4 ms·

It's actually not that different than before. Clothes wear, smartphones get outdated, people are already used to renting their home & car, etc. There's not man

It's actually not that different than before. Clothes wear, smartphones get outdated, people are already used to renting their home & car, etc. There's not many things you only ever buy one of.

mc32 7y ago
I guess, but it makes things even more disposable, more consumerist. More detrimental to the environment.
- arcticbull 7y ago
  I could make a case for the opposite -- consumers tend to buy something new at the store then throw it out a couple of years later. I can imagine these types of companies buying more durable goods so they can rent them out to multiple people back to back instead. I see it as almost automating the craigslist model.
  - mc32 7y ago
    Time will tell, of course. You might be right... but I’m pessimistic here. Renters and leasees take less good care of the items they let or rent. The clothes will have a faster velocity to the waste dump, etc. manufacturers and purveyors will cater to this increased velocity... People are worried about drinking straws. Imagine all the new plastic items to cater to this new usage pattern...
    - ianschenck 7y ago
      As someone who just recently stopped being a "landlord"...I very much agree that renters put a magnitude more wear and tear on things. The wear and tear people put on things when they don't own them...and without even being consciously aware of it. I know now that anything rented should maximize durability while minimizing cost. Time will tell which one weighs heavier, but I'm pessimistic also, and guess that minimizing cost is overall cheaper than durability.
    - arcticbull 7y ago
      Indeed, and the difference with the "craigslist" model is I'm incentivized to keep the value of my goods as high as possible to maximize my return. Rental, I'm incentivized only to keep it in "good enough" shape the owner will take it back. Maybe some sort of value-share program where you get a rebate on your rental fees the better condition you keep your stuff? Aligned interests, and still automated.
  - benatkin 7y ago
    They can calculate how long rented equipment lasts, and at least for electric scooters, the time they last is pretty short. 28.8 days and 92 trips. I don't know how long the average non-shared scooter lasts but if I paid $300+ for my own electric scooter I'd want it to last much longer and go on more trips than that. https://qz.com/1561654/how-long-does-a-scooter-last-less-than-a-month-louisville-data-suggests/ https://qz.com/1561654/how-long-does-a-scooter-last-less-tha...
  - flukus 7y ago
    Considering the way people often abuse rentals I think the extra durability will mostly cancel out and there are other costs like energy efficiency that I doubt they will optimize for the end user. It may be a boon for repair-ability though if they see it's economical to have in house fixers.
  - Loughla 7y ago
    >I can imagine these types of companies buying more durable goods so they can rent them out to multiple people back to back instead Again, Rent-A-Center has existed for decades already, and their goods are certainly not more durable than standard consumer goods.

It's actually not that different than before. Clothes wear, smartphones get outdated, people are already used to renting their home & car, etc. There's not many things you only ever buy one of.

mc32 7y ago

I guess, but it makes things even more disposable, more consumerist. More detrimental to the environment.

arcticbull 7y ago
I could make a case for the opposite -- consumers tend to buy something new at the store then throw it out a couple of years later. I can imagine these types of companies buying more durable goods so they can rent them out to multiple people back to back instead. I see it as almost automating the craigslist model.
- mc32 7y ago
  Time will tell, of course. You might be right... but I’m pessimistic here. Renters and leasees take less good care of the items they let or rent. The clothes will have a faster velocity to the waste dump, etc. manufacturers and purveyors will cater to this increased velocity... People are worried about drinking straws. Imagine all the new plastic items to cater to this new usage pattern...
  - ianschenck 7y ago
    As someone who just recently stopped being a "landlord"...I very much agree that renters put a magnitude more wear and tear on things. The wear and tear people put on things when they don't own them...and without even being consciously aware of it. I know now that anything rented should maximize durability while minimizing cost. Time will tell which one weighs heavier, but I'm pessimistic also, and guess that minimizing cost is overall cheaper than durability.
  - arcticbull 7y ago
    Indeed, and the difference with the "craigslist" model is I'm incentivized to keep the value of my goods as high as possible to maximize my return. Rental, I'm incentivized only to keep it in "good enough" shape the owner will take it back. Maybe some sort of value-share program where you get a rebate on your rental fees the better condition you keep your stuff? Aligned interests, and still automated.
- benatkin 7y ago
  They can calculate how long rented equipment lasts, and at least for electric scooters, the time they last is pretty short. 28.8 days and 92 trips. I don't know how long the average non-shared scooter lasts but if I paid $300+ for my own electric scooter I'd want it to last much longer and go on more trips than that. https://qz.com/1561654/how-long-does-a-scooter-last-less-than-a-month-louisville-data-suggests/ https://qz.com/1561654/how-long-does-a-scooter-last-less-tha...
- flukus 7y ago
  Considering the way people often abuse rentals I think the extra durability will mostly cancel out and there are other costs like energy efficiency that I doubt they will optimize for the end user. It may be a boon for repair-ability though if they see it's economical to have in house fixers.
- Loughla 7y ago
  >I can imagine these types of companies buying more durable goods so they can rent them out to multiple people back to back instead Again, Rent-A-Center has existed for decades already, and their goods are certainly not more durable than standard consumer goods.