In response to politicians and community members protesting Rent-A-Center last week, a spokesperson for the company told The Courier, “There are a lot of people who have availed themselves of this transaction and are delighted.”
However, Xavier Dominicis, vice president of public relations for Rent-A-Center, did caution that, “This transaction, rent-to-own, is not for everyone. We’ve been very clear about that.”
The ideal Rent-A-Center consumer, he said, is a “person who either has no credit, poor credit, or simply doesn’t have the ability to take on additional credit. For these people this is a very helpful transaction. The beauty of it is flexibility.”
Rent-A-Center, which is not a credit transaction, but rather pay-as-you-go, requires no deposit, no credit check, no long-term obligation, and free delivery, set-up, service, repair, even loaner units if necessary.
They offer payment options and the ability for consumers to return at any time, or even suspend and reinstate the transaction when convenient. There is even an early-purchase option, whereby, within 90 days, customers’ rental fees will go toward the full price of the item.
“Everything is transparent,” said Dominicis, who noted that each item has three prices: a cash price, a rent-to-own to completion price, and the difference of the two.
In response to the assertion by the Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project (NEDAP) that Rent-A-Centers in New York City are located in predominantly black or Hispanic neighborhoods, Dominicis said, “We are located in convenience to our customer base. Most of the people who come in are known by name.
He continued, “[This is] a highly-regulated, highly-competitive business - we comply by the laws of the state. We share [critics’] concerns for the welfare of hard-working New Yorkers - [these are] our customers.”
Offering everything from appliances to furniture to TVs, Rent-A-Center “deals in quality, brand-name products and maintains them in quality shape,” according to Dominicis.
“Rent-A-Center is part of the fabric of America,” he went on. “It started in the 1960s, and [today is] a $6.8 billion industry, serving three million households a year and giving back to the community.”
For more information on Rent-A-Center, or for locations, go to www.rentacenter.com or call 800-665-5510.
