Rent-to-own News

Rent-to-own News - Rent-A-Center, Washington AG reach agreement, avoid trial on collections case

March 1, 2010

Rent-A-Center and the Washington State Attorney General's office late last week, reached an agreement on a case that was headed to trial March 23.

The Washington AG's Consumer Protection Division filed claims against Rent-A-Center in July 2009 asking King County Superior Court to declare Rent-A-Center's collection practices and rental contracts in violation of the state's Consumer Protection Act and Lease-Purchase Agreements Act.

Rent-A-Center consistently denied the allegations.

 

Download consent decree here.

As part of the consent decree, Rent-A-Center agreed to "enhance what's already on the books regarding collections practices and training," said Ron DeMoss, Rent-A-Center general counsel.

In addition, the world's largest rent to own company will reimburse the AG's office $243,000 for fees and court costs and pay an additional $100,000 to a fund for monitoring and enforcement of collection practices.

"We maintain that our collection practices and policies are better than anything in the business, and we're proud of our track record," DeMoss said. "We're relieved to have this resolved and to be able to put it behind us."

About APRO
The Association of Progressive Rental Organizations is the official voice of the rent-to-own industry and the most accurate and trustworthy source of rent-to-own news in the industry. Founded in 1980, APRO is the national, nonprofit trade association advocating and representing the rent-to-own industry before the U.S. Congress, state legislatures, courts, media and the public.

For more information, visit www.rtohq.org.




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RTOHQ: The Magazine
RTOHQ: The Magazine is the Association of Progressive Rental Organizations' award-winning rent-to-own industry magazine, and it's available here.

CLICK HERE FOR OUR DIGITAL RTOHQ: THE MAGAZINE

 

RTOHQ: The Magazine’s upgraded digital format

APRO's new, mobile-ready magazine is now available in addition to our print edition. The digital format provides the same informative content as our printed magazine, but also offers tools to make the reading experience more enriching. Access the table of contents page with one click or tap. Get additional information from advertisers by clicking on the links in their ads. The interface is easy to navigate and requires no special app—read our magazine on your computer, digital table or smartphone. Click here to access the digital version of RTOHQ: The Magazine March-April 2012.

 

 

A New Rent-to-Own Experience

by Neil Ferguson

Here’s the lowdown on APRO’s 2012 Convention and Trade Show, July 24-26 in Memphis. The RTO industry’s big event will offer many valuable experiences, including insights on how to turn your stores into “experiences”–the good kind for consumers

 

Who Is Your Competition?

by Bill Keese

In order to expand your customer base, you can learn a lot by observing your competitors. But first, you need to figure out just who they are. If you think your only competition is the rent-to-own store down the street, you’re not considering the bigger picture. APRO’s executive director offers a big-picture perspective.

 

A Review of Online Customer Complaints

by Ed Winn III

While rent-to-own companies have not cornered the market on negative reviews posted on consumer complaint websites, it’s no surprise that there are cyberspace beefs against RTO. APRO’s general counsel reviews some of them in search of a pattern and he considers appropriate response to online complaints.

 

Rent-to-Own Families, Part VIII

by Kristen Card

Our series of family-run rent-to-own businesses continues with profiles of the Homeiers in Kansas and two Texas-based sets of kindred colleagues, the Spangles and the Weisblatts.

 

 

Future issues of APRO's magazine will be available in this same new format. Click here to access past issues that are not yet archived in the new interface.

 

Association of Progressive Rental Organizations
1504 Robin Hood Trail
Austin, Texas 78703
800/204-2776, ext. 103
Fax 512/794-0097