Rent-A-Center
reviews and complaints

If they are calling you about late payments it is because your payments are LATE. You may not think that they are but obviously they are if you are getting calls. and of course they are tacking of late fees because your account is late and of course they are going to call you because your payment is late and the amounts are going to change if you don't pay your payment the amount will continue to get larger. How can you lie about something that is on paper? Nobody is changing your due dates in the computer. 1 because they cant 2. why would they pay your payment for you?
My advice to you: Pay your bill or return the merchandise!

Its annoying when people complain about rent a center because they cant make their payments on time. That is one thing that I really cant help you with. Give me a legitimate problem and I will be glad to help you!

I agree completely with you about rent a center's shady business practices. It seems that not only do they not care...but try and screw you over even more if they can do it. I am currently renting a TV and a washer and dryer. They call me all the time even though I'm not late on my payments...but they claim that I am. They're tacking on late pay penalties and have even gone as so far as to call me at home and tell my wife one thing and then tell me something completely different which has caused arguments and stress. They've lied about how much I was going to pay. They've lied about my contract agreements. They have deliberately tried to cause arguments between me and my wife. And so far even the management hasn't even tried to contact me about the situation at all.

That will never happen "realmanplus." RAC is in a group of rent to own companys that have a huge amount of lobbying power. However, what I could see happening is lawmakers changing some of the ways these companies do business in regards to the cash prices and lease agreements...

Renter center is a scam and fraud, they have been investigated by tv new magazines an found to be crooks that is not to be trusted or do busniness with at all.
The goverments should and I hope that they do close them down for good.

Cynthia,
What you need to do is talk to the store manager. If you requested that they not call your workplace then that request is required to be respected. If they still call your workplace then call the 800 number. The district manager will handle it from there.

Just make sure that you make your payments on time and if you find that you can't make it in on the day that it is due. Call the store before it goes past due. ( Keep in mind that if you consistently do not pay on time, they are likely just to close your account and pick up the merchandise and not do business with you.)

I have been harassed by the Rent A Center and now at my job.Is there a way you can stop them .

To all these people that complain about the service and product that you get from Rent a Center..I have been dealing with them for over 20 years, its all in how you deal with them. There are a lot of people that rent things and then move without telling them, or just don't pay the payments, so when you wonder why they go postal about the money, this is why..I have never had a problem, if you pay the few dollars more each payment for the service contract, then you get a loaner when you send yours in for service, if you don't ask about a loaner, they aren't going to offer one. Simple as that..Learn to ask for what you want. Most credit cards or debit cards charge a business a service charge to process the fees through their banks, hence the new 1.50 convienence fee for paying over the phone.. I'm not saying that there aren't some bad stores out there, but, I have used stores from Texas to Maine and on to Massachusetts with no problems, its all in how you deal with them and how you treat them...When they deliver furniture to me, I always have popsicles at the ready for the workers for when they are finished, it is hard work carrying heavy furniture up my granite stairs..appreciate them and they will go above and beyond for you, simple as that...they work hard for people that don't think about them and how many people they deliver to or how badly they are treated each day..moving furniture and installing appliances for you.

I have spent thousands of dollars at rent a center. The last time i rented from them i have some financial issues and requested they pick up the mechendise. No one came for several weeks. They even scedualed appointments with me and came hours early or late. Therefor I missed them. Now that i am stable again I wanted to get only a tv and they wont even rent me one pice of mechendise. So much for costomer appreitation. So much for all the money i have put in. If i had a rental store i deffinatly would look at the amount of time and money they had spent with me before i turned them away.

I keep reading these and still don't see a problem like the one we have.
We have been renting a big screen TV from RAC for over a year, and a lovely kitchen table, months ago, my son had a keyboard sitting on top of the TV, it fell and broke the corner of the screen, you can still watch the tv, just some lines on the far side, when we asked RAC how much it would be to fix, they said 1, 000 dollars, we of course don't have that kind of money, and asked if they could fix the tv, and add damage cost extra to our payment or take 50 dollars a month on the damages until paid in full. NO they said, one lump sum only. Well months go bye, we of course didn't get it fixed, my son gets laid off from his job, we ask RAC to take back the table and tv, they come right out and get the table, but no on the tv, we ask again.. take the tv and we will pay 50 a month out of my SSD per month. NO .. they say.. so we make a couple more months payments while son was on unemployment. Now, his benefits are gone.. RAC agrees that we can make one weekly payment (60 dollars) per month, so we did, now last week a store employees comes to the door, again I say.. "To get the tv ? " "NOOOO, he says, just have son call the store", my son calls, and offers the one payment, the manager refuses.. "Has to be 2 payments" we don't have 2 payments, car exhaust fell apart that day before, car is in the shop, rent behind, not even going to talk about power and groceries and meds etc.. sooo, RAC wouldn't accept one payment and told my son that legal action is going on now against him. MY son goes in the store saturday, with 3 of his college friends as witness and tries again to make the payment.. was refused again, RAC will not come to get the tv, will NOT accept a payment, will NOT accept a monthly payment on the damage.. I don't understand this at all. It makes more sense to me for them to come and get the tv, repair it, rerent it out to someone, let us pay the damages per month. What are they out ? any suggestions ? we are trying to find legal aid to help us .

they should not have taken the refridgerator from you being that it was only 2 days exp. and you had the money to pay on it. The contracts do say there is not a grace period but they also say all you have to do is pay the reinstatement fee (past due fee) $5.00 after 3 days of being past due. in which case why are they not allowing this for you when its aparent they do for other people. I call that favortism

HERE IS THE PROBLEM PEOPLE IT IS NOT A CONTRACT IT IS A RENTAL WITH THE OPTION TO PURCHASE JUST LIKE GOING TO BLOCKBUSTER YOU PAY IN ADVANCE IF YOU IF YOU ARE SET UP ON SATURDAYS THAT IS NOT A DUE DATE WHICH WOULD IMPLY A GRACE PERIOD FOR A CONTRACT THAT IS THE DAY THE ACCOUNT EXPIRES AT WHICH TIME YOU HAVE THE OPTION OF MAKING A RENEWEL PAYMENT AND FOR ALL OF YOU THAT DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THAY KNOCK ON YOUR DOOR IT IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO REPO THE MERCHANDISE ANYTIME THEY WANT (RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE SERVICE)AND IF YOU CAN NOT HONOR YOUR AGREEMENT THEY WILL PRETTY MUCH YOU PAY OR THE MERCHANDISE DOES NOT STAY

I have rented some furniture from the Niles store as well. It was the same situation with me except my kids were home alone when the tried to break in my house for $17. I also called the police and filed a report! I also have 6 complaints into corporate about the stores practices! I pay monthly and always pay more then I should to bring the balance done, but the recent compliant was I decided that since I was dealing with idiots I would just pay online! Ha they still call looking for money even though corporate and my receipt say otherwise! I am currently up to date w my payment and the Niles store still calls saying I owe them. I believe they are doing shady business and stealing money! When I'm done with paying off my furniture I am suing them for harassment! !

M

this just happened to me In Prospect heights illinois...i had 2 rent a center employees try and brake into my house while i was home with my 5 year old son...They were beating on the door and telling me to open up, like they were the freaking police or something...they would not go away and told me that they were like loan sharks and that they would be back to my house if i didn't pay. I called the police and filed a report with them because it scared me to death. The police said it was illegal for them to do this and harrass me like this. They actually tried to use a credit card to brake into my house . I could see them through the peak hole. I was terrified. It was like a scene from the godfather. The police did go and tell them to leave me alone. DO NOT EVER GO TO RENT-A-CAENTER
I went to the one in Niles Illinois. they are unproffesional and take part in illegal opperations
-Ali
Prospect Heights IL

Oh, and by the way, RAC is not an "honest" company like you said. Companies like them prey on people who have had trouble in life and exploit them to the hilt. You'll pay $2000 for a computer you could have bought outright for $500.

Was the "altercation" actually your ex trying to fight off the jerks from RAC? If so, I guess you have to give the guy a little credit hahaha. RAC flunkies are ###.

The lesson here, do not lease to own. Save your money, buy it when you have enough, and don't blame anyone but yourself for the situation. Take a little responsibility, for pete's sake.

Besides, if you buy it outright with cash, you don't pay the interest you accrue through RAC or Aarons.

you should have 30 days to make payments not this 7 day ### and on the 8th day they knock on your door to harass your family and demand money for a measly 20 dollar a week rental agreement ...Note to Rent-A-Dick employees... when you walk to the rac truck open the door and start the engine let it idle to warm... put it in drive and come over to my house you wasted problably 5 or 6 dollars in gas sooooooooooo... that 5 dollar late charge per item per week...is bogus the 5 bucks is so the rent a dick employees... could come to your house harrass your family so they look in the mirror at the end of their shift so they feel tough...Rac employees are not tough...not cool...not well paid...not good looking...not well dressed ...they work for the company so they get paid to legally harass people and pretend to be tough ...Right Nick...Right Allen...Right Gregg...Jason sorry Orlando was too much for you...I guess your way too big of a business man to be successful

if you keep on being late then yes they have the right to pick it up read your agreement dont think they because sdont they skim over it with you and just tell how much you have to pay every week. like you miss three pmnts in a row they will try to pick it up but half the time they really dont mean because it is their job to tell you that my best advice try and pay over the phone little contact can go a big way with them

The Lifetime Reinstatement Policy is true and in full effect. The only problem I see you having is the fact that when Rent-A-Center gets a return like that, the money you paid on the computer puts it in a specific class of computer. So let's say you rented a computer for 3 weeks for $34.99 a week and the base price was $1000. After taxes it goes up to, let's say and even $40 a week. 3 weeks at $40 is $120. and $1000 after having $120 paid off is $880. In order to put your lifetime reinstatement in effect, they would have to find a computer that has $880 left with the same specs on the computer as the one you rented before. It does take time. Also, how was your payment history on your prior rental? If it's bad, then give up now. They won't play games.

Hi my name is ahkime, and i am a RAC, customer now i got a laptop from them and a play station3 two nights ago i went out of town to be with my sick family member i left my phone with my roomate just in case they called i was 3days late then someone climed threw my window and stole my playstation and my laotop so i made a police report and took it to RAC! THEY TOLD ME MY INSAURANCE was out so i have to still paid for the stuff can someone tell me what to do, i have a police report?

I got a computer from them I only owed 200 dollars on it. I went back in and for some reasson my 200 dollars went up to 800 we got in a big fight with them after not understanding why i could never pay it off cause they just kept increasing what I owe. I told them I wasn't giving them my computer back. So they started calling everyday not ones but at least 5 times called my family called my work non stop. Came to my house my husband and I got in a fight w/them in our front yard they told us we would go to jail and they would break in 2 are house if they had to they have done it before. The things they would say over the phone just pissed me off I just gave these people 5000 dollars and only owed 200 on my computer I had been a customer for a year and this is how they treat me. It was like they were trying to get the computer back so they could make more money. So eventually I got sick of the phone calls, them showing up at my house so I gave it back. Well when I went back to the store to talk to the manager about all this. my computer was back up for sale for the original price I bought it for and in there rental agreement it clearly states that they can only sale a rental item for what is owed on it wich was the 200 dollars and I seen it there and I told them what I knew and they told me oh we messed up on the price of it. Yah, right thet were trying to make more money off it. What they do is not right there a bunch of liars and the phone calls and they are rude who gives a ### if im late on my payment thats why there a late fee.

those guys broke every single last policy that is in their litle handbook

Wow you are an idiot...and must work for rent a center...they do this to you even if you pay for the ### you [censored]...AND I DID CALL THE POLICE and they flipped out...you cant strong arm people, just like the cop told me i dont care if you owed them a billion dollars...they can't come into your house or beat on your doors...AND ALL MY PAYMENTS ARE ONTIME! this just happened to me In Prospect heights illinois...i had 2 rent a center employees try and brake into my house while i was home with my 5 year old son...They were beating on the door and telling me to open up, like they were the freaking police or something...they would not go away and told me that they were like loan sharks and that they would be back to my house if i didn't pay this is all on tape mind you. I called the police and filed a report with them because it scared me to death. The police said it was illegal for them to do this and harrass me like this. They actually tried to use a credit card to brake into my house . I could see them through the peak hole. I was terrified. It was like a scene from the godfather. The police did go and tell them to leave me alone. DO NOT EVER GO TO RENT-A-CAENTER
I went to the one in Niles Illinois. they are unproffesional and take part in illegal opperations
-Ali
Prospect Heights IL

You know what if you cant pay for the ### in the first place which you knew damn well you could not then they do have a right to go in there and I would have loved to see you call the cops, they would have told you the same thing i just did. Not only is that your first mistake, but trying to say they are harassing you! Pay the bill you big dummy! Seriously you are wrong about rent a center. they are the greatest people even corp is nice.

1st Sargent Geary~ Navy Seals

I am renting a bunk bed set from the rent a center here in town for my two daughters. The first week that we recieved the beds I started to notice little bumps on my youngest daughter. I assumed it was ants coming from outside so we sprayed thinking that would solve the problem. We then started to notice that my daughter was waking up crying in the middle of the night and we once again figured that ants had somehow gotten back in the house so we sprayed again. It got to the point where my daughter ended up sleeping in our room on the floor. Last night was the last straw. I was at the store so my husband gave my daughter a bath and put her to bed (her bumps had cleared up and started to go away because she was sleeping in our room.) When I got home she woke up crying again, so I decided to give her another bath to calm her down. I was mortified when I lifted up her shirt and she was covered in bumps again. I am a nurse and have a lot of friends who are doctors. I called one to come and identify the bumps and was told they are from bed bugs. We currently live with my mother in law who is one of the cleanest people in Bakersfield she has OCD when it comes to being clean so I know that the bed bugs did not come from our end! Also, she never had bites before she started sleeping on that bed! I called our local rent a center and told them what had happened a few hours later they replace the mattresses and picked up the old ones. The fact of the matter is that I personally have bought thousands of dollars in merchandise from rac and have been a good customer. I even pay two weeks in advance everytime. I used to have couches that I paid a over 1600 dollars on and I had to return them because I moved in with inlaws and the couches did not fit in the room I wanted them in, so rent a center sent me a voucher for1600 dollars that I could use on furniture, it did not specify that I had to use it on the same couches! When I tried to use the credit to purchase the bunk beds they would not let me use it all. They only applied 400 of it! What happened to the rest of my money? who knows? To top it off they brought me a bunk bed that was used, written on and the ladder was broken! Today they finally brought new mattresses and supposedly fixed the ladder but I still feel we are getting screwed! I have been a loyal customer to your company. I have always been kind to your employees and forgiven the fact that most of them with the exception of a few, have not been doing their job! When a payment is due not even past due. They start to call all of my numbers all day long until I go make a payment. Which They know for a fact that I always pay on time. I am so disappointed in RAC! I mean, my baby girl is covered in bites from bed bugs and I am stuck paying 900dollars for something that should have been part of the 1600dollar credit on the account! If my daughter catches an illness from those bed bugs, we are going to have a huge problem! I have taken pictures of her and I will keep them on file! Something more has to be done!This is ridiculous! My trust in your products and service are gone and I know now never to purchase another item from RAC if this is how I am going to be treated! I used to refer friends and family to RAC and believe me that is going to change! If nothing is done, I will take my story to the news and make sure no one else has to go through what my child and I have gone through! I wish to be contacted by a main supervisor not just the store manager, my trust in him is gone! I need to speak to someone in charge!

For all those who buy from RAC be careful. I worked in a service center repairing various products and at least half the stuff is only partially fixed. Our managers told us not to worry about fixing it completely just get it "rent ready". Only after something had come into service 3 times in 2 months (approx.) or we had free time could we properly diagnose and fix tv's pc's and other electronics.

this just happened to me In Prospect heights illinois...i had 2 rent a center employees try and brake into my house while i was home with my 5 year old son...They were beating on the door and telling me to open up, like they were the freaking police or something...they would not go away and told me that they were like loan sharks and that they would be back to my house if i didn't pay. I called the police and filed a report with them because it scared me to death. The police said it was illegal for them to do this and harrass me like this. They actually tried to use a credit card to brake into my house . I could see them through the peak hole. I was terrified. It was like a scene from the godfather. The police did go and tell them to leave me alone. DO NOT EVER GO TO RENT-A-CAENTER
I went to the one in Niles Illinois. they are unproffesional and take part in illegal opperations
-Ali
Prospect Heights IL

It's not just the rent a center in your area they are like that in my are too. I can recall one time I was late on a payment and I was walking home from work and getting ready to make a payment and the store manager from rent a center rode up on me and was like ms. davis you have a payment that is past due and you need to make an appearence in the store... That creeped me out these people are stalkers...

Maybe if you losers could learn to pay your bills on time there wouldn't be people calling you and coming to your home. Try learning that you have to pay for your toys. For crying out loud, at Rent a Center if you can't afford it all you have to do is give it back! Get real people!

If you're not paying for something that you're keeping, you are stealing!

if anyone does go there get a laptop and see if you can take it that day and if you can pay roughly around 12 weeks into it and then just quit paying for it. Because with rent a center they will not prosecute you after 8 weeks and yes they will blow up every reference that you have put down. but all your refernce has to do is just tell them to quit calling and if the peopke are good at whichever one they will not call anymore. because depending on how which store operates rent a center usually just charges the merchandise off i said laptop because it is the easiest.well beside a living room or a bed room.if you do that you will walk away with a new laptopfor little less than 500.

My fiancee has done the same thing with his payments. He used my parents number as a reference and they call their house three to five times a day if he has been late with a payment. I get anxiety when he is late with the money. They have come knocking on our door a couple times. Thankfully we have a big dog and they are scared of him. And I always find their notes on our door. The writing looks like a 5yr olds! I hate them so much. Oh yes and to make it better. The harassment started three days before the payment was even due!

this just happened to me In Prospect heights illinois...i had 2 rent a center employees try and brake into my house while i was home with my 5 year old son...They were beating on the door and telling me to open up, like they were the freaking police or something...they would not go away and told me that they were like loan sharks and that they would be back to my house if i didn't pay. I called the police and filed a report with them because it scared me to death. The police said it was illegal for them to do this and harrass me like this. They actually tried to use a credit card to brake into my house . I could see them through the peak hole. I was terrified. It was like a scene from the godfather. The police did go and tell them to leave me alone. DO NOT EVER GO TO RENT-A-CAENTER
I went to the one in Niles Illinois. they are unproffesional and take part in illegal opperations
-Ali
Prospect Heights IL

I can only give the same advice, quit. I understand how that may not be an option as I too work for RAC. It's not the 48 hour per week schedule, it's the wacky hours! Go in at 9am and don't get off until 8pm, who has time to look for another job. It's a catch 22 that keeps one "trapped" in a shi#@y work environment. Never a full weekend off unless your sick or use vacation time. When I was asked if I was willing to work weekends I NEVER imagined that would mean EVERY weekend of the year. Friday, Saturday and Monday are MANDATORY for all employees so not even two days off back to back without being sick or on vacation. There is no real reason why somebody couldn't be off one Saturday a month on rotation. Be off Saturday and work the "normal" day off. Just that little "give" would improve moral. I understand "give and take" but where is the "give" from headquarters? Did anybody other than SM's or higher get Christmas bonuses last year? I know all I received was a cheesey (not even truely signed) christmas card. If anyone at "home office" is reviewing this, keep the stamp this year aparently RAC needs the money and the card is really just a "slap in the face", hell, even my dogs got a better gift, they each got HUGE "meaty bones", maybey I should have given them the RAC card too add a little fiber to their diets.
Credit down but BOR and SMR up. We pick-up merchandise and it stays "on the books" and delinquent until the SM HAS TO take it off because the DM or some other upper management personel is about to visit. Keeping it on the books keeps the appearance of high BOR and/or SMR, but it prevents routs from "closing" so credit takes the hit. How about the so called "good customers"? Ever had a customer/customers that you were not permitted to call because they have a good history, with no regaurd given to how old the good part might be? I've cureently got 8 BOR out of 12 in the 7+ catagory that I am not permitted to even call. I have been instructed to mark it as if I called it but am not to actually call. These customers will "charge off" eventually but my rout gets to look as if I'm not doing my job until it does. I would love to leave this job, but I am a single mother and mine is the only household income. I want to leave but can't afford to, but I am deffinately trying to get out.

heres a tip! QUIT RENT-A-CENTER! they suck ### and are crazy stalkers...and the merchandise is not that great

I am a store manager for Rent A Center. We have alot of customers that we service every day, and yes, mistakes like that happen sometimes. I would suggest that you go to the store (If you haven't already) and speak to the store manager. Remind him of the situation and he should give you the speakers without any problem. However, the issue may be that an employee didn't know about the situation and gave them unknowingly to another customer and now they are trying to "cover up" their mistake until they can get them back. If that is the case I would imagine the manager would rectify the situation immediatley by giving you another pair of speakers. If the ones that they have are not of the same quality of the ones that were accidently taken I would suggest that you request that the manager get permission from his or her District Manager to purchase a pair of speakers that would have been similar to the ones that were mistakenly taken. If all else fails you can call the customer service number...above all I apologize for this store for the situation that could have been solved so easily. I hoped this hasn't tarnished the reputation of all of our stores. I thank you for your business .