Teens and Rent-A-Center
By foxyfire33
@foxyfire33 (10005)
United States
March 12, 2008 10:31am CST
Last month my 17 year old stepson came home with a brand new XBox 360. When asked where he got it, he said it was a Valentine's Day present from his girlfriend. It seemed like a pretty expensive gift for a 17 year old to buy considering she doesn't have a real job and only works maybe 3 hours on weekends when she goes to his job with him. But I remembered he'd ask me how lay-away at Kmart works so we all just assumed that they had done that and had been paying it off over the 8-10 weeks lay-away allows.
Well yesterday I was on the phone with his mom and she asked if he still had the XBox and then told me that the girlfriend had gotten it from Rent-A-Center and was making $30 a month payments on it!
Now, I've never used Rent-A-Center but I've heard stories about people who have in the end paid thousands of dollars for small items like tv's and VCRs just because they went through places like that.
So now we have two teenagers who make $80 a week (on a good week) between them, making $30 a month payments on an XBox 360, trying to buy a second vehicle, and not trying too hard to not become parents.....Do teenagers brains just not function at all!
But my real point is...what is Rent-A-Center doing renting to teenagers without actual jobs?! I mean it seems like pretty crappy business practices to target teens with the offer of an XBox knowing that they'll pay the minimum payment for years or at the very least pay a good deal of money only to have to return it when they can't make payments anymore.
I guess that's how they make their money though...
Now, I've never used Rent-A-Center but I've heard stories about people who have in the end paid thousands of dollars for small items like tv's and VCRs just because they went through places like that.
So now we have two teenagers who make $80 a week (on a good week) between them, making $30 a month payments on an XBox 360, trying to buy a second vehicle, and not trying too hard to not become parents.....Do teenagers brains just not function at all!
But my real point is...what is Rent-A-Center doing renting to teenagers without actual jobs?! I mean it seems like pretty crappy business practices to target teens with the offer of an XBox knowing that they'll pay the minimum payment for years or at the very least pay a good deal of money only to have to return it when they can't make payments anymore. I guess that's how they make their money though...4 people like this
6 responses
@jaredlp (418)
• United States
12 Mar 08
Couple different things here.. Is she 18? If not one of them has a fake ID. Someone below 18 wouldn't be rented to. As far as job goes, they dont generally ask employeer how much is made, just varify person works there. As far as blameing business for ripping people off, yeah they do. BUT they are riping off adults. IF you have such a problem with this sit down with the young couple and explain the simple math behind paying off something and interest verse saveing up and buying. reality is this discussion should have been happening all there life. Both my mom and grandparents took every oppurtunity to show me difference. Though at 18 i still got in some credit card trouble, i was well aware of who's fault it was. Make them sit down and do the math on price they paid and interest verse saving 30 dollars a month and going to kmart or walmart to get it.
side note at 17/18 years old, senior in high school in ap classes i worked a full time job at mcdonalds, and kept my grades up. no reason they bring in 80 between the two.
2 people like this
@jaredlp (418)
• United States
12 Mar 08
I see where foxy says one of her parents signed for her, That has me wondering about this whole situation. Im confused on why he can only work 2 hours a day yet is a drop out. I am hoping even though he droped out he is working on his GED. Said you live in a rural area, honestly that didnt stop me nor any of the people i knew when i lived in southern missouri. did everything from helping out on neighbors farm to job at mcdonald's town was about 30 minutes away, but it was a paying job. Oh and I had to help with gas money to get to and from work, or get a friend to transport me, and they usually wasnt free.
2 people like this
@foxyfire33 (10005)
• United States
12 Mar 08
Well she doesn't have a car to get a job because he wrecked hers...it's rural area so walking to work isn't an option. He has a part time job but can't get more than 2 hours a day. He's trying to get a better paying job with more hours but that's not easy for a high school drop out.
1 person likes this
@ebsharer (5515)
• United States
12 Mar 08
[i]If they are both under 18 I don't see how they could have rented from rent - a - center. I think you have to be at least 18 due to there being a contract. If you wanted to you could make him take it back and probably get ALL his money back considering he can't legally sign a contract.
Yes you do spend almost twice the amount of what the actual item is because you are financing at a HIGH rate. If he does make a payment they take it back like a repossesion. [/i]
2 people like this
@foxyfire33 (10005)
• United States
12 Mar 08
I thought you'd have to be 18 too but maybe she had one of her parents officially sign for it for her...I don't know. I just think it's pretty stupid all around.
3 people like this
@ebsharer (5515)
• United States
13 Mar 08
Well if one of her parents signed for it then shame on them. Just be glad its on them and not you. I understand your not wanting your child to do stupid things yet but again that brings us back to rules. And as we have discussed before the rules that are in place are not followed. Good luck in all your future endovers. Its hard being a step mom I know I am one too.
How old was he when you came into his life?
1 person likes this
@Justme2007 (1848)
• United States
12 Mar 08
I don't know how they could have gotten a contract with a minor because no one can make a contract with a minor it is not legal in California and its to bad they didn't ask there parents to help them put it on lay-a-way for them it would have been cheaper for them to do that.
1 person likes this
@ladymoonstone143 (1507)
• United States
12 Mar 08
That is quite sad for businessess to do that especially from these rent a center thing. They will give low monthly payments but by the time you will calculate all that you have paid, it will result to you paying like 2 to 3 times more than what the actual item is for. One thing too is that, you don't know if the item you are getting was a repo and how many owners had it has.
A friend wanted to get a computer from one of these centers and I told her mother never to do that because she can just save for it and buy the item in cash. She wanted a laptop and from these rent a center, she will have to pay more or less over a $1,500. IF you get it in cash, you can have one for $500.
But then, there are many that thinks it is not that bad to pay a little amount each month. They are just thinking for the short-term and not on the longer term impact. And these businesses thrive on that mentality, sad to say. 
2 people like this
@foxyfire33 (10005)
• United States
12 Mar 08
I think teenagers are pro's at seeing the short term rather than the long term!
2 people like this
@Foxfire1875 (2010)
•
12 Mar 08
I've never heard of rent-a-center but I'm sure there will be an equivalent shop in the UK. The fact that they allowed a teenager to rent an xbox is criminal and a very nasty but probably lucrative business, as if they complete the payments they will have paid more than the thing is worth and if they don't, that's money down the drain.
Businesses like that make me sick. I hate all the cash converters and the cheque cashing shops that have sprang up everywhere. They don't do any good at all and I wish people didn't have to use them.
Businesses like that make me sick. I hate all the cash converters and the cheque cashing shops that have sprang up everywhere. They don't do any good at all and I wish people didn't have to use them. @foxyfire33 (10005)
• United States
12 Mar 08
Those places bother me too! It's like they prey on people who are desperate for money and thenput them in an even worse financial position. A legal scam is a good term for it in my opinion.
1 person likes this
@Bethany1202 (3431)
• United States
12 Mar 08
I bought a few items from Rent-a-Center like my sofa and some other furniture when my credit was bad. Luckily, my credit is much better now and I don't need to do things like that. Rent-a-Center charges WAY too much and I would never go there again!
Also, I thought you had to be 18 years old to enter into a contract? You might want to contact a manager and let them know the contract is not valid because it was not signed by a legal adult! No one under 18, as far as I know, can be bound by a contract until they sign when they are of legal age. ...
