Hyderabad: Rented coolers beat the heat

HYDERABAD: With the temperatures zooming, students and young office employees staying in hostels and rented flats are hiring coolers to keep cool. Certain outlets allow them to rent the coolers for a couple of months or more.

“I have been living in Hyderabad for three years. Every summer, I rent a small cooler which is just right for the size of my hostel room. Since I am a frequent customer, I get a cooler at a discounted price of  Rs 500 for two months,” said Ms S. Saranya, a student.

This is a common practice around HiTec City, Gachibowli and Indranagar.

While it’s easy to rent, most admit that in the long run it is more economical to purchase a cooler.

“We have had people rent coolers for Rs 1,000. Some customers return for three years, by which time they have already spent what is required to buy a cooler,” said Mr Muhammed Ansar, the owner of Royal Rentals at Gachibowli.

Shopkeepers and stall-owners say out-of-town students opt to rent a cooler rather than buy one because they don’t want to carry it around when they move.

“We often buy back the coolers and there are always new students or employees who want to buy them, so renting out a cooler is never a loss. We think that people flock to our stall because it seems like a good deal and the idea of renting is easier than buying,” said A. Ashraf, a dealer at Madhapur.

Coolers are available online at prices starting from Rs 2,000.  A good cooler can be brought from the market for Rs 3,000.

“I rented a cooler during my first year of living at Hyderabad. At the end of the summer, I decided to buy the same one as I realised that summers in Hyderabad could be unbearable. I worked out a deal with the seller and paid the difference between my rental amount and the actual price. With cooler prices starting at Rs 2,500, it is more economical buying a cooler,” said an employee from TCS.

“There hasn’t been a single case of a young person not returning a rented cooler. If they are a day late, we give the customer a call or visit the house from where we collect the cooler,” said a seller.