Are you having a Larf!!!!!! (Radio Rentals)

Member Name: barbara107

Product:	Radio Rentals
Date:	05/11/01 (1406 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Renting seems like the easy option

Disadvantages: Cost

In the mid 1980's, when I first got married, I could not afford to buy a television and VCR so I rented one. My Mum had always rented, so I felt if was good enough for her then it was good enough for me.

I went to my local show room which at the time was D.E.R (remember them) I chose a video and T.V package, paying slightly less for them both that way, I forget just how much it was at the time.

In time D.E.R became Radio Rentals, I carried on with the same agreement, a TV and video package and changed models probably every 4 or 5 years. For the last five years or so I have paid £22.99 a month.

More recently Radio Rentals became Box Clever.

This weekend a friend of ours offered us his almost new flat screen TV and new video for £100. Seems like a good deal I thought. If I send this rented stuff back it will just be equivalent of say 4 months payments.

It was then I worked out that it was infact costing me over £275.00 a year in rental charges and that in the last 16 years I had paid out over £4,000.00. I was sick!!

So this morning I rang the local showroom and said I wanted to send them back. The lady I spoke to asked me why, so I told her that I was buying new ones...hear comes the funny bit...she asked me if I wanted to buy the ones I was renting, I said no! She said “go on..go on...go on” you can have them for £50.00...”each” I said ? “No” she replied £50.00 for them both..So what she was telling me is that for just over 2 months rental I could own them!! Yet they were charging me over £275.00 for me not to own them!!!! Laughed...I could have cried!!

I must admit I feel like a fool having wasted all that money...Even if I had bought a new TV and Video at the rate of a new one every couple of years I doubt I would have spent as much as I have renting them.

Whilst I know that you get free maintenance but I can’t recall ever having them out more than
twice in that whole time.

So, if your considering renting, it may seem like a cheap option on paper, but in the long run is it worth it?

PS anyone want a nice TV and Video for only £50.00 (Only joking!!!)

Summary: