization and agrees to furnish (or to cause the relevant member intermediary to furnish) promptly upon the request of SRAC or the Internal Revenue Service such statement. A statement described in this paragraph is effective only with respect to interest payments made to the certifying Holder after the issuance of the statement in the calendar year of its issuance and the two immediately succeeding calendar years. U.S. Income Tax. Except for the possible imposition of United States withholding tax (see "United States Tax Considerations-- Foreign Holders--U.S. Withholding Tax") and backup withholding tax (see "United States Tax Considerations--Backup Withholding"), payments of principal of and interest (including accrued Original Issue Discount, if any) on (and premium, if any, on) a Note to a Holder who is not a United States Person will not be subject to United States federal income tax, and gains from the sale, redemption or other disposition of a Note will not be subject to United States federal income tax, provided that: (a) The Holder (or the fiduciary, settlor, or beneficiary of, or a person holding a power over, such Holder, if such Holder is an estate or trust; or a partner of such Holder, if such Holder is a partnership) shall not be or have been engaged in a trade or business, or be or have been present in, or have or have had a permanent establishment in the United States; (b) There shall not have been a present or former connection between such Holder (or between the fiduciary, settlor, or beneficiary of, or a person holding a power over, such Holder, if such Holder is an estate or trust; or a partner of such Holder, if such Holder is a partnership) and the United States, including, without limitation, such Holder's status as a citizen or former citizen thereof or resident or former resident thereof; and (c) The Holder (or the fiduciary, settlor, or beneficiary of, or a person holding a power over, such Holder, if such Holder is an estate or trust; or a partner of such Holder, if such Holder is a partnership) is not and has not been, for United States tax purposes, (i) a personal holding company, (ii) a corporation that accumulates earnings to avoid United States federal income tax, or (iii) a person treated as making an election the effect of which is to make payments of principal of and interest (including accrued Original Issue Discount, if any) on (and premium, if any, on) Notes subject to United States federal income tax. If a Holder who is not a United States Person is engaged in a trade or business in the United States and interest (including accrued Original Issue Discount, if any), gain or income in respect of a Note of such Holder is effectively connected with the conduct of such trade or business, the Holder, although exempt from the withholding tax discussed in the preceding paragraphs, may be subject to United States income tax on such interest (including accrued Original Issue Discount, if any), gain or income at the statutory rates provided for United States Persons after deduction of deductible expenses allocable to such effectively connected interest, gain or income. In addition, if such a Holder is a foreign corporation, it may be subject to a branch profits tax equal to 30% of its effectively connected earnings and profits for the taxable year, as adjusted for certain items, unless a lower rate applies under a United States income tax treaty with the Holder's country of residence. For this purpose, interest (including accrued Original Issue Discount, if any), gain or income in respect of a Note will be included in earnings and profits subject to the branch tax if the interest (including accrued Original Issue Discount, if any), gain or income is effectively connected with the conduct of the United States trade or business of the Holder. U.S. Estate Tax. A Note held by an individual who at the time of death is not a citizen or resident of the United States will generally not be subject to United States federal estate tax if the individual does not actually or constructively own 10% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of SRAC and interest (including accrued Original Issue Discount, if any) on the Note is not effectively connected with a United States trade or business of the individual. Backup Withholding A 31% "backup" withholding tax and information reporting requirements apply to certain payments of principal of and interest (including payments of Original Issue Discount, if any) on (and premium, if any, on) an obligation, and to proceeds of the sale of an obligation before maturity, to certain noncorporate United States Holders, if such Holders fail to provide correct taxpayer identification numbers and other information or fail to comply with certain other requirements. SRAC, its paying agent, or a broker, as the case may be, will be required to withhold from any payment that is subject to backup withholding, a tax equal to 31% of such payment unless the Holder furnishes its taxpayer identification number in the manner prescribed in applicable Treasury regulations and certain other conditions are met. In the case of payments of principal of and interest (including payments of Original Issue Discount, if any) on (and premium, if any, on) Notes by SRAC or paying agents of SRAC to Holders who are not United States Persons, temporary Treasury regulations provide that backup withholding and information reporting will not apply if the Holder has provided the required certification of its non-United States status under penalties of perjury or has otherwise established an exemption (provided that neither SRAC nor its paying agent has actual knowledge that the Holder is a United States Person or the conditions of any other exemption are not in fact satisfied). In addition, if payment is collected by a foreign office of a custodian, nominee or other agent acting on behalf of an owner of a Note, such custodian, nominee or other agent will not be required to apply backup withholding to its payments to such owner. However, in such case if the custodian, nominee or other agent is a United States Person, a controlled foreign corporation for United States federal income tax purposes, or a foreign person 50% or more of whose gross income is from a United States trade or business for a specified three- year period, such custodian, nominee or other agent will be subject to certain information reporting requirements with respect to such payment unless such custodian, nominee or other agent has evidence in its records that the Holder is not a United States Person and no actual knowledge that such evidence is false or the Holder otherwise establishes an exemption or is an exempt recipient. An exempt recipient includes a bank, corporation or Financial Institution. Under current regulations, payments of the proceeds of the sale of a Note by a Holder who is not a United States Person to or through a foreign office of a broker will not be subject to backup withholding. Payments by foreign offices of a broker that is a United States Person, a controlled foreign corporation for United States federal income tax purposes or a foreign person 50% or more of whose gross income is from a United States trade or business for a specified three-year period are currently subject to certain information reporting requirements, unless the payee is an exempt recipient or the broker has evidence in its records that the payee is not a United States Person and no actual knowledge that such evidence is false. Payments of the proceeds of a sale to or through the United States office of a broker will be subject to information reporting and backup withholding unless the payee certifies under penalty of perjury that he is not a United States Person and provides his name and address or the payee otherwise establishes an exemption. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules from a payment to a Holder will be allowed as a refund or a credit against such Holder's United States federal income tax, provided that the required information is furnished to the United States Internal Revenue Service. The foregoing is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, regulations, rulings, administrative pronouncements and judicial decisions as of the date hereof. Subsequent developments in these areas could have a material effect on this opinion. We hereby confirm that, as of the date hereof, the statements as to United States law in the Prospectus Supplement contained under the caption "United States Tax Considerations" are correct. We hereby consent to the use of our opinion as set forth in the Prospectus Supplement and the reference to our firm in said Supplement. The Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A., as Trustee, may rely on this opinion as if it were addressed to them. Very truly yours, /s/ Baker & McKenzie BAKER & MCKENZIE RHD/LGH/JOD EX-99 8 Exhibit 99 BOOK-ENTRY-ONLY MEDIUM-TERM NOTE, DEPOSIT NOTE, OR MEDIUM-TERM BANK NOTE (MASTER NOTE AND/OR GLOBAL CERTIFICATES) PROGRAM Letter of Representations [To be Completed by Issuer, Issuing Agent, and Paying Agent] SEARS ROEBUCK ACCEPTANCE CORP. [Name of Issuer] THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK 2823 [Name and DTC Participant Number of Issuing Agent] THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK 2823 [Name and DTC Participant Number of Paying Agent] August 27, 1996 Attention: General Counsel's Office The Depository Trust Company 55 Water Street; 49th Floor New York, NY 10041-0099 Re: SEARS ROEBUCK ACCEPTANCE CORP. MEDIUM-TERM NOTES SERIES III [Description of Note Program, including, as applicable, (i) series designator; (ii) rank of indebtedness; and (iii) reference to the provision of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, pursuant to which Note Program is exempt from registration] Ladies and Gentlemen: This letter sets forth our understanding with respect to certain matters relating to the issuance by Issuer from time to time of notes under its note program described above (the "Securities"). Issuing Agent will act as issuing agent with respect to the Securities. Paying Agent will act as paying agent with respect to the Securities. The Securities will be issued pursuant to a prospectus supplement, private placement memorandum, or other such document authorizing the issuance of the Securities, dated as of August 22, 1996. Paying Agent has entered into a Money Market Instrument Master Note and/or Global Certificates Certificate Agreement, or a Medium-Term Note Certificate Agreement, with The Depository Trust Company ("DTC") dated as of March 10, 1989, pursuant to which Paying Agent will act as custodian of a Master Note Certificate and/or Global Certificates evidencing the Securities, when issued. Paying Agent will amend Exhibit A to such Certificate Agreement to include the note program described above, prior to issuance of the Securities. To induce DTC to accept the Securities as eligible for deposit at DTC and to act in accordance with its Rules with respect to the Securities, Issuer, Issuing Agent, and Paying Agent make the following representations to DTC: 1. All or certain issues of the Securities shall be evidenced by one Master Note Certificate, or by one or more Global Certificates for each issue, in registered form registered in the name of DTC's nominee, Cede & Co., and such Certificate or Certificates shall represent 100% of the principal amount of the Securities issued through DTC. The Master Note Certificate, if any, shall include the substance of all material provisions set forth in the appropriate DTC model Master Note for the note program described above, a copy of which previously has been furnished to Issuing Agent and Paying Agent, and may include additional provisions as long as they do not conflict with the material provisions set forth in the DTC model. If the principal amount of an issue of the Securities to be evidenced by one or more Global Certificates, if any, exceeds $200,000,000, one Global Certificate shall be issued with respect to each $200,000,000 of principal amount and an additional Global Certificate shall be issued with respect to any remaining principal amount. Paying Agent shall cause each Global Certificate to be stamped with the following legend: Unless this certificate is presented by an authorized representative of The Depository Trust Company, a New York corporation ("DTC"), to Issuer or its agent for registration of transfer, exchange, or payment, and any certificate issued is registered in the name of Cede & Co. or in such other name as is requested by an authorized representative of DTC (and any payment is made to Cede & Co. or to such other entity as is requested by an authorized representative of DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE, OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL inasmuch as the registered owner hereof, Cede & Co., has an interest herein. 2. Issuer or Issuing Agent has obtained from the CUSIP Service Bureau a written list of approximately 900 nine-character numbers (the basic first six characters of which are the same and uniquely identify Issuer and the Securities to be issued under its note program described above). The CUSIP numbers on such list have been reserved for future assignment to issues of the Securities. At any time when fewer than 100 of the CUSIP numbers on such list remain unassigned, Issuer or Issuing Agent shall promptly obtain from the CUSIP Service Bureau an additional written list of approximately 900 such numbers. 3. When Securities are to be issued through DTC, Issuing Agent shall give notice to Paying Agent and issuance instructions to DTC in accordance with DTC's Procedures, including DTC's Final Plan for DTC Money Market Programs, and DTC's Issuing/Paying Agent General Operating Procedures and Participant Terminal System Procedures for Medium-Term Notes (MTNs) Including Deposit Notes and Medium-Term Bank Notes (the "Procedures"), a copy of which previously has been furnished to Issuing Agent and Paying Agent. The giving of such issuance instructions, which include delivery instructions, to DTC shall constitute: (a) a representation that the Securities are issued in accordance with applicable law; and (b) a confirmation that a Master Note Certificate, or a Global Certificate (or Certificates), evidencing such Securities, in the form described in Paragraph 1, has been issued and authenticated. 4. Issuer recognizes that DTC does not in any way undertake to, and shall not have any responsibility to, monitor or ascertain the compliance of any transactions in the Securities with any exemptions from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 or of any other state or federal securities laws. 5. If issuance of Securities through DTC is scheduled to take place one or more days after Issuing Agent has given issuance instructions to DTC, Issuing Agent may cancel such issuance by giving a cancellation instruction to DTC in accordance with the Procedures. 6. At any time that Paying Agent has Securities in its DTC accounts, it may request withdrawal of such Securities from DTC by giving a withdrawal instruction to DTC in accordance with the Procedures. Upon DTC's acceptance of such withdrawal instruction, Paying Agent shall reduce the principal amount of the Securities evidenced, as the case may be, by the Master Note Certificate, or by one or more Global Certificates, accordingly. 7. In the event of any solicitation of consents from or voting by holders of the Securities, Issuer, Issuing Agent, or Paying Agent shall establish a record date for such purposes (with no provision for revocation of consents or votes by subsequent holders) and shall, to the extent possible, send notice of such record date to DTC not less than 15 calendar days in advance of such record date. If delivered by hand or sent by mail or overnight delivery, such notice shall be sent to: Supervisor; Proxy Reorganization Department The Depository Trust Company 7 Hanover Square; 23rd Floor New York, NY 10004-2695 If sent by telecopy, such notice shall be sent to (212) 709-6896 or (212) 709-6897. Issuer, Issuing Agent, or Paying Agent shall confirm DTC's receipt of such telecopy by telephoning (212) 709- 6870. 8. Notices of reorganization events (corporate actions) with respect to the Securities, including full or partial redemptions (calls), repayments (puts), extensions of maturities, resets of interest rates or spreads, mandatory tenders, and consolidations of individual issues, shall be given to DTC by Paying Agent in accordance with the Procedures. 9. Paying Agent may override DTC's determination of interest and principal payment dates, in accordance with the Procedures. 10. Notice regarding the amount of variable interest and principal payments on the Securities shall be given to DTC by Paying Agent in accordance with the Procedures. 11. All notices sent to DTC shall contain the CUSIP number of the Securities. 12. Paying Agent shall confirm with DTC daily by CUSIP number the face value of the Securities outstanding, and Paying Agent's corresponding interest and principal payment obligations, in accordance with the Procedures. 13. DTC may direct Issuer, Issuing Agent, or Paying Agent to use any other number or address as the number or address to which notices may be sent. 14. Payments on the Securities, including payments in currencies other than the U.S. Dollar, shall be made by Paying Agent in accordance with the Procedures. 15. In the event that Issuer determines that beneficial owners of Securities shall be able to obtain certificated Securities, Issuer or Paying Agent shall notify DTC of the availability of certificates. In such event, Issuer or Paying Agent shall issue, transfer, and exchange certificates in appropriate amounts, as required by DTC and others. 16. DTC may discontinue providing its services as securities depository with respect to the Securities at any time by giving reasonable notice to Issuer or Paying Agent (at which time DTC will confirm with Issuer or Paying Agent the aggregate amount of Securities outstanding by CUSIP number). Under such circumstances, at DTC's request Issuer and Paying Agent shall cooperate fully with DTC by taking appropriate action to make available one or more separate certificates evidencing Securities to any DTC Participant having Securities credited to its DTC accounts. 17. Issuer: (a) understands that DTC has no obligation to, and will not, communicate to its Participants or to any person having an interest in the Securities any information contained in the Master Note Certificate, if any, or the Global Certificates, if any; and (b) acknowledges that neither DTC's Participants nor any person having an interest in the Securities shall be deemed to have notice of the provisions of such Certificate or Certificates by virtue of submission of such Certificate or Certificates to DTC. 18. Issuer authorizes DTC to provide to Issuing Agent or Paying Agent listings of DTC Participants' holdings with respect to the Securities from time to time at the request of Issuing Agent or Paying Agent. Issuer authorizes Issuing Agent and Paying Agent to provide DTC with such signatures, exemplars of signatures, and authorizations to act as may be deemed necessary by DTC to permit DTC to discharge its obligations to DTC Participants and appropriate regulatory authorities. 19. Nothing herein shall be deemed to require Issuing Agent or Paying Agent to advance funds on behalf of Issuer. Note: Very truly yours, Schedule A contains statements that DTC SEARS ROEBUCK ACCEPTANCE CORP. believes accurately (Issuer) describe DTC, the By: /s/ Stephen D. Carp method of effecting book- (Authorized Officer's entry transfers of securities Signature) distributed through DTC, and certain related THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK, N.A. matters. (Issuing Agent) By: /s/ Tim Burke (Authorized Officer's Signature) THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK, N.A. (Paying Agent) By: /s/ Tim Burke (Authorized Officer's Signature) Received and Accepted: THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY By: /s/ James Femia SCHEDULE A SAMPLE OFFERING DOCUMENT LANGUAGE DESCRIBING BOOK-ENTRY-ONLY ISSUANCE (Prepared by DTC--bracketed material may be applicable only to certain issues) 1. The Depository Trust Company ("DTC"), New York, NY, will act as securities depository for the securities (the "Securities"). The Securities will be issued as fully-registered securities registered in the name of Cede & Co. (DTC's partnership nominee). One fully-registered Security certificate will be issued for [each issue of] the Securities, [each] in the aggregate principal amount of such issue, and will be deposited with DTC. [If, however, the aggregate principal amount of [any] issue exceeds $200 million, one certificate will be issued with respect to each $200 million of principal amount and an additional certificate will be issued with respect to any remaining principal amount of such issue.] 2. DTC is a limited-purpose trust company organized under the New York Banking Law, a "banking organization" within the meaning of the New York Banking Law, a member of the Federal Reserve System, a "clearing corporation" within the meaning of the New York Uniform Commercial Code, and a "clearing agency" registered pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. DTC holds securities that its participants ("Participants") deposit with DTC. DTC also facilitates the settlement among Participants of securities transactions, such as transfers and pledges, in deposited securities through electronic computerized book-entry changes in Participants' accounts, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. Direct Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations, and certain other organizations. DTC is owned by a number of its Direct Participants and by the New York Stock Exchange, Inc., the American Stock Exchange, Inc. and the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as securities brokers and dealers, banks, and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a Direct Participant, either directly or indirectly ("Indirect Participants"). The Rules applicable to DTC and its Participants are on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 3. Purchases of Securities under the DTC system must be made by or through Direct Participants, which will receive a credit for the Securities on DTC's records. The ownership interest of each actual purchaser of each Security ("Beneficial Owner") is in turn to be recorded on the Direct and Indirect Participants' records. Beneficial Owners will not receive written confirmation from DTC of their purchase, but Beneficial Owners are expected to receive written confirmations providing details of the transaction, as well as periodic statements of their holdings, from the Direct or Indirect Participant through which the Beneficial Owner entered into the transaction. Transfers of ownership interests in the Securities are to be accomplished by entries made on the books of Participants acting on behalf on Beneficial Owners. Beneficial Owners will not receive certificates representing their ownership interest in Securities, except in the event that use of the book-entry system for the Securities is discontinued. 4. To facilitate subsequent transfers, all Securities deposited by Participants with DTC are registered in the name of DTC's partnership nominee, Cede & Co. The deposit of Securities with DTC and their registration in the name of Cede & Co. effect no change in beneficial ownership. DTC has no knowledge of the actual Beneficial Owners of the Securities; DTC's records reflect only the identity of the Direct Participants to whose accounts such Securities are credited, which may or may not be the Beneficial Owners. The Participants will remain responsible for keeping account of their holdings on behalf of their customers. 5. Conveyance of notices and other communications by DTC to Direct Participants, by Direct Participants to Indirect Participants, and by Direct Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners will be governed by arrangements among them, subject to any statutory or regulatory requirements as may be in effect from time to time. [6. Redemption notices shall be sent to Cede & Co. If less than all of the Securities within an issue are being redeemed, DTC's practice is to determine by lot the amount of the interest of each Direct Participant in such issue to be redeemed.] 7. Neither DTC nor Cede & Co. will consent or vote with respect to Securities. Under its usual procedures, DTC mails an Omnibus Proxy to the Issuer as soon as possible after the record date. The Omnibus Proxy assigns Cede & Co.'s consenting or voting rights to those Direct Participants to whose accounts the Securities are credited on the record date (identified in a listing attached to the Omnibus Proxy). 8. Principal and interest payments on the Securities will be made to DTC, DTC's practice is to credit Direct Participants' accounts on payable date in accordance with their respective holdings shown on DTC's records unless DTC has reason to believe that it will not receive payment on payable date. Payments by Participants to Beneficial Owners will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in "street name," and will be the responsibility of such Participant and not of DTC, the Agent, or the Issuer, subject to any statutory or regulatory requirements as may be in effect from time to time. Payment of principal and interest to DTC is the responsibility of the Issuer or the Agent, and disbursement of such payments to the Beneficial Owners shall be the responsibility of Direct and Indirect Participants. [9. A Beneficial Owner shall give notice to elect to have its Securities purchased or tendered through its Participant, to the [Tender/Remarketing] Agent, and shall effect delivery of such Securities by causing the Direct Participant to transfer the Participant's interest in the Securities, on DTC's records, to the [Tender/Remarketing] Agent. The requirement for physical delivery of Securities in connection with a demand for purchase or a mandatory purchase will be deemed satisfied when the ownership rights in the Securities are transferred by Direct Participants on DTC's records.] 10. DTC may discontinue providing its services as securities depository with respect to the Securities at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Issuer or the Agent. Under such circumstances, in the event that a successor securities depository is not obtained, Security certificates are required to be printed and delivered. 11. The Issuer may decide to discontinue use of the system of book-entry transfers through DTC (or a successor securities depository). In that event, Security certificates will be printed and delivered. 12. The information in the section concerning DTC and DTC's book-entry system has been obtained from sources that the Issuer believes to be reliable, but the Issuer takes no responsibility for the accuracy thereof. -----END PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE-----