Yet another reason not to rent a computer (or other major appliances)

[deltask8er]

Those rental places always seemed like a long-term ripoff to me. Now it's turned into a nightmare for one family.

A major furniture rental chain has software on its computers that lets it track the keystrokes, screenshots and even webcam images of customers while they use the devices at home, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a Wyoming couple who said they learned about the PC Rental Agent "device and/or software" inside the computer they rented last year when an Aaron's Inc. store manager in Casper came to their home on Dec. 22.

The manager tried to repossess the computer because he mistakenly believed the couple hadn't finished paying for it, the couple said. Brian Byrd, 26, said the manager showed him a picture of Byrd using the computer _ taken by the computer's webcam. The image was shot with the help of spying software, which the lawsuit contends is made by North East, Pa.-based Designerware LLC and is installed on all Aaron's rental computers.

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=209&sid=2368845

Byrd and his 24-year-old wife, Crystal, said they paid two monthly installments of $156 for the laptop computer before deciding it made financial sense to make a final $900 payment to own the computer outright. That was in October.

The couple had a signed receipt but later learned an employee who took their final cash payment was suspected of stealing customer payments, which is why the store manager believed they hadn't paid for the computer and came to repossess it.

[BigB08822]

I really hope this was a Mac because paying $1000+ for any other computer is beyond ridiculous and does not make "financial sense."

[WindSpirit]

I really hope this was a Mac because paying $1000+ for any other computer is beyond ridiculous and does not make "financial sense."

That's funny since Macs are ridiculously overpriced. I paid $1700 for my computer. I would have had to pay way over $3000 to get the same specs if I wanted a Mac. Yeah, that would have made sense financially.

Now, buying any computer from a rental place doesn't make any sense financially whatsoever.

[Aceon6]

Rent to own laptops typically costs 3-4X what you pay to buy them outright. One firm that rents prior year Dell desktops charges a minimum of $25 a week for 52 weeks before it's paid off. That's $1300 for a bare bones machine that's obsolete when you get it.

[GarrAarghHrumph]

People tend to rent computers because they don't have the credit or cash required to be able to purchase one. No, renting one doesn't make financial sense. However, for those who actually need one, and have bad credit and no cash, rental can be their only option.

[Rex]

When I was stationed in San Diego, companies like this would lure the young sailors and their wives into credit hell.