SAFECO CORP
SC 13G/A, 2000-09-07
FIRE, MARINE & CASUALTY INSURANCE
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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             Washington, D.C. 20549



                                  SCHEDULE 13G



                    Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                                 (Amendment #2)*


                               Rent-A-Center, Inc.
                                (Name of Issuer)


                                  Common Stock
                         (Title of Class of Securities)


                                    76009N100
                                 (CUSIP Number)

                                 August 31, 2000
            (Date of Event Which Requires Filing of this Statement)

                Check the appropriate box to designate the rule
                    pursuant to which this schedule is filed:
                                (X) Rule 13d-1(b)
                                ( ) Rule 13d-1(c)
                                ( ) Rule 13d-1(d)

* The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting  person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any  subsequent  amendment  containing  information  which  would  alter the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise  subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but  shall be  subject  to all other  provisions  of the Act  (however,  see the
Notes).

                        (Continued on following page(s))


<PAGE>


------------------------------------------------------------
1)       Name of Reporting Person           SAFECO Common Stock Trust
         S.S. or I.R.S. Identification
         No. of Above Person
---------------------------------------------------------------
2)       Check the Appropriate Box          (a)
         if a Member of a Group             ___________________________
         (See Instructions)                 (b)
---------------------------------------------------------------
3)       SEC Use Only
---------------------------------------------------------------
4)       Citizenship or Place of             State of Delaware
         Organization
---------------------------------------------------------------
Number of       (5) Sole Voting
Shares Bene-         Power                   0
ficially
Owned by       ___________________________________________________
Reporting       (6) Shared Voting
Person With         Power                   1,133,150
               ---------------------------------------------------
                (7) Sole Dispositive
                      Power                 0
               ---------------------------------------------------
                (8) Shared
                        Dispositive         1,133,150
                        Power
       ______________________________________________________________
9)       Aggregate Amount Beneficially
         Owned by Reporting                 1,133,150
         Person
---------------------------------------------------------------
10)      Check if the Aggregate
         Amount in Row (9) Excludes
         Certain Shares (See Instructions)
---------------------------------------------------------------
11)      Percent of Class
         Represented by Amount              4.7%
         in Row 9
---------------------------------------------------------------
12)      Type of Reporting Person           IV
         (See Instructions)


<PAGE>


-------------------------------------------------------------
 1)      Name of Reporting Person           SAFECO Asset Management
         S.S. or I.R.S. Identification               Company
         No. of Above Person
---------------------------------------------------------------
2)       Check the Appropriate Box          (a)
         if a Member of a Group              ___________________________
         (See Instructions)                 (b)
---------------------------------------------------------------
3)       SEC Use Only
---------------------------------------------------------------
4)       Citizenship or Place of             State of Washington
         Organization
---------------------------------------------------------------
Number of       (5) Sole Voting
Shares Bene-         Power                  0
ficially           ___________________________________________________
Owned by       (6) Shared Voting
Reporting              Power                1,622,450
Person With       ___________________________________________________
                  (7) Sole Dispositive
                               Power        0
                  ---------------------------------------------------
                  (8) Shared Dispositive
                      Power                 1,622,450
                  ---------------------------------------------------
9)       Aggregate Amount Beneficially      1,622,450(1)
         Owned by  Reporting Person
---------------------------------------------------------------
10)      Check if the Aggregate
         Amount in Row (9) Excludes
         Certain Shares (See Instructions)
---------------------------------------------------------------
11)      Percent of Class Represented
         by Amount in Row 9                 6.7%
---------------------------------------------------------------
12)      Type of Reporting Person           IA
         (See Instructions)
--------
     1            The Reporting Person disclaims any beneficial ownership of the
                  shares  reported on this joint 13G.  The  reported  shares are
                  owned  beneficially  by  registered  investment  companies for
                  which the Reporting  Person serves as an adviser,  and include
                  the shares  reported in this joint 13G by SAFECO  Common Stock
                  Trust.
===============================================================
<PAGE>
1)       Name of Reporting Person
         S.S. or I.R.S. Identification               SAFECO Corporation
         No. of Above Person
---------------------------------------------------------------
2)       Check the Appropriate Box          (a)
         if a Member of a Group             ___________________________
         (See Instructions)                 (b)
---------------------------------------------------------------
3)       SEC Use Only
---------------------------------------------------------------
4)       Citizenship or Place of             State of Washington
         Organization
---------------------------------------------------------------
Number of       (5) Sole Voting
Shares Bene-         Power                  0
ficially           ___________________________________________________
Owned by       (6) Shared Voting
Reporting              Power                1,659,850
Person With       ___________________________________________________
                  (7) Sole Dispositive
                                Power       0
                  ---------------------------------------------------
                  (8) Shared
                        Dispositive Power   1,659,850
---------------------------------------------------------------
9)       Aggregate Amount Beneficially
         Owned by  Reporting Person         1,659,850(2)
---------------------------------------------------------------
10)      Check if the Aggregate
         Amount in Row (9) Excludes
         Certain Shares (See Instructions)
---------------------------------------------------------------
11)      Percent of Class Represented
         by Amount in Row 9                 6.8%
---------------------------------------------------------------
12)      Type of Reporting Person           HC
         (See Instructions)
-------
     2            The Reporting Person disclaims any beneficial ownership of the
                  shares  reported on this joint 13G.  The  reported  shares are
                  owned  beneficially  by  registered  investment  companies for
                  which a subsidiary of the Reporting  Person serves as adviser,
                  and  include  the shares  reported in this joint 13G by SAFECO
                  Common Stock Trust and by employee benefit plans for which the
                  Reporting Person is a plan sponsor.


<PAGE>




Item 1(a).        Name of Issuer:  See front cover

Item 1(b).        Address of Issuer Principal Executive Offices:

                  5700 Tennyson Parkway, Third Floor, Plano, TX  75024-3556

Item 2(a).        Name of Person(s) Filing:  See Item 1 on cover page (pp 2-4).

Item 2(b).        Address of Principal Business Office or, If None, Residence:

                  SAFECO Common Stock and Resource Series Trusts:
                        10865 Willows Rd NE, Redmond, WA 98052

                  SAFECO Corporation:  SAFECO Plaza, Seattle, WA  98185

                  SAFECO Asset Management Company:
                        601 Union Street, Suite 2500, Seattle, WA  98101

Item 2(c).        Citizenship:   See Item 4 on cover page (pp 2-5).

Item 2(d).        Title of Class of Securities:   See front cover page.

Item 2(e).        CUSIP Number:   See front cover page.

Item 3.           If this  statement is filed  pursuant to Rules  13d-1(b) or
                  13d-2(b) or (c), check whether the persons filing are:

     (a)      ( )Broker or Dealer registered under Section 15 of the Act.
     (b)      ( )Bank as defined in Section 3(a)(6) of the Act.
     (c)      ( )Insurance Company as defined in Section 3(a)(19) of the Act.
     (d)      (X)Investment Company registered under Section 8 of the Investment
                  Company Act of 1940.
     (e)      (X)Investment Advisor registered under Section 203 of the
                 Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
     (f)      ( )Employee Benefit Plan, Pension Fund which is subject to
                 provisions of Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974
                 or Endowment Fund; see Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(F).
     (g)      (X)Parent Holding Company in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(ii)(G).
     (h)      ( ) Savings Association as defined in Section 3(b) of the Federal
                  Deposit Insurance Act.
     (i)      ( ) Church Plan that is excluded  from the  definition of
                   an  investment  company  under  Section  3(c)(14)  of the
                   Investment Company Act of 1940.
     (j)      ( )Group, in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(H).



<PAGE>


Item 4.  Ownership:

                  Items (a) through (c): See items 1 and 5-11 of the cover pages
                        (pp 2-5).

                  SAFECO  Asset  Management   Company  and  SAFECO   Corporation
                  expressly  declare  that  the  filing  of  this  statement  on
                  Schedule 13G shall not be construed as an admission  that they
                  are,  for the  purposes  of  Section  13(d)  or  13(g)  of the
                  Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, the beneficial  owners of
                  any  securities  covered  by  this  statement.  Each  of  such
                  companies is filing this statement because it is considered an
                  indirect  beneficial  owner  of such  securities  based on its
                  ownership  or control of one or more  investment  companies or
                  its  sponsorship of employee  benefit plans which directly own
                  such shares.

Item 5.  Ownership of 5% or Less of a Class:

                  This  statement is filed to report that as of August 31, 2000,
                  SAFECO Common Stock Trust has ceased to be a beneficial  owner
                  of more than 5% of the common stock of Rent-A-Center, Inc.

Item 6.  Ownership of More than 5% on Behalf of Another Person:  Not applicable.

Item 7.  Identification  and  Classification  of the  Subsidiary  Which
                        Acquired the Security  Being Reported on by the
                        Parent Holding Company.

                  SAFECO Asset  Management  Company is the  subsidiary  on which
                  SAFECO Corporation is reporting as the parent holding company.
                  SAFECO Asset  Management  Company is an investment  adviser as
                  specified  in Item 12 on the cover page (p.  3), and  reported
                  shares  are  owned   beneficially  by  registered   investment
                  companies for which SAFECO Asset Management  Company serves as
                  investment adviser.

Item 8.  Identification and Classification of Members of the Group.
                  Not applicable.

Item 9.  Notice of Dissolution of Group.  Not applicable.

Item 10.Certification.

                  By signing  below I certify  that, to the best of my knowledge
                  and belief, the securities referred to above were acquired and
                  are  held in the  ordinary  course  of  business  and were not
                  acquired  and are not  held  for the  purpose  of or with  the
                  effect of changing or influencing the control of the issuer of
                  such  securities  and  were not  acquired  and are not held in
                  connection with or as a participant in any transaction  having
                  that purpose or effect.


Exhibits.

                  The statement required by Rule 13d-1(f) is attached as
                  Exhibit A.


Signature.

                  After  reasonable  inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and
                  belief,  I  certify  that the  information  set  forth in this
                  statement is true, complete and correct.


Date: September 7, 2000                              SAFECO Corporation



                                                By       /s/ Ronald L. Spaulding
                                                   -----------------------------
                                                  Ronald L. Spaulding, Treasurer


                                                     SAFECO Common Stock Trust


                                                By       /s/ Ronald L. Spaulding
                                                   -----------------------------
                                                  Ronald L. Spaulding, Treasurer


                                                 SAFECO Asset Management Company



                                            By       /s/David H.Longhurst
                                                   -----------------------------
                                                   David H. Longhurst, Secretary



<PAGE>



                                    EXHIBIT A



Agreement for filing Schedule 13-G.

Pursuant to the requirements of Regulation 13d-1(d), SAFECO Corporation,  SAFECO
Asset Management Company, and SAFECO Common Stock Trust each agree that Schedule
13-G filed by them with regard to Rent-A-Center  Inc.'s common stock is filed on
behalf of each of them.


Date: September 7, 2000                              SAFECO Corporation



                                                     By  /s/ Ronald L. Spaulding
                                                   -----------------------------
                                                  Ronald L. Spaulding, Treasurer


                                                     SAFECO Common Stock Trust


                                                By       /s/ Ronald L. Spaulding
                                                   -----------------------------
                                                  Ronald L. Spaulding, Treasurer


                                                 SAFECO Asset Management Company



                                            By       /s/David H.Longhurst
                                                   -----------------------------
                                                   David H. Longhurst, Secretary



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