Aaron's Rents
Daily Calls Demanding Payment During My Mother's Funeral Week

On Friday, September 28th, I received a phone call from my little sister saying it did not look as though my mother was going to live through the night. She had been battling cancer as well as COPD for years. As I was making arrangements to get back to Iowa, I received a phone call from the Aarons manager, Owen. My bills are paid by my company's accounting department, so I told Owen I would have to check to see what had occurred and why they had not gotten their funds, and that I would have them call the store and correct it. I contacted my business partner and asked him to look into it. He told me he would do so as he drove me to the airport Saturday morning. As far as I was concerned, the situation was resolved. My business partner contacted them Saturday. Since the check that was sent the Monday prior had not made it, he agreed to FedEx a check on Monday, October 1, 2007.

My mother passed away at 5 am Sunday morning, and I spent the day contacting family, the hospice social worker and the funeral home.

On Monday we were getting ready to go to the funeral home to make final arrangements for my mother's cremation, and Aaron's called. I said I was on the way to the funeral home because my mother had passed away and that I did not have time to speak with them, but that I would be more than happy to call them later that day or later that week to deal with this. At that point the credit manager, Julian (I recall his name to be), said, and I quote: "I do not care that your mother died, I want our money or product." As you can imagine, this did not sit well with me. I said, "I do not believe that you are so uncaring and unfeeling that you actually want to intrude upon my family's grief. I will call you back when I do, now do not call me again." I hung up the phone and hobbled out to the car. I hobbled because I am nursing a broken ankle as well.

They called back about five minutes later and started in again. I was in the car with my sister and my niece, and I told them, as I had before, that I would call them back since I was on the way to the funeral home. They once again said they did not care that my mom was dead and wanted their money or product. At that point I used some language that I do not normally use and that was rather colorful. I told them in no uncertain terms what they could do with their demand and again advised them not to call me back.

I called my business partner and explained this, and he said he would take care of it. I was to tell Aaron's, if they called back, that they were to speak to my legal representation only.

My mother's service was on Tuesday, October 2, 2007. They contacted me that day and said I was to make arrangements for someone to be at my apartment to pick up the items, since they were tired of dealing with me. I told them, in equally blunt terms, to drop their request, and that I would not speak with them further. I was trying to get to my mother's funeral service, and they once again said they did not care and wanted their product.

This harassment and these Gestapo-type tactics continued from this company for the entire week. They even added a new angle, saying I was not really in Iowa and that because I was trying to steal their product, I did not answer the door when they came knocking. I actually laughed at this and said not only could I prove I was in Iowa, but I gave them the URL of my mother's obituary. I told them one final time that I would not speak with them again and that any further communication would be through my legal representative. I called my business partner to tell him, and he said not to worry.

I find their conduct totally without merit as well as unethical.

Company: Aaron's Rents
Country: USA
State: New York
City: New Rochelle
Address: 34 Weyman Avenue
Phone: 9145769700

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