Mary Nugent was already in a difficult situation when her washer and dryer started to fail. With poor credit following her husband's death, traditional financing wasn't an option.
"I had not been able to reestablish credit, and I needed a washer/dryer," she said.
She turned to a rent-to-own store for a deal on a brand-new washer and dryer combo that seemed affordable, with payments of around $180 a month. She later rented a bed through the same company, but her monthly payments snowballed to the point that her rented furniture was repossessed.
"I started to fall behind on the bed. And I started to get threatening notes on my door," Nugent said.
One notice she showed us warned that she "may be charged with felony theft."
The rental company eventually seized the bed, and in a panic, Nugent returned the washer and dryer as well.
By that point, Nugent claims she had already paid $1,300 toward the appliances, and was left with nothing.
WATCH: A woman describes how she fell behind on her rent-to-own payments, and now has nothing:
For comparison, you can find a washer and dryer set at Home Depot for about $1,000-$1,200.
"I’ve had to replace these items," Nugent said. "I’ve replaced them with what I can afford, being on a fixed income."
That meant a friend's clunky old washing machine, just so she would have something to wash her clothing.
Risks of rent-to-own
Erica Sandberg with BadCredit.org said rent-to-own arrangements can work for temporary living situations, but consumers need to understand the risks.
"If you don't make those payments, you've got some problems on your hands," Sandberg said.
One issue is the total cost over time.
"At the end of the line, if you want to purchase, it's going to be a big balloon payment. And by that point, your stuff is a little bit on the older side, right?" Sandberg said. "It just ends up quite expensive."
Even worse is what happened to Nugent, where falling behind a couple of months can mean your expensive furniture or appliances are repossessed.
Other options for consumers
Before considering rent-to-own, Sandberg suggests exploring these alternatives:
- Furniture stores offering 0% interest on long-term financing, if you can qualify
- Buy now, pay later options if you can afford the payments
- Purchasing furniture secondhand
- Finding free furniture or appliances through local "Buy Nothing" groups on social media
"People want to declutter. Decluttering is your best friend when you want that stuff," Sandberg said.
Sandberg suggests consumers work on their savings and build up their credit to one day be able to buy the new furniture they need.
"Take a little time and create that credit history that's going to make you more attractive," she said.
Nugent's rental company told us it cannot discuss a client's rental record publicly, but promised to look into Nugent's case, to see if there might be another option for her.
Until then, she's back to using a rundown washer and dryer.
"I just want other people to know not to fall into a trap like this," Nugent said.
Know what you’re signing before you agree to a rent-to-own payment plan, so you don’t waste your money.
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This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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