Friday, July 11, 2014

Forget The Contract: Rent A Smartphone?

Wish you had the latest smartphone, but can't afford to shell out for the latest and greatest, or don't want to get tied up in a long term contract? Plano, Texas-based Rent-A-Center--better known for renting out furniture and appliances such as televisions--said yesterday that it is branching out into smartphones, and will be offering up the latest, up to date smartphones as part of its selection of items. Rent-A-Center said it will offer up Galaxy S III, Galaxy S 4, Galaxy S 5, Galaxy Note II, Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy S Relay phones among its products, which can be used with such no-contract operators such as NET10 Wireless, SIMPLE Mobile, and Tecel America. Rent-A-Center said it is targeting cash- and credit-strapped consumers who have issues with the high, upfront cost of acquiring a smartphone. Rent-A-Center, which is based in Plano, says it is in the midst of rolling out the smartphone rentals across its 2800 plus stores, by the end of the month. Image courtesy Benjamin Stone, via Flickr