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Report: #342775

Complaint Review: Aarons Rent To Own - Independence Missouri

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  • Reported By: Independence Missouri
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  • Aarons Rent To Own Noland Road Independence, Missouri U.S.A.

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I have been a customer of this company for close to 5 years now. I have purchased a refrigerator, stove, bed and finally a computer. For the computer I set up a system where they allowed me to leave my debit card for them to process my payments so I didn't have to physically be at the office to submit payments. One stipulation I put on this arrangement was that they had to contact me or me them in order for them to process the payment. This worked initially but my last payment was forcibly taken without my consent. They took the payment even though I had not authorized them to do so and by doing so, overdrew my checking account and I incurred $100 in overdraft fees. When i phoned the manager at the store, I believe he said his name was Tim, he said he wasn't going to do anything about it. I asked why he ran the card when I didn't authorize him to do so, he replied by saying, "Prove you didn't call for me to run the card?" He told me I was the stupidest person he had ever heard of when I tried to defend myself and he said there wasn't anything he could do about it. When asked who in his company ran the card, he said he had no idea. How can a company not have any idea who takes care of their accounts receivable? I was astonished!!! Is this the way they run their business? I don't know what legal recourse I can take against this person or company but I at least want to warn others NOT to allow this company to do this.

This isnt' the first time I have had issues with the company but it is by FAR the worst treatment I have ever recieved from them. They have lost a very valuable customer because I had plans to purchase further merchandise from them once my current payment was completed. I will be shopping at a competitor now.

Travis
Independence, Missouri
U.S.A.

This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 06/21/2008 05:48 PM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/aarons-rent-to-own/independence-missouri-64056/aarons-rent-to-own-illegal-use-of-auto-debit-independence-missouri-342775. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content

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REBUTTALS & REPLIES:
0Author
13Consumer
0Employee/Owner

#13 Consumer Suggestion

Best solution.

AUTHOR: Robert - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, April 11, 2009

The best course of action is to NOT GET ANYTHING from these rent to own places!

PERIOD.

Save some money aside each pay period until you can afford to purchase it outright at a retailer. You won't pay the 3 to 4 times "normal price" if you don't resort to a rent-to-own purchase.

Further, you won't have to worry about any store employee taking money from your bank account without authorization.

This method works every time it's tried.

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#12 Consumer Suggestion

Best solution.

AUTHOR: Robert - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, April 11, 2009

The best course of action is to NOT GET ANYTHING from these rent to own places!

PERIOD.

Save some money aside each pay period until you can afford to purchase it outright at a retailer. You won't pay the 3 to 4 times "normal price" if you don't resort to a rent-to-own purchase.

Further, you won't have to worry about any store employee taking money from your bank account without authorization.

This method works every time it's tried.

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#11 Consumer Suggestion

Best solution.

AUTHOR: Robert - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, April 11, 2009

The best course of action is to NOT GET ANYTHING from these rent to own places!

PERIOD.

Save some money aside each pay period until you can afford to purchase it outright at a retailer. You won't pay the 3 to 4 times "normal price" if you don't resort to a rent-to-own purchase.

Further, you won't have to worry about any store employee taking money from your bank account without authorization.

This method works every time it's tried.

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#10 Consumer Suggestion

Best solution.

AUTHOR: Robert - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, April 11, 2009

The best course of action is to NOT GET ANYTHING from these rent to own places!

PERIOD.

Save some money aside each pay period until you can afford to purchase it outright at a retailer. You won't pay the 3 to 4 times "normal price" if you don't resort to a rent-to-own purchase.

Further, you won't have to worry about any store employee taking money from your bank account without authorization.

This method works every time it's tried.

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#9 UPDATE Employee

Unauthorized...???

AUTHOR: H.p.j - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, April 10, 2009

I am a current G.M. at an Aarons Sales & Lease Franchise Store. And I am very familiar with the credit/debit card authorization form. Although I will agree with you on one point. A customer may request that they are contacted or that we are contacted, prior to the transaction being done. Which is understandable...!!!

But it also states that the amount will be drafted from the account automatically if said account is more than 15 days (or others it may differ).

Im not familiar with the account in question, but it may be an answer.

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#8 UPDATE Employee

Unauthorized...???

AUTHOR: H.p.j - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, April 10, 2009

I am a current G.M. at an Aarons Sales & Lease Franchise Store. And I am very familiar with the credit/debit card authorization form. Although I will agree with you on one point. A customer may request that they are contacted or that we are contacted, prior to the transaction being done. Which is understandable...!!!

But it also states that the amount will be drafted from the account automatically if said account is more than 15 days (or others it may differ).

Im not familiar with the account in question, but it may be an answer.

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#7 UPDATE Employee

Unauthorized...???

AUTHOR: H.p.j - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, April 10, 2009

I am a current G.M. at an Aarons Sales & Lease Franchise Store. And I am very familiar with the credit/debit card authorization form. Although I will agree with you on one point. A customer may request that they are contacted or that we are contacted, prior to the transaction being done. Which is understandable...!!!

But it also states that the amount will be drafted from the account automatically if said account is more than 15 days (or others it may differ).

Im not familiar with the account in question, but it may be an answer.

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#6 Consumer Comment

Thank you for telling me this

AUTHOR: Mr. P - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Thank you ex-employee. I will heed your warnings. I will tell all my friends about Aarons. This way the corporate office will ask what is going on? They will have to lay off the salaried staff and get to the problem of the bad business practice. I am right, all consumers like me who have the ca$h in our pockets can make a huge difference. I am looking to spread the word like wildfire. I will definitely tell all my friends. Matter of fact, I am going to print out the report of this bad practice. I want to post it on my shirt. They cannot do anything to me for this.

However, consumers have rights to shop where they please. If a business bans any new customers from coming into a store, that is another bad mark against the business. The corporate office will be wondering why the market share is drying up. Take a good look at crooked management and account recievables. They could be stealing from the company themselves. It has happened, then they go through the paperwork to pin it on the innocent consumers. Please heed the warning from other customers and ex-employees who dealt with Aarons.

Thank you for telling me this. I will keep this in mind. I will tell other customers who are about to put down for a nice appliance. I am definitely informed from this.

Thank God for my first amendment right. Free speech.

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#5 Consumer Suggestion

Don't be scared

AUTHOR: Lacretia - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, January 16, 2009

I will tell you like I told another lady on this website. Don't be scared to call coporate on the managers and the district managers. Make sure you read your contract and let them know what it says in your contract. When you call coporate they take down your complaint and someonw will get back to you with a solution on how to help. Don't let them be rude to you.

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#4 Consumer Comment

Am I understanding this right?

AUTHOR: Flynrider - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, December 31, 2008

People actually leave their debit card at the store? Are they insane? Why would you give custody of your bank account to some bozos who work in a store?

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#3 Consumer Comment

Store management

AUTHOR: Teawyn - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, December 30, 2008

I have had the same problem with that store manager. Yes his name is Tim. He has gone so far as to tell me that if I werent so stupid and would shut my mouth I might learn something. I have been a very loyal customer and never late on a payment. However, When I inquired about my last payment there was a descrepency. Tim became very rude and abusive. I suggested that I call his superior and was informed "I am general manager. What ever you need to say will go through me and no further" When I demanded he appologize for his rude behavior he responded "I am indeed very sorry, that you are so stupid." I will not be returning to Aarons again.

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#2 Consumer Suggestion

You don't want to miss that last payment...

AUTHOR: Mike - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, June 24, 2008

It's still their computer and if you miss the last payment they can take it back. All the other payments you thought were going toward owning the unit would have been wasted.

That's a very unusual deal where you have to call in to approve every payment. Usually when reoccurring payments are set up with a merchant they will automatically take each payment as it comes due according to the contract, until you notify them to stop. It's the consumer's responsibility to be sure there is money in the account when the payment is made.

Any unauthorized payment taken on your credit or debit card can be disputed with your bank. The bank would ask the store "OK, prove that he did call in and authorize a payment." It works a lot better with credit cards though. Most banks don't care what happens with debit cards because it isn't their money like it is with a credit card.

The case where the store wrote down a credit card number from a one-time payment and then used it again without permission later, would definitely be ruled in favor of the consumer. It would get the store in trouble with the bank.

But if you're going to stop paying on rental stuff you have to be willing to return it immediately, because it isn't yours until that last payment has been made.

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#1 UPDATE EX-employee responds

the fact is....

AUTHOR: Ron - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, June 23, 2008

As a former manager I will tell you that you have a up hill battle. We were taught by corprate to alter those forms in case a customer fillled a law suite. Arrons fights these types of claims everyday and they can drag this out for years. Unless you have 10 to 20 thousand for lawer fees I would just close my account at my bank or get a new debit card.

I remember one case where we didn't even have a form telling us we could run a card and we went back four months and found where a customer came in and paid by a credit card. Having the info from the prosseing company we ran that card info and was paid. The customer call and said they were going to sue. We said OK and come to find out they could'nt find a lawer to take the case.
I am sorry that this has happened to you. Please remeber that the people that work at Arrons are just like you. The work 70+ hours a week trying to support their family and they are told that if they don't "get the money" they will be fired.
If you chose to continue to due business with Arrons you must pay your bill "on or before the due date" or this type of thing will continue to happen. Remember to always pay in cash.
Also, please don't listen to the "back yard lawers" that I read about on this site. The "fair dedt collection act" will not "fully" cover your situation. Renting a product is not the same as borwoering the money to buy a product. When you rent the product it is paid for only during the rently time (week,biweek or monthly) after that it belongs to the company. Thats why we would file theft charges when a customer would'nt pay or return the product when requested( we had a 100% convetion rate). When you borrow money (bank loan or credit card) money is loned to you to BUY the product and you owe that bank money not the product. So when the bank tries to collect money they have to follow certin rules. When you "rent" a product it belongs to the company as long as you agree to the terms(ie signing the contract). So if you don't pay the law says its theft.
Having said that. Arrons cannot"beat" your door in but they can come to house any time during the hours of 8:00am and 9:00pm. They can sit in your driveway but not block you in. They can call your realtive and neighbors but not tell them why they are looking for you. Only that they have a personel matter to disscuss with you. They can show up at your work as long as your employer says not to do so. If you don't pay they will file with your credit. They will file a "WRIT"with the police and a judge and they will come in your house to take the product. If that dose'nt work then they file theift charges. Don't try to take the product and run (moving) I have chaugt customers five years later and it wasn't good the judge slamed them.
My advise is to return the product and pay cash for it later. GOOD LUCK

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