Rent-to-own News - VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: First time attendees share insight, experience from legislative conference

By Murlin Evans

Around a quarter of the 120 rent-to-own dealers and vendors who attended the annual 2008 APRO Dave Egan Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. had never attended before.

Roughly a third of those new attendees belonged to the Pennsylvania Rental Dealers Association.

Brian Ferrari was one of them.

Ferrari, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, is the vice president of that dealers association, president of AVB Rental Corporation and owns a Premiere franchise store in Scranton.

Dan Fisher and Claudia Palacio of Magic Rent-To-Own, were first time attendees at the 2008 Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C.

Ferrari, who attended close to a dozen meetings with his Pennsylvania colleagues,  said he left the conference with a better appreciation for the collective power of the industry and the importance of using that influence to educate Congress about the Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act.

"I've learned the wheels of government move very slowly," Ferrari said. "I've discovered a lot of people don't have good information about our industry so our mission is to educate and let them know what we're all about."

New conference attendee Dan Fisher, vice president of Magic Rent-To-Own based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, said he earned a new respect for the power of the hometown  constituent. Being a member of a congressman's hometown district often made the difference between getting a meeting and getting the cold shoulder, he said.

"Everyone makes the assumption that corporations have all the power, but in this case, I've noticed the individual has the power," Fisher said. "Now at the next dealer meeting I can point at people and say 'we didn't get these meetings because you weren't there.' That's how important it is to get involved at the local level."

Claudia Palacio, staging coordinator for four Magic Rent-To-Own stores, agreed the primary responsibility of dealers was to educate. The opportunity to set the record straight on rent-to-own was a uniquely American opportunity she said.

"We take for granted sometimes, the opportunities we have in this country," Palacio said. "The opportunity to meet with elected leaders and tell them about our industry and help them see our view."

The rent-to-own bills currently active are S. 1012 in the Senate—sponsored by Senator Mary Landrieu—and H.R. 1767 in the House of Representatives—sponsored by William Lacy Clay. The Senate bill currently has 21 co-sponsors while the House bill has 62 co-sponsors.

Rent-to-own activists recruited several new supporters for the legislation over the three days of the conference. The total number of new co-sponsors will be officially updated in the Congressional Record February 14 or 15.
 

Watch three newcomers to federal rent-to-own activism share their experiences and insights from the APRO Legislative Conference.