Do you have any views on rent-to-buy stores such as Brighthouse?

lynz68

These type of stores have been around for years unfortunately they have always had and will always have a market.

About 20yrs ago I did use them, I bought a washing machine being a single mother with 2 small children and working full-time sorry I was not going to do my washing by hand. I could not afford to buy one outright and while I knew I was paying over the odds for me at that time it was a solution to a problem.

Today I'm in a completely place and wouldn't consider this type of purchase now.

For items like washing machines cookers and fridges I can understand people using them however TVs and other more luxury electrical items sorry they should be avoided like the plague.

Deep_In_Debt

I just had a look at the BH website and saw the the top items are 60 inch TV, playstation 4, Nintendo, laptop and Galaxy S5 mobile - all non essential items.

I also had a look at a washing machine similar to the one that I have and total cost £1,404!!!!

moohound

The figure that seems to feature prominently is the weekly amount rather than the total amount payable, and this seems to encourage shoppers to take on these finance deals. Is it really any different to car dealerships with £399 per month on the windscreen of a new Mercedes? I think its a reflection of a general culture of short-termism.

patman99

I think the big draw is that if the item breaks-down or is accidentally damaged during the 5 years it takes to pay for it, they will replace it for free.

sourcrates

patman99 wrote: »

I think the big draw is that if the item breaks-down or is accidentally damaged during the 5 years it takes to pay for it, they will replace it for free.

Again, that takes advantage of peoples ignorance.
Under the sale of goods act, all goods of this nature have to be fit for purpose, and last a reasonable length of time, if your new washing machine, for example, breaks down at any time within 6 years from date of supply, you are entitled under the act, to have it repaired free of charge, if you can prove it was down to a manufacturing fault.
They have just expanded on existing law and added accidental damage cover too, but you are paying for that cover in your monthly payments, so its still a bad deal.
These companies thrive on our obsession with consumerism, you choose to accept that at your peril.

topaztiger1983

Myself & my wife use Brighthouse & have done for just over a year, we started with a Washing Machine as ours died, now we have an Acer Laptop, a Tumble Dryer, a PS4, a Samsung S5 & a HTC One M8, also we have just taken out agreements on a Baird 42" FHD TV & a Tibo TV Stand

We pay about £68 per week, but the Washing Machine & Laptop are nearly paid off (20 weeks)

We have never had a problem with them thus far, apart from possibly the high prices, but some people cannot afford to pay for things outright

bsms1147

topaztiger1983 wrote: »

We have never had a problem with them thus far, apart from possibly the high prices, but some people cannot afford to pay for things outright

If you continue to waste money paying over the odds for things with Brighthouse then you're right, you won't be able to buy things outright.

topaztiger1983

Oh well, never mind, I don't really care I have the thing I want so that all that matters to me

zenthra

topaztiger1983 wrote: »

Oh well, never mind, I don't really care I have the thing I want so that all that matters to me

and there lies the problem.. people don't care they are wasting their money paying well over the odds for their items as they only see the weekly payment not the total payment so Brighthouse will continue to keep generating vast profits from the poorer members of society.

[Deleted User]

Out of curiosity, I picked up a Brighthouse catalogue.

An X Box One Special Edition Sunset Edition Overdrive Bundle, will cost £1,300 to buy at BH, over 2.5 years.

At Tesco, it'll cost £349, over 0 years.

That's £951 extra, to buy from BH. :eek:

I can see how some might, out of sheer need, buy an essential, like a cooker, washing machine, etc., from BH, but I cannot, for the life of me, understand why they would buy a luxury item, like a gaming console, from them :huh: