Rent-A-Center
RIPOFF Refuses Refunds

I owned a nice laptop that I basically wore out. I wanted to buy another. A good friend told me about RAC and that they had several brands of newer, top of the line laptops that students rent for a few weeks at a time, for writing reports, thesis, etc. They rent for a couple of weeks and then they return the rented laptop. She thought that maybe I could get a good deal on a used, up-to-date model. I thought it bore looking into...

I went in to my local RAC to check out what they had to offer. They had three different ones, all had been previously used (I specifically requested "used"). I was also offered two weeks of free rental if I would pay for two weeks of the rental charge up-front. I was told if I wanted, I could also exchange each laptop out for another to try, if I wanted, upon return of the current rented laptop. And if I decided I wanted to return it, whatever portion I didn't use would be refunded in full. So far so good...

I was COMPLETELY open and honest with the sales-rep.in that I wanted to try it out, but was not sure if I wanted to go into a long-term contract by purchasing with them. It was purely, as far as I knew, "a short-term" rental. That I was "on the fence" as a new customer".

The guy was totally cool and responded with, "that's great! So if you decide to return it and only have it for the two weeks of free rental period, you'll get a full refund of the two weeks you paid, and you'll have gotten to try it for free!" So I paid almost $100.00 up-front, IN CASH, for the "pay two weeks and get get two weeks free" option. This would, in essence, give me a full 4 week rental of the laptop; two weeks free, two weeks paid in full.

I used it and loved it! My husband and I were not familiar with 'the rent-to-own' theory, so we looked carefully at the dollar figures. When my husband and I did the math, however, based on the contract terms, I would have ended up paying over $3,000.00 for a laptop that would cost me, brand new, only $1,200.00

I made, of course, the choice to buy the laptop from an electronic retailer, from whom I received a great sale-markdown, and on top of that, a large rebate which dropped the price down to $800 something.

I returned the rented laptop, within the two-week-free rental period; with receipt in-hand, and the contract. I was anticipating a refund of $97.00.

Upon presentation I was told "we don't give cash refunds". Also that "The refund will be for store-credit, only".

They were keeping my $97.00 cash!!!

What kind of a "high-end" merchandiser does that kind of thing???

It's futile to go into how upset I was and am!

We journeyed through a year of my placing phone calls with no production of the refund. They were rude on the phone, and condecending. I have never been treated that way by any business, that they basically anticipated or expected me to spend more money, in order to get my money back; I had to go about figuring out how to get my money WITHOUT spending more money.

The end of the story goes like this: after calling them several times throughout the course of a year, demanding a lawful return of my money to absolutely no avail, my husband and I finally went into RAC. We didn't NEED or WANT anything, and specifically, we didn't need or want anything RAC had. But we knew we had almost a hundred dollars on "the books" and we were being forced to buy something or leave it behind. We decided we could maybe buy one new bedroom-lamp. They refused to sell a "single" lamp, that they only come in matching pairs. The pairs were all DRASTICALLY over priced with what I would call "new" merchandise pricing. They were very expensive pairs and would have forced me into feeding more of our hard-earned money into their food-chain.

My husband, thinking logically, requested to see lamps that were "previously owned". I was flabbergasted! Over half of the sets ALREADY on the show-room floor were used, but not one tag revealed that to the average customer! And the sets all had "new" pricing! My husband started negotiating the price of one previously-owned set, with the sales-rep. Because he couldn't give us the price we wanted, he pulled in the manager, and we all agreed to $97.00 for the pair, cash-out, take-'em home, done-deal. They, of course, did not realize that we were purchasing off our so called "store-credit". The manager was NOT HAPPY when it was brought to his attention, as this "cash-out" purchase coupled with "store credit" required his approval for the sale! He seemed to have gotten a little "frosted-up" and became VERY cold, even turned and went into his office and shut the door without so much as a "wave". Tough luck, eh big-guy??? LOL

Chances are, when you go into any RAC store, anywhere, you are already looking at previously used merchandise, but with a "new" price tag. Establish with the sales-rep that you specifically want previously owned. You'll be amazed at how much stuff they have on their show-room floor that is previously used and they are selling as new!

Suffice it to say that they lost a good customer with a solid credit rating and history!

I WILL NEVER, EVER AGAIN, GO INTO THAT ESTABLISHMENT, AND IF I HEAR THAT SOMEONE I KNOW IS CONSIDERING IT, THEN I ENLIGHTEN THEM! It always results in another individual being spared the Rent A Center AMBUSH and sorry, sour, business practices they have to offer!

Also of course, resulting in "lost revenue" for Rent-A-Center. Sooner or later, as you, RAC, are inclined to keep up the customer clientele of the desperate, naive (like me) and criminal, your doors are destined to close! You are, after all... Your reputation... And I think yours is being served rightfully, given this forum!

Gina
Roseburg, Oregon
U.S.A.

Company: Rent-A-Center
Country: USA
State: Oregon
City: Roseburg
Address: 161 NE Garden Valley Blvd
Phone: 414305335

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