05.13
You’ve seen the late night commercials offering the next great invention to tighten up those abs or completely revamp that body that has been sitting on the couch, well…watching late night commercials. The problem is, though most offer these devices at a low price through a few easy payments, the price often really isn’t that low. Many give the option to try a piece of exercise equipment for a trial period, but then you have to worry about sending it back if you’re not completely satisfied and if you are satisfied then you have to worry about paying for it. Which can be a troublesome thought when you consider that “low price” discussed earlier. There is another option you may not be considering however: renting.
A reason to rent and not buy can be found by flipping through the classified ad section of the local newspaper. Buyers are constantly trying to sell expensive equipment that has been sitting around the home or outdated equipment in an effort to upgrade to a newer version. More often than not, those machines will sell for far less than the price originally paid.
Some companies specializing in exercise equipment rental will even pay to fix it if it breaks. Try finding that offer in a late night infomercial. Upkeep and repair can be a costly endeavor, especially since most machines are unique. You may find an equipment rental business in your phone book, but you probably will not find a business that will fix it. Meaning you may end up paying not only to fix the machine but to ship it to and from the company doing the work.
Do some research on the internet. If you find a great deal on a piece of equipment you might want to jump at the chance, but buyer’s remorse is not a great feeling and you may find yourself wondering what would have happened if you spent a fraction of the cost and tested it out by renting before buying.