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How rental ‘libraries of things’ have become the new way to save money (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 6 months ago by Aatube@kbin.melroy.org to c/technology@lemmy.world

224 comments fedilink hide all child comments

The theory is simple: instead of buying a household item or a piece of clothing or some equipment you might use once or twice, you take it out and return it.

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[–] john89@lemmy.ca 0 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (2 children)

You didn't subscribe to those things.

[–] turmacar@lemmy.world 4 points 6 months ago

So you just didn't read the article?

One person hired a metal detector to hunt down the wedding ring they lost when camping in Sussex and found it within 20 minutes. Another rented a planer at £11 a day to fix two doors in her flat

A handheld pressure washer is £12 a day, while garden shears are £3.50

Renting is the "subscription" you're complaining about. You're right that rent-to-own is a scam at best, but unlike most digital subscriptions you're using the thing to do something. Like with all rentals there's a break even line where you would've been better buying the thing if you use it often/long enough. But the service existing is not itself a bad thing.

[–] sgtgig@lemmy.world 0 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

Oh my god dude renting has been a thing for millenia.

[–] john89@lemmy.ca -2 points 5 months ago

It's not nearly as bad as it is now.

And it was always a scam, even back then.