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I just saw a Judge Judy clip on YouTube where a woman had gotten a PlayStation 3 from Rent-a-Center and because it went missing (she alleged her ex took it) she still had payments left and the TOTAL cost of the PS3, a 4-5 hundred dollar machine would be 2400 BUCKS!!!

I think that’s why I can’t see spending money to ‘rent’ something like that. I mean, these days, if I rent a house or even a car, the payments actually are similar or LESS than buying. Renting a TV or PS3 should not equal 2400 bucks to ‘own’ it. Ridiculous.

But then I looked at CORT furniture for a few potential residents when I worked in property management and I was ASTOUNDED at just how expensive it was. I didn’t see how anyone other than a very wealthy person or someone with a corporate account could swing it for more than a month or two. Sure, some of it was nice, I guess but there just seemed no sense in your average person renting it when they could buy admittedly inferior furniture for thousands less and keep it for as long as they desired.

...she still had payments left and the TOTAL cost of the PS3, a 4-5 hundred dollar machine would be 2400 BUCKS!!!

I think that’s why I can’t see spending money to ‘rent’ something like that....

Oh no, rent-to-own is a complete scam, and, for the most part, the only people who go for it are welfare recipients. The reason they go for it is that the payments are low (and, hey, it's free money) and there is NO credit check. Yes, NO credit check. The only thing the store required was 3 personal references, basically so we could hunt the person down if he stopped paying.

I pointed out the real price of a VCR that one lady was renting (about $350 when all was said and done, while a new VCR at the time was about $80), but she didn't care. I pointed out to her that if she took the same $30 that she would be paying per month for the next 12 months and put it in a jar for only 3 months, she could buy her VCR outright. She still didn't care. And yet, every other month I had to come to her house to collect the money or take the VCR back. Once she had me go the grocery store to cash her welfare check to make the payment. Another time, Child Protective Services was AT HER HOUSE, and she still begged me to wait a few more days until her welfare check arrived. Meanwhile, I was a starving college student and didn't even have a VCR.

That job was easily one of the biggest reasons that I am as conservative today as I am.