https://prospect.org/economy/government-wants-to-let-financial-predators-off-hook/
Rent-to-own outfits, such as Aaron’s and Rent-A-Center, fill an important segment of this alternative economy. They offer appliances, electronics, and furniture on weekly or monthly payment plans. If a customer makes payments for the full term of the contract (usually 12 to 24 months), they own the good outright. Even though most customers aspire to, and ultimately do, own items obtained through rent-to-own, the industry insists it offers rentals and so is not subject to federal and state credit protections. Disclosing the cost of credit under the federal Truth in Lending Act would mean informing customers that a rent-to-own TV comes with an annualized interest rate as high as 370 percent. The industry also criminalizes debt, routinely filing police complaints and threatening criminal prosecution to extract payments from distressed consumers. The Department of Defense, in a 2006 report, described the rent-to-own business, which targets members of the military, as predatory.