:wtf1: When did T.J. Maxx stop doing Lay-A-Way?!?! :irked:
This rant is because Monday after taking my mom for a follow up mammogram we decided we needed to shop. We went to TJ Maxx a particular fave of mine and after 2 hours and a cart o load of stuff we headed to the back of the store where layaway used to be located and found nothing but a smiling associate putting out stock. She cheerily told us that our beloved layaway was no more but she would be happy to open a TJMaxx instant credit for us.
My mom is 78 and on fixed income. I'm physically disabled but have been denied SSD twice already. We are not a household that charges things unless absolutely necessary. My mom was crestfallen and a bit pissed off. She hasn't shopped in months and just wanted to put a few nice things for herself on layaway. She ended up writing a check and saying a prayer. Translation: Something will be paid late this month.
This isn't a blog for the trust fund babys amongst us. Or maybe it is if you are curious about how the rest of America lives, or rather used to live.
Layaway, also referred to as lay-by in Australia and New Zealand, is a way to purchase an item without paying the entire cost at once. However, rather than taking the item home and then repaying the debt on a regular schedule, as in most installment plans or hire purchases, the layaway customer does not receive the item until it is completely paid for. There is sometimes a fee associated with a layaway purchase, since the seller must "lay" the item "away" in storage until the payments are completed. In the event the customer did not pay the amount due, the item would be returned to stock and any subsequent payments that were processed or are pending would be returned to the customer.
Layaway was once more common than it is now, since the ubiquity of credit cards has decreased its utility. Wal-Mart announced on September 14, 2006 that it would discontinue layaway service in all its stores by the end of the year, citing the decrease in demand and a rise in cost of implementation.[1] Layaway remains popular at many Kmart stores.
Layaway was once more common than it is now, since the ubiquity of credit cards has decreased its utility. Wal-Mart announced on September 14, 2006 that it would discontinue layaway service in all its stores by the end of the year, citing the decrease in demand and a rise in cost of implementation.[1] Layaway remains popular at many Kmart stores.
Electronic layaway is layaway through the internet. It allows consumers to purchase items through scheduled deductions from a checking account.[2] [3]
I used to be the layaway queen, my friends would laugh at me when I spent my Saturday mornings running around the county leaving $10, $20 or $50 payments at various venues. The last laugh was on them, because I rarely had credit card debt and I always looked like I just stepped out of a bandbox. :biggrin1:
It's true, you don't get that thrill of immediate shopping gratification. But you also don't take a year to pay for an $80 pair of Stuart Weitzman's at 18% interest.
offer(ed) layaway limit it to 30 days, 60 days at most, it's not a huge sacrifice.
IMHO, one of the many reasons American are so in debt is due to the demise of layaway.
I get that stores are in business to make money and layaway was sometimes not a money maker; plus it took up valuable square footage which allegedly could be sales floor space.
Unfortunately without exception every single store which used to offer layaway now offers a store credit card or a Visa or MasterCard with the store logo on it. This is what is killing middle America. It's easy to say, "if you don't have the cash, don't buy it" when you have the money to buy the things you need. When you work full time and it's September and you don't have money to buy basics such as shoes and underwear for your kids to go back to school nevermind notebooks and pencils it's rough. You are left with no other option but charging the merchandise. Same thing happens at Christmas. Thank GOD K-Mart still offers laway for Christmas. I bet they do a bang up business on toys and games.
FWIW: Electronic layaway sounds okay to me. I would be okay with that. I have no idea which stores offer it though. I wish they had provided links.