Complaint Review: Rent A Center - Lancaster Pennsylvania

Regardless of what WonderSteve says, anyone reading this should check their state laws regarding third party disclosure. Without digging into PA's state laws (I'm too lazy), I can tell you that in most states it is not only personal information that is prohibited from being revealed to a 3rd party, but also specific info about the debt, such as the amount. RTO collection guys are hilarious. To hear them talk and watch them, you would think they always wanted to be someone with some sort of authority, but could never quite cut it. I always think of hall monitors in grade school that took their job too seriously. I laugh until my head comes off, really. Maybe we should tone down the condescension? As consumers in this crazy world, we can help each other without so obviously trying to boost our own egos.

Where in the world did you ever get the idea that I am in the RTO business? For the record, I AM NOT working anywhere in this industry. Before making comments based on assumption, you should get your facts straight! I worked in this industry for less than 1 year in 1994-95. I saw enough of how this industry works and QUIT. It is a truly scummy business that exploits uneducated and/or financially desperate people. There is absolutely no benefit in the long term use of a RTO company. You will pay at least 5 times the value of a product under RTO plans. RTO is a bad deal. That is a fact.

You can still file a private criminal complaint against them. Seems to me you would have a good case for harassment and you have winesses to boot. Don't bother calling their corporate it will lead you nowhere. filing a private criminal complaint in pa does not cost you a penny and if the da accepts your case then his office will prosecute!!!!! I'm sure your local paper would love a case like yours. Remember this company does most of its business through word of mouth!!!!!!!!

Ellen, I am sorry that you have chosen not to do business with RAC. I do agree that generalization of people's status has no business here. I can tell you that RAC is a great company that serves many customers on a daily basis in a professional manner. I realize exceptions do exist unfortunately, but RAC does have a customer care line that is commited to resolving issues. I have been in the RTO business for 21 years and worked for 3 different companies. RAC is truly the best managed, customer oriented company of them all. When I read some of these stories of how RAC is a "ripoff", I think of the many consumers caught hopelessly up in credit card debt. Consider this: You can return at any time, no obligation to keep it past your due date. You can come back any time and resume from where you left off on a similiar product (try that in retail). Service is gauranteed the entire time of rental and is included in the rental rate. Try calling Wal-Mart on Saturday afternoon when your TV goes out and see how fast a WM truck shows up! Wal-Mart is a great place to shop also by the way. When compared to credit cards consider this: How many consumers have HAD to claim bankruptcy because they rented a TV from RAC? The credit card companies would not want to answer that one. RAC is commited to customer's owning the product they rent. Logically, what advantage would it be to have to keep refurbishing, servicing and redelivering used merchandise over and over instead of just getting and renting new? NONE. I understand that you just needed the items for a short period of time, and that is welcomed too. Sometimes short-term renting customers have an opportunity to try out an item they have never had and determine the features they like or do not like by renting with no future obligation to buy. By doing so, some of them end up buying and become more knowledgeable in their purchase because they short-term rented to begin with! I hope you consider my side of the debate and I invite you to visit a RAC near you even if you do not wish to rent. Have a great day!

Ellen, I am sorry that you have chosen not to do business with RAC. I do agree that generalization of people's status has no business here. I can tell you that RAC is a great company that serves many customers on a daily basis in a professional manner. I realize exceptions do exist unfortunately, but RAC does have a customer care line that is commited to resolving issues. I have been in the RTO business for 21 years and worked for 3 different companies. RAC is truly the best managed, customer oriented company of them all. When I read some of these stories of how RAC is a "ripoff", I think of the many consumers caught hopelessly up in credit card debt. Consider this: You can return at any time, no obligation to keep it past your due date. You can come back any time and resume from where you left off on a similiar product (try that in retail). Service is gauranteed the entire time of rental and is included in the rental rate. Try calling Wal-Mart on Saturday afternoon when your TV goes out and see how fast a WM truck shows up! Wal-Mart is a great place to shop also by the way. When compared to credit cards consider this: How many consumers have HAD to claim bankruptcy because they rented a TV from RAC? The credit card companies would not want to answer that one. RAC is commited to customer's owning the product they rent. Logically, what advantage would it be to have to keep refurbishing, servicing and redelivering used merchandise over and over instead of just getting and renting new? NONE. I understand that you just needed the items for a short period of time, and that is welcomed too. Sometimes short-term renting customers have an opportunity to try out an item they have never had and determine the features they like or do not like by renting with no future obligation to buy. By doing so, some of them end up buying and become more knowledgeable in their purchase because they short-term rented to begin with! I hope you consider my side of the debate and I invite you to visit a RAC near you even if you do not wish to rent. Have a great day!

Ellen, I am sorry that you have chosen not to do business with RAC. I do agree that generalization of people's status has no business here. I can tell you that RAC is a great company that serves many customers on a daily basis in a professional manner. I realize exceptions do exist unfortunately, but RAC does have a customer care line that is commited to resolving issues. I have been in the RTO business for 21 years and worked for 3 different companies. RAC is truly the best managed, customer oriented company of them all. When I read some of these stories of how RAC is a "ripoff", I think of the many consumers caught hopelessly up in credit card debt. Consider this: You can return at any time, no obligation to keep it past your due date. You can come back any time and resume from where you left off on a similiar product (try that in retail). Service is gauranteed the entire time of rental and is included in the rental rate. Try calling Wal-Mart on Saturday afternoon when your TV goes out and see how fast a WM truck shows up! Wal-Mart is a great place to shop also by the way. When compared to credit cards consider this: How many consumers have HAD to claim bankruptcy because they rented a TV from RAC? The credit card companies would not want to answer that one. RAC is commited to customer's owning the product they rent. Logically, what advantage would it be to have to keep refurbishing, servicing and redelivering used merchandise over and over instead of just getting and renting new? NONE. I understand that you just needed the items for a short period of time, and that is welcomed too. Sometimes short-term renting customers have an opportunity to try out an item they have never had and determine the features they like or do not like by renting with no future obligation to buy. By doing so, some of them end up buying and become more knowledgeable in their purchase because they short-term rented to begin with! I hope you consider my side of the debate and I invite you to visit a RAC near you even if you do not wish to rent. Have a great day!

Ellen, I am sorry that you have chosen not to do business with RAC. I do agree that generalization of people's status has no business here. I can tell you that RAC is a great company that serves many customers on a daily basis in a professional manner. I realize exceptions do exist unfortunately, but RAC does have a customer care line that is commited to resolving issues. I have been in the RTO business for 21 years and worked for 3 different companies. RAC is truly the best managed, customer oriented company of them all. When I read some of these stories of how RAC is a "ripoff", I think of the many consumers caught hopelessly up in credit card debt. Consider this: You can return at any time, no obligation to keep it past your due date. You can come back any time and resume from where you left off on a similiar product (try that in retail). Service is gauranteed the entire time of rental and is included in the rental rate. Try calling Wal-Mart on Saturday afternoon when your TV goes out and see how fast a WM truck shows up! Wal-Mart is a great place to shop also by the way. When compared to credit cards consider this: How many consumers have HAD to claim bankruptcy because they rented a TV from RAC? The credit card companies would not want to answer that one. RAC is commited to customer's owning the product they rent. Logically, what advantage would it be to have to keep refurbishing, servicing and redelivering used merchandise over and over instead of just getting and renting new? NONE. I understand that you just needed the items for a short period of time, and that is welcomed too. Sometimes short-term renting customers have an opportunity to try out an item they have never had and determine the features they like or do not like by renting with no future obligation to buy. By doing so, some of them end up buying and become more knowledgeable in their purchase because they short-term rented to begin with! I hope you consider my side of the debate and I invite you to visit a RAC near you even if you do not wish to rent. Have a great day!

Now you have all seen not only in person, but on ripoffreport.com itself why not to deal with rentacenter. I have had a previous experience with rentacenter a couple years ago and I ended up returning the merchandise after paying $900 to them because of how rude there workers and managers alike were. Granted I still have the $900 credit but would never even consider renting anything after dealing with rentacenter. Now you see why people cannot deal with rentacenter, all you have to do is read ripoffreports comments and you should be completely satisfied not to deal with them. How dare you steve treat people that way not only in your own store, but on here as well. You should be ashamed of yourself and don't forget people like you normally get whats coming to them. You might consider that before you talk to someone as if they are beneath you. This is coming from someone who owns their own business.

This comment by an employee in the rental business really struck me: "The way they do business may be harsh, but keep in mind the average RAC customer is less than desireable as a credit risk." Steve - Bradenton, Florida U.S.A. Steve - I am a professional woman who was planning on renting a washer and dryer for 6 months until I transition back to Chicago. I am working a contract in another city and do not want to buy a set and have to haul it back. I do not have bad credit but found this a convenient way to rent a washer/dryer for a temporary amount of time. After reading the nightmares the customers have experienced about Rent A Center and the condescending, insulting comments by those in the industry, I have abandoned any desire to become a customer. Be careful what you post in response to people who complain about bad business practices. Bad news travels faster than good news. I will be sure to pass this on to anyone who considers a temporary rental with this company. There are so many bad comments about this business that it scares me I even considered this idea. I really resent businesses that insult customers and potential customers. What right do you have to generalize about people who pay your salary? Too bad businesses such as this are even allowed to operate. People like myself who might have been good customers don't need to read insults about their supposed status in the world before they even write the check. Thanks for the warning, Steve. My advice to you would be to become a collection agent. Your nastiness towards people would be better suited there.

As for John's comment (from Florida), I do have to agree to a certain point. There are certain situations that may come about where it would be beneficial on the rent to own scene. What if your appliance breaks down on you, and you don't have the available finances &/or credit to fix or replace the unit (such as a refrigerator, washer/dryer, stove, etc..)? Where anyone can benefit from Rent-A-Center is that you only need a minimum amount down (usually 1 week minimum) & no credit check takes place to have the appliance delivered to you at no charge. As for Melinda's last comment, I agree with you that the employee's should NOT be looking in other neighbor's windows & property. This is not a normal procedure that RAC practices. I have gone & talk to neighbor's before in my area to see if maybe the customer had moved from their location or if they know how to get in touch with the customer (especially if the neighbor approched me first), but I NEVER discuss with the neighbors the status of the customer's account nor do I give them the reason why I'm there. I only say to them that it is important that we get in touch with our customer & may leave a message with them stating such that.

Renting from any of these places is a bad deal. If you can't save and pay cash you don't need it. Nobody will get ahead renting or financing crap. It has always been my theory that you don't finance or rent anything that will not make a profit. That philosophy has served me well.

Dale thank you for you comments. To bad you were not the manager here in Lancaster. I had plenty of communication with the store except for the weekend when at the hospital. I can understand checking with neighbors trying to find someone. But dont understand how looking in the windows of my neighbors housses helps get a dvd vcr recorder i rented back. The employess finally left the premises when the one neighbor told them they had to the count of three to leave before she finshed dialing the police for trespassing on her property. I think that is my biggest complaint how their manager found that to be correct business and the same with the other guy who responded. How can people feel it is ok to trespass and snoop in windows of non customers. I totally understand the being late wanting stuff returned no problem but how does everyone keep coming up with excuses for doing this to non customers. It is almost like the employess at some of the rent a centers are brainwashed with this idea it doesnt matter what law you break just do what you want. It is very scary. I just warn anyway thinking of renting beware of what you are doing.......Because the law does not matter with the rent a centers around here.

Hello, I thought I'd add in my comment to everything I had read about this situation. Yes, I am currently an Account Manager with a Rent-A-Center in North Carolina. I deal in collections every day with past due accounts. MOST of the procedure that you had described is very well legit to collection procedures. Any time an account is 1 day past due, it can be ellgible to be picked up, especially if your first payment (after the inital payment) has not been paid which results in a first payment default. I'm not sure if that was your situation with your account, & I don't need to know that anyway. 7 days past due starts getting the account into serious default, but 15 days past due they look at the customer as trying to keep (or steal) the merchandise. After 15 days, Rent A Center starts looking at filing the merchandise as stolen with the local courts. You can look at your local store as doing you a favor that they didn't go to that extreme yet. I know as an Account Manager myself, if we run into an account where the customer keeps in touch with the store & not only tries to work something out, but "keeps their commitments", the collection procedures go very smooth & everyone is happy. However, when the managers are trying to reach you, & you make it where you do not have any communications with them, then they have to go to other extreams to retreive the merchandise back. This includes up to but not limited to contacting references, neighbors, employment, landlords, etc.. to figure out where you are hiding at. The main key is communication. Yes, you may have had an emergency that dealt with family members in the hospital, but sometime from the due date to day # 15, you could've took a few minutes out to pick up the phone & call the store. Rent A Center has a lifetime reinstatement. Had you turned in your merchandise without it being late &/or without a struggle on the RAC staff trying to find you, I promise you they would not have a problem re-renting to you & starting you at where you had left off on your payments on the same item. As of the different price changes, I can't give you an exact answer on why, but my assumption is if your 90 days same as cash was close to expiring, then the payout price does change dramatically. There is still an early purchase option you can pay that would avoide the full term price, but it is more then the 90 days same as cash price. As of the high markup comparing to Walmart, Walmart is in a different business then RAC is. Walmart requires you to pay the marked price on the item before you can take it out of the store, RAC lets you take the merchandise home with a minimum of a 1 week payment down & no credit check.

First, PLEASE, Turn off the CAP's. It is very rude and hard to read. FYI.."Prepaid" credit cards are less safe than your regular bank credit card. The previous manager was most likely violating proceedure in taking credit card payments by phone without written authorization. This may explain why he is no longer there. If the payment date was the main issue, you have a contract to back up your side, right? A simple fix. No need for drama. Don't like the way they do business? Terminate your relationship. Again, a very easy solution. No drama needed. What does being in and out of the hospital got to do with anything? Is that RAC's fault? NO! A due date is a due date. AND, this is even more reason to do automatic payments! Just common sense here. You can't always have everything your way, and you were free to terminate the business relationship at any time. I still don't see the Rip Off here other than dealing with them in the first place, but again, that was your choice, nobody forced you to go to RAC.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESPONCES. IN ANSWER TO THE OLD RAC EMPLOYEE ACCORDING TO MY CONTRACT 90 DAYS IS FEB. 11. THEY ARE THE ONES THAT WERE IN THE WRONG LYING TO ME AND STATING IT WAS IN 20 MINUTES. YES I DID CONSIDER RETURNING THE ITEM AND GETTING IT ELSEWHERE BUT WITH WHAT I HAD ALREADY PAID ON IT IT WAS CHEAPER FOR ME TO PAY IT OFF. I DONT KNOW HOW OTHER RAC WORK BUT FOR 8 OF MY PAYMENTS I WAS ABLE TO CALL IN GIVE MY CREDIT CARD AND BE DONE WITH IT. HOWEVER WHEN THE NEW GUY CAME IN HE INSISTED ON HAVING A SIGNED RELEASE. I DONT GIVE ANYONE A SIGNED RELEASE TO DO WHAT THEY WANT WITH MY CREDIT CARD. THAT IS JUST PUTTING TO MUCH TRUST IN A STRANGER PLUS I USE PRE PAID CARDS SO IT WAS A DIFFERENT ONE EACH TIME. I WOULD NEVER GIVE OVER THE PHONE TO ANYONE MY CREDIT CARD TO MY CHECKING ACCOUNT. HENCE THE PREPAID CARDS. IT IS CALLED BE SMART AND SAFE. MY MAIN REASON FOR THIS REPORT IS BECAUSE I DONT THNK THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE MAKING OBCESSIVE NOISE OUTSIDE SOMESONE HOUSE WHEN THEY ARE NOT HOME NOR DO THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE LOOKING IN WINDOWS ESPECIALLY ONES THEY DONT BELONG TO MY APT. THEY MADE THAT MUCH OF A RUCKIS THAT THE KIDS ARE AFRAID TO GO OUTSIDE BECAUSE THE CRAZY MAN AND SCARY MAN MIGHT COME BACK. OH AND FOR THE RECORD I WAS ABLE TO AFFORD IT BUT I AAPOLOGIZE IF IT IS WRONG THAT I HAVE BEEN IN AND OUT OF THE HOSPITAL OVER THE LAST MONTH. OH AND I DID CALL THEM TO TRY MAKING PAYMENTS BUT THEY WANTED TO MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE THEY OBVIOUSLY ENJOY HARASSING PEOPLE AND FROM OTHER REPORTS I HAVE READ THAT IS ALL THEY DO.

A lot of people stay in bad rent-to-own deals because they obsess over the sunk cost, the money they've already paid. They think it will be completely wasted if they return the item. Actually, it is gone regardless of what they do next. Think of the future, not the past. The question is: right now, could you buy out the item for less (either a lump sum, or the sum of the REMAINING payments) than it will cost to buy another one somewhere else? If so, then keeping the unit is your best deal. If not, you are better off returning it before you give any more money to the company.

I worked in the Rent to own industry, and at that time no one did phone payments. That is the reason for the authorization form. To charge your cc on the due date for the amount due. NOT for any amount they like. 90 days same as cash means 90 calendar days at close of business. Not 91. And as far as them tlking to your neigbors, it may be unethical and rude, and unprofessional, but NOT illegal. The only info that would be illegal for them to disclose to any third party would be that info that is on your application that is privacy act protected. This would be your SS#,DOB,Tel#'s and address, home and/or employment. The way they do business may be harsh, but keep in mind the average RAC customer is less than desireable as a credit risk.

In response to the comments I recieved. It was late because they had gotten a new store manager who refused to take credit card payments over the phone anymore unless you signed a piece of paper stating they can charge your account when ever they wanted to. 2nd I had planned on paying if off within my 90 days which was in my contract as Feb. 11. I am in the wrong because I took my son to the hospital the day I said I would be in to make the payment. Sorry but they were not first on my list to call to let them know my son was going in the hospital. When I did get a hold of them claimed my 90 days ended in 20 minutes. My husband pulled the money out of the bank and went and paid it off. I considered returning it by why would I when I already paid 100 dollars on the product. Yes I could have gone to walmart to buy the same one but the difference in price was only 30 dollar but when I was there walmart did not have any of the one i wanted in stock. The only place that had it in stock was rent a center. My mistake was believing their contract 90 days same as cash. And Them getting a new manager who does not except phone payments.

I would suggest to return the item. The rental place is trying to get the property back because you paid late. If you want to have them stop trying to repo the merchandise, just return it and consider it a lesson learned

Melinda, Do you know that you can get a very good dvd/vcr combo at WALMART for LESS THAN $200? Being "ONLY 15 DAYS LATE" as you stated makes it obvious that you cannot afford this item. So why don't you just return it and close your account with them? This is the easy and sensible way to go. You are in violation of your contract with them, so how is this a rip off on thier part? Did you not get a copy of the contract you signed with them stating the due date and amount due, and total payments? Dealing with ANY "Rent to Own" store long term is a bad deal. Even short term is bad enough. But NEVER use them as a way to buy something. With the info you provided, you are paying THOUSANDS of dollars for something you could buy at WALMART for under $200! Unbelievable.