Rental America: Why the poor pay $4,150 for a $1,500 sofa

No credit, no cash, no bank account? There’s still a place to go shopping, but it comes at a price.

Donald Abbott, 35, looks over a receipt from Buddy’s Home Furnishings while his daughter, Savannah, and wife Jamie, rest on the family loveseat. The Abbott family purchased a sofa set from Buddy’s opting to pay for it in weekly installments of $110. (Photo by Bob Miller/For The Washington Post)

By Chico Harlan October 16 at 7:56 PM

CULLMAN, Ala. — The love seat and sofa that Jamie Abbott can’t quite afford ended up in her double-wide trailer because of the day earlier this year when she and her family walked into a new store called Buddy’s. Abbott had no access to credit, no bank account and little cash, but here was a place that catered to exactly those kinds of customers. Anything could be hers. The possibilities — and the prices — were dizzying.
Rental America Why the poor pay $4,150 for a $1,500 sofa by Thavam