Please do not comment directly to this post unless you are Gen X or older (born 1980 or before). See this post, the rules, and the sidebar for details. Thank you for your submission, normankrasnerkc.
Yes, back in the mid 90s I was going to buy one of those huge floor model projection TVs, but didn’t know exactly what size I wanted, so I rented the size I thought I wanted for a month to make sure I liked it before purchasing one.
For my first apartment, we bought a sectional couch using Rent a Center. We paid it off, no big deal, but we almost never used the couch so it was kind of dumb. And the couch was ugly as hell but we were 17 and 19, we didn’t know any better.
I haven’t. I’ve been fortunate to have what I need and am practical to wait on what I want if need be. Those types of places charge more because they cater to people with low credit scores. One pays more for something then if they’d just saved to make a purchase elsewhere. I do know some who have worked for those companies/stores but that would be for another post.
No, and I never would. I had friends that had a computer and electronic repair shop in the 80’s. Stuff would come in from the rental places and they would meet them in the alley behind the shop with power screw drivers and multiple cans of Raid. I went out to see what was going on. One would unscrew the back or open whatever it was and the other would stand there with the raid and they would start spraying the hoards of roaches that came streaming out. It was like a horror movie. I would never, ever, get something from a rent it center, EVER.
We did it when we were young, poor and not enough credit, and our fridge broke. But we paid it off quickly and it didn’t really cost us much more than financing one through a regular store.
We also rented a couch and beds when we moved and our furniture wasn’t coming for a month. The place near us had a deal with Ashley furniture that you could basically get any new furniture from Ashley and rent it through them so that’s what we did.
nope. only idiots pay three times what something is worth , although, i did stop at one, once, we were having 40 people for thanksgiving and needed another stove to get everything cooked…. i stopped and asked about short term rental…NOPE, rent to own… walked out, went to a scratch and dent place, got a top of the line six burner, convection oven for 500 bucks. we put the clothes dryer ( laundry room off the kitchen) on the patio and hooked up the old stove there… after the holiday, we found out that my neighbors stove had shit the bed, so we gave her the old one ( which was only 8yo).
My parents were pretty savvy about loans and consumer credit.
They paid cash for their cars and never had any credit card debt.
They weren’t cheap but just didn’t believe in credit or discretionary consumer stuff.
We didn’t have a color television for years – probably until the 1970’s.
Ironically my father was a very early purchaser of a television set in the early 1950’s when they were the equivalent of $5000 or $6000 based on the average wage for that period.
Never used a rent own store. They always seemed exorbitantly expensive and pointless.
Never rented a TV for a Super Bowl party. However, during college, I rented a laser disc player occasionally to watch digitally mastered movies with surround sound. I had a really great stereo and a laughable 19” crt tv.
I did use RAC one time about 25 years ago. Getting married and had the reception at our house, which was a large old victorian that had been turned into three apartments over three floors. Nobody was living in the two top floors, so we rented a bunch of furniture for my out of town family to occupy, and also dedicated one of the living rooms to tv-based video games for any kids during the reception. It worked out great. RAC delivered and picked up all of the furniture. Well worth the money for one weekend of use.
So no, but I had a friend that did. He was sent to Georgia to work for 8 months. He didn’t want to ship all his crap for 8 months, so he rented what he needed during that time. It was a lifesaver for him.
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Nope.
Yes, back in the mid 90s I was going to buy one of those huge floor model projection TVs, but didn’t know exactly what size I wanted, so I rented the size I thought I wanted for a month to make sure I liked it before purchasing one.
For my first apartment, we bought a sectional couch using Rent a Center. We paid it off, no big deal, but we almost never used the couch so it was kind of dumb. And the couch was ugly as hell but we were 17 and 19, we didn’t know any better.
No. I always saved to buy things rather than renting or buying on credit. That’s what my parents did too. The only debt I ever had was a mortgage.
Lord no, those places were horrible rip-offs.
When I was young and poor I did for a washer and dryer.
I haven’t. I’ve been fortunate to have what I need and am practical to wait on what I want if need be. Those types of places charge more because they cater to people with low credit scores. One pays more for something then if they’d just saved to make a purchase elsewhere. I do know some who have worked for those companies/stores but that would be for another post.
No, and I never would. I had friends that had a computer and electronic repair shop in the 80’s. Stuff would come in from the rental places and they would meet them in the alley behind the shop with power screw drivers and multiple cans of Raid. I went out to see what was going on. One would unscrew the back or open whatever it was and the other would stand there with the raid and they would start spraying the hoards of roaches that came streaming out. It was like a horror movie. I would never, ever, get something from a rent it center, EVER.
We did it when we were young, poor and not enough credit, and our fridge broke. But we paid it off quickly and it didn’t really cost us much more than financing one through a regular store.
We also rented a couch and beds when we moved and our furniture wasn’t coming for a month. The place near us had a deal with Ashley furniture that you could basically get any new furniture from Ashley and rent it through them so that’s what we did.
Ghetto
You say this like they and other brands aren’t still preying on the young and under-capitalized.
Yes, I did. Stay away from that shit if at all possible, it’s like theft.
Ours used to rent car tires, like how does that even work
nope. only idiots pay three times what something is worth , although, i did stop at one, once, we were having 40 people for thanksgiving and needed another stove to get everything cooked…. i stopped and asked about short term rental…NOPE, rent to own… walked out, went to a scratch and dent place, got a top of the line six burner, convection oven for 500 bucks. we put the clothes dryer ( laundry room off the kitchen) on the patio and hooked up the old stove there… after the holiday, we found out that my neighbors stove had shit the bed, so we gave her the old one ( which was only 8yo).
Nope. Obvious rip off. Like religion.
No.
Never
My parents were pretty savvy about loans and consumer credit.
They paid cash for their cars and never had any credit card debt.
They weren’t cheap but just didn’t believe in credit or discretionary consumer stuff.
We didn’t have a color television for years – probably until the 1970’s.
Ironically my father was a very early purchaser of a television set in the early 1950’s when they were the equivalent of $5000 or $6000 based on the average wage for that period.
Nope
I avoid places whose business is to fuck me.
I know someone who paid $1000 total for a PlayStation 3 from rent a center.
They are stupid in case it wasn’t obvious
I could… or I could just light a pile of money on fire.
No
Never used a rent own store. They always seemed exorbitantly expensive and pointless.
Never rented a TV for a Super Bowl party. However, during college, I rented a laser disc player occasionally to watch digitally mastered movies with surround sound. I had a really great stereo and a laughable 19” crt tv.
No, I never did.
No.
Worse idea, ever.
Never! I grew up poor, not stupid.
Stay away
They take advantage of people
You are paying 5x the real value
I did use RAC one time about 25 years ago. Getting married and had the reception at our house, which was a large old victorian that had been turned into three apartments over three floors. Nobody was living in the two top floors, so we rented a bunch of furniture for my out of town family to occupy, and also dedicated one of the living rooms to tv-based video games for any kids during the reception. It worked out great. RAC delivered and picked up all of the furniture. Well worth the money for one weekend of use.
So no, but I had a friend that did. He was sent to Georgia to work for 8 months. He didn’t want to ship all his crap for 8 months, so he rented what he needed during that time. It was a lifesaver for him.
Way back in the late 1980s we needed to rent a refrigerator because ours died. Once we moved, that was solved.
Scams, I didn’t even bother