Rent-to-Buy?

[kfergos]

This is a kind of random question, but I'm interested in opinions, so here goes.

Back story:
On March 6th I was hit by a car. I've been riding a rental bike, theoretically paid for by the insurance company (I have to pay up front and then be reimbursed), since the crash as I wait for my regular commuter bike to be repaired.

The bike shop I'm renting from is a very small affair, and I rented directly from the shop owner, who told me he had planned on selling the bike for $450, but that he'd happily rent it to me for $150/week until my bike is repaired (he was also thinking about keeping it as a shop rental bike). The rental bike is a used Cannondale H600 Hybrid.

It's been over 6 weeks since I rented the bike. That's $900 for the rental so far, and the shop working on my normal bike said "Maybe this week," but made no definite promises.*

Question:
Should I see if the shop I rented the Cannondale from will just give me the bike, since by the time I return it to them, they'll have gotten more than double the intended sale price for it?

* My decision-making process on choosing this shop is a whole 'nother post. Let's not even get into why it's taken almost 2 months to get my bike repaired...

[Blueberry]

You could ask, but I really doubt they'd do that. Their rental rate is based on a risk assessment by them of how long you'd need it.

I would also be concerned that it might jeopardize your ability to be reimbursed as you've "bought a new bike" instead of just using a bike for as long as you need. Do you have an attorney working on your case?

[Biciclista]

I would ask the renting shop if you could keep that bike, yes.
Reminds me of the "rent to buy" programs that our kids had for their musical instruments...

[tulip]

But why would you buy a bike for twice its price? It's like leasing a car, and buying it at the end for more than it's worth.

Blueberry has a good point about working with an attorney. Sage advice from a wise woman.

[MartianDestiny]

I'd be a bit miffed (ok, MORE than miffed) if the shop that was making a killing renting a mediocre, used, older bike was also the one that was the entire reason that I'd had to keep it that long.

I'm sorry, but 6 weeks is entirely unreasonable for a repair unless you knew up front about the time and had been kept up to date. Doesn't sound like that's the case because I seriously doubt you'd have agreed to the rental if you'd have known it would have been that long (and thus that much $$$).

Heck, given this time lapse you could have gotten a passible beater off craigslist for a couple hundred (sans insurance involvement), and just sold it for about what you paid for it at the end of this fiasco.

I have no idea what the actual situation is here (and don't need to), but you and the owner/manager of the shop need to sit down and have a very frank conversation about this situation.

I'm not convinced that the solution is to ask him to let you keep the bike necessarily, but perhaps reduce/remove the rental fee, especially for the weeks far beyond initial estimates. (It is NOT unheard of for shops to hand out "demos" free if they screw up a repair estimate and the rider NEEDS a bike. Typically done for planned races/tours/etc, but still).

[Blueberry]

I don't think they're the same shop

If they are - then they *should* be giving you the rental for free at this point. Otherwise, I stand behind my earlier advice

[MartianDestiny]

I don't think they're the same shop

Hummmm, good point, I totally could have read that wrong???