# Forum More Stuff At the end of the day  TV rental - gotta wonder

## phild01

Anyone noticed how that rental company advertises a 55 inch 4K TV  (virtually a no name brand) for $20 a week.  The contract term is 48 months.  That's more than a staggering $4000 for a TV that similar can be got from a major outlet for $800.  That radio rental company would probably get them for around $600 or so.  Such a shame that vulture companies prey on the disadvantaged like this.

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## chrisp

And, if I understand it correctly, they are having funds transferred directly from the welfare system....  www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-20/radio-rentals-reaps-$90-million-in-centrelink-payments/6333690

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## Spottiswoode

Sounds even worse than the no deposit no interest scams.

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## InsaneAsylum

It's a joke, but some blame has to be given to "the disadvantaged" who choose not to put food on the table but instead to have the latest and greatest electronic gadget. 
I was raised to live within my means and save for nice to have luxury items.

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## SilentButDeadly

Poor decisions make people poor. And keep them there. 
On the flipside, excellent marketing makes sound business. 
Which is better? 
Bear in mind, that if you have no savings and no capacity to make them because your income matches your expenses...then no one will lend you money for old stuff. And no-one with kids wants to go without...that might look bad to the welfare hawks.

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## PlatypusGardens

> Anyone noticed how that rental company advertises a 55 inch 4K TV  (virtually a no name brand) for $20 a week.  The contract term is 48 months.  That's more than a staggering $4000 for a TV that similar can be got from a major outlet for $800.  That radio rental company would probably get them for around $600 or so.  Such a shame that vulture companies prey on the disadvantaged like this.

  
Yeh we looked at "one of those" rental companies years ago, more out of interest, to see what a fridge and washing machine would cost. 
The end price was astronomical.
They weren't no-name brands though BTW, but still.....very exxy    :Smilie:

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## joynz

We rented a fridge in a share house I lived in in Melbourne years ago.   
I do think it is easy judge when we see poor people spending money on things that make them poorer ( I do this too, of course) 
But I challenge you to remove the tv in your house and see how the rest of the family takes it.  Poor people are already excluded from a lot of things;  not having a tv separates people even more  from the main shared cultural interface in Australia.   
 If the only choice you have is to rent, then you rent.

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## phild01

> We rented a fridge in a share house I lived in in Melbourne years ago.   
> I do think it is easy judge when we see poor people spending money on things that make them poorer ( I do this too, of course) 
> But I challenge you to remove the tv in your house and see how the rest of the family takes it.  Poor people are already excluded from a lot of things;  not having a tv separates people even more  from the main shared cultural interface in Australia.   
>  If the only choice you have is to rent, then you rent.

  Nothing wrong with renting , but not to the point of extortion, blackmail etc! 
This is long term rental, not the week-end or few days we might need something.  It's society turning a blind eye to exploitation, that being it's ok to heavily extract what we can from disadvantaged people who have little opportunity to choose.
This is just a back door way of having an interest rate of 150%, how can this be allowed to happen!! 
  The TV was branded 'Thorn' which would be little different to this one: https://www.jbhifi.com.au/tv-home-en...lcd-tv/970549/

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## chrisp

I understand that some charity organisations are attempting to provide alternative schemes (e.g. Good Sheperd Microfinance).

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## phild01

> I understand that some charity organisations are attempting to provide alternative schemes (e.g. Good Sheperd Microfinance).

  Good to hear, that TV I linked to had a $50 delivery fee.  An organisation like that could do an over the 'phone arrangement quite easily and garnish a centrelink payment at around $6 week at 10% interest, more than fair surely.

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## PlatypusGardens

Thorn has been around for a long time

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## phild01

> Thorn has been around for a long time

  It has but these days it would be just an old brand application to generic products, just like Teac, Akai, AWA, Pye.... and so on.

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## PlatypusGardens

> It has but these days it would be just an old brand application to generic products, just like Teac, Akai, AWA, Pye.... and so on.

  
Indeed.   
Electronic brand names mean nothing these days, just a badge on the outside with different components on the inside.
Even iPhones have (or at least had) Samsung bits on the inside   :Unsure:

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## joynz

> I understand that some charity organisations are attempting to provide alternative schemes (e.g. Good Sheperd Microfinance).

  This is a great idea and especially important when something like a washing machine or refrigerator breaks down - as often people end up at payday lenders paying hundreds of percent interest.

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## Smurf

> It has but these days it would be just an old brand application to generic products, just like Teac, Akai, AWA, Pye.... and so on.

  It depends on the brand in question. I think you're right with the ones mentioned but Panasonic (for example) still designs and manufactures, it's not just a "shelf" brand slapped onto generic products. Same with a few others that are still their own products as such. 
Obviously Panasonic (for example) aren't making every single component, just like Holden never made every single part in their cars, but if they designed it and are in the manufacturing business then to me that's an original product as such. Very different to those like you mention who are just a name these days and nothing else.

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## phild01

> It depends on the brand in question. I think you're right with the ones mentioned but Panasonic (for example) still designs and manufactures, it's not just a "shelf" brand slapped onto generic products. Same with a few others that are still their own products as such. 
> Obviously Panasonic (for example) aren't making every single component, just like Holden never made every single part in their cars, but if they designed it and are in the manufacturing business then to me that's an original product as such. Very different to those like you mention who are just a name these days and nothing else.

  Maybe TCL does design, not sure but look how easily Kogan can slap his name on just about anything and do none of the heavy lifting.
It's pretty much LG and Samsung at the top of the tree.  Panels are arguably are the most important quality component and Panasonic no longer does this.

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## Bigboboz

> We rented a fridge in a share house I lived in in Melbourne years ago.   
> I do think it is easy judge when we see poor people spending money on things that make them poorer ( I do this too, of course) 
> But I challenge you to remove the tv in your house and see how the rest of the family takes it.  Poor people are already excluded from a lot of things;  not having a tv separates people even more  from the main shared cultural interface in Australia.   
>  If the only choice you have is to rent, then you rent.

  Or buy used.  That's what my wife did in her share place.  Plenty of drop dead cheap used kit that people sell for not much as they prefer to sell it vs dump something that still works.

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## InsaneAsylum

> Thorn has been around for a long time

  we had a Thorn from the 70's - it still worked up until they switched analogue off

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