Lead Story
'Twas the night before Christmas

• I Have Tears of Joy
  Go Rufus!
   
• Better Than War and Peace
  Merry Christmas RTOonline and Thank You For Wonderful Cheer!
   
• Worthless
  Get back to business
  Yours truly, Scrooge :)
   

Rent Way Non Competes

• Better Than War and Peace
  Maybe Rent Way can not compete for those markets but an Independent store can and will
   

Lead Story
Understanding Rental Merchandise Depreciation

• pending
   

Rent Way Sells 295 stores to Rent a Center

• Better Than War and Peace
  I recently started commercially exploring the RTO community and
  believe me your website and the mine of information it contains are a godsend to idiots like me exploring entry strategies.
  Your feedback is great and the business creation possibilities outstanding and seriously fast-tracked by your excellent service.
  Keep it up. Please !
   
• Better than War and Peace
  How did you guys get this 36 hours before Reuters and AP!!!!! Awesome
   
• Helpful
  Very informative to see what is happening in our industry. Enjoyed
  reading.
   
• Better than War and Peace
  10 multiple? Why so much?
   
• Better than War and Peace
  RTO Online...breaking the story! This is GREAT
   
• Better than War and Peace
  Merry (Expletive deleted) Christmas!
   
• I Have Tears of Joy
  As a RAC assistant manager waiting to get my own store and in ______ where a large portion of the rent way stores are, I feel this might be my chance at getting my promotion. As I also dealt with handling rent way acquisition accounts as well in the past. Getting the Rent Way customers to understand what has happened to them and what coming to rent-a-center means for them while honoring there contracts.

Lead Story
Did APRO-Pac Back a Losing Team?

• Better Than War and Peace
  THANK YOU FOR THE INSIGHT. AS AN APRO MEMBER AND PAC MEMBER IT IS NICE TO SEE WHERE THE MONEY IS GOING. IT SEEMS APRO SHOULD RESPOND WITH WHAT THEIR THINKING WAS IN EACH DONATION SO ITS MEMBERS WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT ITS PAC.
  RTO Online response: According to sources, APRO-PAC is performing a much more detailed analysis of the results. No word on when or if it will be publicly available.
   
• Just OK
  Why haven't they [APRO-PAC] published any results?
   
• Helpful
  Good information. Surprising but good
   
• I have tears of Joy
  What's wrong with giving to Democrats?
  (as long as you don't vote for them)
   
• Worthless
  This was not a good idea to publish.  You damaged the industry with this article.
  
  Articles that are negative will effect the industry that they are associated with.  People who read this article will now hesitate to contribute to the PAC thinking it is being wasted.  Your lack of understanding politicks is reflected, therefore if you don't understand something get educated before you speak or remain silent.
  RTO Online response: The truth is never damaging. If there is something in the article that is factually incorrect, please identify it.
  
  Ignorance is 'a lack of knowledge...being uneducated, unaware, or uninformed'. The article contained Facts that the majority of readers were previously unaware of. Therefore, the article reduced ignorance, it did not show it.
  
  Forget about 'how the article made you feel for a moment...Was there any 'Fact' in the article that you were unaware of? Did you learn any 'Fact' from reading the article? Did you already know every Fact in the article? If you did, congratulations, you're in the minority.
  
  Based on conversations, both on and off the record, the article stated facts that even APRO board members were unaware of. The level of ignorance regarding 'where the money goes and why' is, quite frankly, astounding.
  
  Your comment "People who read this article will now hesitate to contribute to the PAC thinking it is being wasted". The article states a few simple, publicly available facts. People who donate money are entitled to the facts. If a reader decides PAC money is wasted because of these facts (which I seriously doubt) ...then at least it is an informed decision. If PAC money slows down, then the controllers of the PAC will do their jobs better, and the money will flow again. Politics is very Darwinian in that respect.
  
  As to my supposed lack of political savvy. I admit a disdain for the current political environment where votes are bought and sold like a cheap commodity. I also admit my distaste for a few 'potentate wannabes' making unwise and inappropriate comments about '...the going rate of a United States Senator'. But if that's the way the system works, and if you intend to be successful in that system, you must pick winners. More specifically, winners with the power to make a difference.
  
  And to your comment "...get educated before you speak or remain silent"
  This is perhaps the most dangerous, and revealing comment you made. Translated into plain English it means 'Agree with me or keep your mouth shut'. I here those words and I picture a man in a fur hat with a big red star on it, saying "How dare you question the Party, Comrade". There have been political systems with this attitude...they all failed.
  
  PS: "If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them."
  Isaac Asimov
  
   
• error
  Figures APRO would do something like that, after all, the things really run by a liberal lawyer. (you know who you are)...keep giving your money...Were backin a loser...unbelievable.
   
• Helpful
  Political Gambling is a very unscientific formula.  The rental industry is just a very small fish in this political ocean. What this
  article exposes is the motivation to give money for access at this level and is why campaign finance reform is desperately needed.  Campaign donations to federal candidates is nothing more than political loitering for our industry. Politicians and the general public still don't understand the rent-to-own industry for the services it provides and the industry competes at the most competitive level in the consumer market place with much higher liability and risk; however, many still only see rent-to-own as a predatory industry.  Forty-Six states recognize the transaction on
  its merits because local independent owners take extreme pride in their business in their respective states and have a voice there. The industry's showing on the Federal Government's Broadway stage has proven to be less than a 'Tony' performance and begs the question if we should be there at all?
  
   
• Worthless
  sent anonymously
  I think you have no idea why certain donations are made and the tone of this article is something you'd expect from an enemy of the industry, not someone trying to make a living from it. It think it stinks!

Lead Story
Understanding the bottom line

• Helpful
  This is why I pay an accountant!