Rent-to-own News - Congressman visits Pennsylvania rent-to-own store

It's not everyday a U.S. congressman stops by to visit your store.

That's why when Pennsylvania Rep. Bill Shuster dropped by Sandi Frye's Premier-Rental-Purchase in Altoona this week, she made sure she was prepared.

Pa. Rep. Bill Shuster with Sandi Frye at her Altoona store.

During Shuster's hour long tour February 20, Frye made sure she gave him a fact sheet on H.R. 1767 -- the Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act bill pending in the House -- along with a list of the most recent six co-sponsors to sign-on to the bill since the APRO Legislative Conference.

Frye -- a 16-year RTO veteran who has owned her own store since 2005 -- said Shuster was impressed by the new co-sponsors of the bill and appreciated her step-by-step tour through the typical rent-to-own transaction.

"I walked him through a transaction, from ownership options, returns, reinstatements and depreciation issues," Frye said. "We talked about different customers who rent, why they rent and the importance of being able to return things."

Frye's store offers an array of home appliances, home furnishings, electronics and computers, as well as office services such as money orders, copying and faxing.

Though Shuster fell short of a specific commitment to co-sponsor H.R. 1767 -- he voted for a previous version of the bill in 2002 -- the congressman said he appreciated the opportunity to learn more about the rent-to-own industry, which has an annual $171 million financial impact on the state of Pennsylvania.
 
"The rent-to-own industry is an important part of our economy," Shuster said. "And I appreciate Sandi Frye taking the time to invite me to her business to see first hand the opportunities and challenges a store like Premier-Rental-Purchase faces on a daily basis.”

Frye is convinced the time taken to educate the congressman will benefit the industry down the road.

"Now that he's been in the store and we've had conversations, I feel like he's one step closer to co-sponsoring than he was a year ago," Frye said. "I think he came out of here with a better understanding of what we do."

H.R. 1767 currently has 68 co-sponsors in the House and its companion bill in the Senate, S. 1012, has 21 co-sponsors.