Tip of the Week: Avoid Buyer’s Remorse By Renting a Gadget Before Buying It

When it comes to buying technology, sometimes, despite the fact that the Internet offers a plethora of product reviews and detailed information for you to research to your heart’s content, it’s still possible to regret your purchase and decide to return it. In order to combat buyer’s remorse, more services are popping up that let consumers rent products before buying.

At this point, these gadget rental services primarily deal with popular consumer electronics, like smartphones, cameras, wearables, drones, headphones, and more. Although, you may be able to browse these rental services and find gadgets that are useful for your company. If not for business purposes, then surely you’ll come across an item that you’ve always wanted but have been hesitant to fully commit to.

These try-before-you-buy services are actually pretty straightforward. In most cases, you’ll browse a website and select the item that you would like to rent. You’ll then pay a small fee that covers you possessing the product for a predetermined period of time. Then, the item is mailed to you and your rental period starts as soon as it arrives. During this time, you get to use the product and, when you grow tired of it, you simply send it back and only pay for the time that you used it.

If, however, you fall in love with the product and wish to keep it, you simply pay for it and some portion of the rental fee will be deducted from the final price. Depending on which rental company you go with, you may be sent a completely new product if you decide to make a purchase.

The advantage here is that you’ll essentially be able to get your hands on a hot new gadget for just a portion of what it would cost to buy it. This can come in handy if you only need the gadget to complete a project, or perhaps use it for an event. Also, it’s the nature of some gadgets to only be fun for the first few weeks before losing their luster. Therefore, renting a drone for a week and then sending it back may be a much more economical way of “getting your drone fix” than having to pay outright for one, using it for a week, and then having it collect dust in your garage.

Two popular websites to check out if you’re wanting to rent cool technology are Lumoid and Grover.

Lumoid
Lumoid specializes in camera gear and wearables, but they’ve also got a nice selection of drones, high-end headphones, and more. PCMag offers this review. “You can try several devices at once for a reasonable cost, or simply rent items, such as the new Apple Watch or a drone quadcopter, on a short-term basis... Prices vary, shipping took more than two weeks in my trial, and the loan times can be a little tight, but Lumoid's convenience makes it a worthwhile service.”

Grover
Grover is new to the US and offers more gadgets than Lumoid, like smartphones, virtual reality devices, laptops, projectors, video game consoles, and more. In an interview with PCMag, Grover CEO Michael Cassau is quick to explain what sets his company apart. "Grover is not about trying before buying but about replacing buying altogether because it's unnecessary and largely debt financed. Consumers are granted the freedom from purchasing one gadget at a large upfront cost and given the ability to experience multiple gadgets at a reasonable price point. How long a consumer wants to keep a product is up to them."

Similarly, when it comes to business technology like servers and workstations, there are several IT hardware companies that offer leasing options so that you can get the technology your company needs, at a cost you can afford. If this is a technology option that appeals to you, then reach out to Washington Works at 301-571-5040 and we’ll point you in the right direction.

Are there any cool gadgets that you’ve been dreaming about but you’re on the fence when it comes to making a purchase? Let us know in the comments what tech you’ve got your eye on and if you think renting is the way to go.