Types of Rental Plans

It is possible to rent used, name brand instruments by the month or school year. Renting by the school year allows you to make a single payment, saving you as much as half of what a monthly rental would cost. Used instruments rented for the school year (paid in advance) should cost you less than $10/month for common instruments such as flute, clarinet, trumpet or trombone -- background and orchestral instruments such as violin and saxophone should cost less than $25/month. Dealers using this type of plan do not sell the instrument you are renting; instead they apply your lease fee to the retail price of a new instrument, often with substantial additional discounts. Be sure the contract you sign does not put you under obligation to buy!

Monthly rental plans are very attractive due to a low initial monthly cost of $17 to $45/month,  BEWARE! Some of these plans have hefty hidden costs such as finance charges, "bookkeeping fees" or only a certain number of payments apply to the purchase of the instrument, with no additional discounts from the retail price. The KEY QUESTION with this type of plan is "How much will the instrument cost me if I rent it until I own it?". Some monthly plans do not let you " Rent to Own" but let you take a predetermined credit and apply it to a new or used instrument. Some dealers discount new instruments as much as 50% of the manufacturer's retail price! Again, ASK WHAT THIS INSTRUMENT WILL COST YOU WHEN YOU ARE READY TO BUY!!