# Pitting the Washington Post for glorifying ignorance and stupidity **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 24, 2014, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-washington-post-for-glorifying-ignorance-and-stupidity/702371 "2014-10-24T17:43:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 17
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-washington-post-for-glorifying-ignorance-and-stupidity/702371/321 "2014-10-30T14:55:28Z")
As well, they hardly take a loss on it if they’ve already gotten two grand for a $1000 item, even if they’d prefer to get four grand out of it. Sure, they’re stuck with it, but even the pennies on the dollar is pure profit at that point. . ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-washington-post-for-glorifying-ignorance-and-stupidity/702371/322 "2014-10-30T15:38:47Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > What makes you assume this? I’m betting they turn around and rent-to-own it to the next sucker in line at a slightly discounted (but still incredibly inflated) price. I don’t think there’s any law against renting out used furniture, is there? > > If they can find someone to sign up to pay over 4 grand for a couch that’s barely worth a thousand, they can probably sign someone up at 2 grand for the same couch in used condition. That would be illegal, if they do. You can’t sell used goods as new. Unless they disclose that they are selling “refurbished” goods. That is not to say that some of these stores wouldn’t try and do that. But, AFAIK, we don’t need any new laws to prevent it being done. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-washington-post-for-glorifying-ignorance-and-stupidity/702371/323 "2014-10-30T18:00:25Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > That would be illegal, if they do. You can’t sell used goods as new. Unless they disclose that they are selling “refurbished” goods. > > That is not to say that some of these stores wouldn’t try and do that. But, AFAIK, we don’t need any new laws to prevent it being done. That’s not what i meant. I’m not talking about selling it as new. If there are some people are really willing to enter into a rent-to-own contract in order to pay over four grand for a shitty new couch, you can probably find equally uninformed and desperate people to enter into a similar contract for a slightly used shitty couch at the bargain price of two thousand. There’s no more a law against selling overpriced used furniture than there is against selling overpriced new furniture. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-washington-post-for-glorifying-ignorance-and-stupidity/702371/324 "2014-10-30T18:37:36Z")
Does anyone else find it hard to believe that someone like this would take better care of her rented furniture than she does her money? I wouldn’t buy the couch new, but I sure as hell wouldn’t buy it used if it was used by her. I would be afraid of drowning in her ass-dents. Regards, Shodan [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-washington-post-for-glorifying-ignorance-and-stupidity/702371.md?page=16)