This complaint is against the company in general, but also against the attitude of most Aaron's managers. Let me start off by saying, I'm a former employee of Aaron's, and I've seen the thuggish behavior exhibited by many managers and at least one District Manager. The schizophrenic way they handle customers is at times a bit jarring. The manager can act as your best friend until you're even a day late on a payment.
I personally have never been late on any contract at Aaron's, so this isn't personal experience from the customer side of the phone; this is experience watching managers on the Aaron's end of the phone or doorbell. I was a Product Technician, so I had to along on a few collections, and I can tell you they are some of the rudest and most obstinate people that knock on those doors.
After breaking my leg at work, I stopped working for Aaron's last year. This year, in a different town from where I worked, my wife and I decided to get a new couch, since the current one, bought from Aaron's 19 months ago, was falling apart. I was getting a small amount of money coming in from the settlement, so we decided to get a sectional from Aaron's (literally because every other furniture store that we could afford was closed that day), and because I knew we would be able to pay it off with the settlement checks, I asked the payoff amount.
They told me the incorrect amount, or the correct amount minus the $150 in tax, and I have paid $950 in the last three weeks for the couch. When I asked for an updated payoff amount, THIS time they gave the correct amount after tax, and it was more than I thought, so I asked why the difference in price. The manager was very rude. I complained, and the district manager called me back and apologized, so I was at least satisfied that they appreciated my business.
This time when I went in, I asked about switching couches, because my wife and I weren't as happy with the sectional as we thought we'd be. Even though I've paid an additional $820 beyond my first month's rent, which we're still on by the way, they told me if I returned the couch and got something else, I'd forfeit the $820 that I've paid over. As a former employee, I've seen managers do a transfer for an upgrade. Evidently, if they'll get more money they don't mind breaking what they claim policy is, but if they get less, they'll steal it out from under you and say you should have looked at the contract better.
So I looked at muy contract, and in the small, and I do mean SMALL, print, in legalese it says you do indeed forfeit the money. The thing is, in looking at my contract, which is a LEASE agreement, it is a six month contract for LEASE with an option to buy, for $235 less than I've already paid. According to them, even though I paid OVER the contract amount, I would STILL love even that additional $235 (or thereabouts). So, in other words, if at the end of the six month contract I decide NOT to renew, and let them take the couch, I would still LOSE that additional money!
So, let's review:
1) Rude General Manager
2) Wrong payoff amount when asked for originally.
3) In the name of "company policy" they threaten to keep additional money I was paying towards the couch.
Now, in order to not lose over $800 I've already paid in addition to the monthly fee, I HAVE to pay off the couch, even though I no longer want it. Since it's a company policy, there's going to be no relief in this. The only way to get any kind of change is to have it come from the top, but at the customer call center, all they can do is direct you down, to the regional level.
Aaron's Sales and Lease managers are a bunch of thugs who have no problem distorting the truth to get what they want, which is more money. This is a free enterprise economy, so I know that money is the driving force in most businesses, but Aaron's leans more towards usury than honesty. They keep information from you until you sign, and then they force you to keep to something they rush you into signing in the first place. "Read the Contract" is their only words they seem to say about complaints, and yet they rush you through after making you wait for an hour, making you happy they're rushing at all. That's pure manipulation.
I asked the right questions during the contract run-through, and they gave me incorrect answers (either by accident or design I'm not sure). I have a two year old I was keeping an eye on at the same time, so the least they could do was answer questions honestly when asked.instead, they want to lock you into a contract with misinformation, and when you're dissatisfied they say "Too bad!" and have a nice little laugh at customers who should have read through the nearly impossible to translate without a lawyer legalese. I have seen it from working there, and now see it as a customer. It's not just a few bad seeds here and there. You don't become a manager without learning to become a thug.
Jeremy
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
U.S.A.
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