Rent-to-Own Agreements
Please see the following pages to learn more about Rent-to-Own Agreements.
For consumers who are strapped for cash or have a poor credit history, rent-to-own agreements provide an alluring option. Rent-to-own companies lease and sell furniture, appliances, and electronic products to consumers for low weekly payments, no credit checks, and no hassles. In typical rent-to-own agreements, a consumer will rent a product for a specific period of time, usually 18 months, and become the owner automatically or by paying an extra fee.
However, rent-to-own agreements are two to five times more expensive than purchasing products from a retail store because of outrageously high interest rates - ranging anywhere from 100 to 300 percent a year - and numerous other fees. Furthermore, less than 25 percent of consumers actually rent products long enough to actually own them. The incidence of consumer fraud in the rent-to-own industry is rampant.
Many companies intentionally deceive consumers by failing to disclose all the costs and terms of rent-to-own agreements. In some cases, consumers have spent thousands of dollars on items they will never see again. In the event of late payments, consumers face repossession of their merchandise and must pay fees to reinstate the goods.
If you or a loved one has been a victim of a rent-to-own agreement scam, you may be eligible to file a consumer fraud class action lawsuit to seek recovery for your damages. Please contact us today to speak to a qualified attorney who can evaluate your case and inform you of your legal options.
Rent-to-own consumer protection laws
Most states have enacted laws that protect consumers against unfair or deceptive business practices. These laws require that rent-to-own agreements fully disclose all terms of a contract including all processing fees, delivery fees, sales tax, interest rates, reinstatement fees, etc. If passed, a pending federal bill known as the Consumer Credit Protection Act would assure disclosures of all costs and terms of rent-to-own agreements, in addition to providing substantive rights to consumers under these agreements.
If you suspect a rent-to-own company has defrauded you, you have the legal right to file a lawsuit to seek compensation for your losses including actual damages, statutory damages, attorney fees, and court costs.
If a group of consumers has been similarly wronged due to rent-to-own agreements, they may file a class action consumer fraud lawsuit, which combines all the claims into one representational suit. Please contact us today to speak with a qualified and experienced consumer fraud attorney who is dedicated to protecting your legal rights and maximizing your interests.