The era of rental phones has begun in technology stores! However, there is a serious risk.

The President of the Consumers Association, Levent Küçük, warned consumers about the long-term rental of smartphones initiated by some technology stores, emphasizing "data privacy".

Technology stores have started a long-term rental period for smartphones. As part of the rental process, users are given smartphones with zero usage and manufacturer's warranty. The box of the rented product is opened for the first time during the rental process. Smartphones can be rented for periods of 12, 18, or 24 months.

PHONE CAN BE PURCHASED AT THE END OF THE PROCESS

Prior to the rental, the consumer's credit score is checked, and complete identification information must be provided. At the end of the rental period, the person who requests it can purchase the device by paying a certain fee according to its model, but the rental period of the phones cannot be extended.

Küçük, the President of the Consumers Association, pointed out that there may be some negative aspects of the smartphone rental application for consumers. Küçük emphasized that the amount consumers will pay for the rented phone may be higher than what they paid when they purchased it, and highlighted the importance of comparing the difference between the purchase and rental prices for consumers who will rent a phone.

"DATA MUST BE RESET"

Küçük, who stated that rented phones can cause some grievances in terms of data privacy, said, "Consumers need to pay attention to the confidential and personal information they load onto the rented smartphone. Some citizens will not purchase these phones at the end of the rental process, in this case, it is beneficial to reset the recorded personal information and data. Information and data that are not reset can have negative consequences for the consumer in the future."

"INCENTIVES FOR REFURBISHED PRODUCTS SHOULD BE INCREASED"

Küçük also stated that the compensation and insurance coverage that can be imposed on the consumer in cases such as "loss" that may arise during the use of rented devices should be evaluated well. Küçük, who stated that the use of refurbished devices is also becoming increasingly widespread, said:

"Economically, incentives for the use of these products need to be increased. With every new product and model, the market turns into a phone landfill. Since most of these phones are imported, there is a financial loss for our country. What is important here is to increase incentives for consumers to prioritize refurbished products if they have a need for purchase and to review the three-installment limit."