KWF
Go here only as a last resort, and maybe not even then
I rented a power recliner for a few months. I needed it to recoup from surgery to replace my right shoulder joint. I have a manual recliner, but its handle is on the right side. I searched the internet like crazy to find a left-hand manual, but apparently, they don't exist. Lay-Z-Boy would custom make one, but it takes a couple of months and you have to spend several hundred dollars to buy it. I give all this detail so it's clear that I had no practical choice but to rent a power recliner with a handheld controller that can be use with either hand. Unfortunately, RAC was the only place I could find within a reasonable distance to my home that had such an item for rent. This chair was a short-term rental, but the application process was the same as if I was purchasing the chair on long-term financing. The process required that I give much more personal information (e.g., my Social Security number, which I refused to do) than necessary. I sometimes rent tools and don't have to go through anywhere near the lengthy, personal application process that RAC requires. Upon reviewing the final contract more closely after returning home, I saw that I was charged for a "Benefits Plus" program. The RAC sales person did not tell me anything about this program and I had no idea what it was. However, buried in the back of the lengthy final paperwork there was a description of the program and a box was checked saying that I agreed to pay $13 per month for the benefit. The "benefit" is largely worthless "accidental death and dismemberment" insurance--probably the biggest legal rip-off product in the insurance industry. I called the RAC person who prepared my contract and pointed out that he had never told me about the Benefits Plus program and did not ask my permission to check the box agreeing to join it. That person said it was his mistake and that he'd have the charge reversed. However, it took several days and a couple of follow-up calls before it happened. In the meantime, multiple vague and confusing excuses were given for the delay. The chair I received worked flawlessly and met my needs. However, it was not clean. I used my own leather cleaner, elbow grease and time to work it over. It looked dramatically better afterward. I should not have had to clean this chair. I ended up returning the chair in better condition than I received it. During the multi-month rental period, I did not receive any notices that monthly payments were coming due. I paid attention to the due dates and so contacted RAC when a due date was near. Since I could not make a payment online, I had to either drive to the RAC store (which was not particularly close) or make a payment over the phone by reading them my credit card number (a process I'm not comfortable with). I have never had any business fail to notify me when payments are coming due. The notices are at least a week in advance of the due date and many businesses send multiple notices. Forgive my cynicism, but the absence of notice appears to be a RAC company policy, and I wonder if it’s intentional with the expectation that many customers will end up being late on their payments and thus enabling RAC to charge a late fee. I felt the monthly rental rate ($116.97) was exorbitant. Fortunately, the law requires that a business disclose the true costs of any financing they provide to customers who desire to pay for their purchases over time. Consequently, RAC had to include this information in the contract. RAC's own contract says that a customer can buy the chair on time for ll monthly payments of $116.97 for a total cost of $1,268.86, OR pay cash up front of $563.94. In other words, over the course of a year, a customer who is paying monthly to own the chair (a used chair, mind you), will pay over $1,200 for a chair that RAC only values at under $600. One hundred percent interest over a year?! What a racket. Finally, when it came time for the chair to be picked up, RAC was over two hours later than the appointment window they promised. This was very inconvenient and upset other plans I had for that day. In summary my feelings about RAC are as follows: 1. RAC is a very, very expensive way to buy or even short-term rent furniture. 2. The customer service (dirty chair; failure to meet deadlines) is lacking. 3. I am highly skeptical of the company's ethics (signing up customers without their knowledge for a costly "benefit" that is, in my opinion, essentially worthless; and apparently intentionally failing to provide customers notice of coming payment due dates).