Frequently Asked Questions
What is a "Pawn"?
- A pawn is a collateral loan. A pawnbroker is one who lends money
while holding an item of value as collateral.
What if I don’t
want to Pawn my item? Will you buy outright?
- We will purchase any item we would loan on. Usually, for the same
amount.
What
do I need to get a loan?
- A state issued drivers license or ID card from any state is required.
If you have an out of state ID card, you must present a second
piece of ID. By law, we can not take anything from you without ID.
*You must be 18 years of age or older to take out a loan.
Is my transaction
confidential?
- Absolutely, we respect your privacy. All transaction & personal
information collected is confidential. See our "Privacy Policy".
Am I guaranteed
to get my item back when I repay the loan?
- Absolutely! As long as you return while the loan is active your
property is safely stored. Your pledge will be sold ONLY if you do
not return for it within your loan period.
My loan slip
says Bearer Contract, what does that mean?
- In the state of Oregon, pawn slips are "Bearer Contracts". This
means that whomever is in possession of your pink slip is considered
the owner of your items. We recommend you keep it in a safe.
Can I get more
money later?
- Once a pawn loan is written, we can not change the amount. If we
are able to loan a higher amount you can redeem your item, we may
write a new loan for the higher amount.
I lost my ticket....what
now?
- Bring in the Identification used to take out your loan (Driver’s
license or ID) & you may redeem your item. There is a $3.00 fee
for lost contracts.
What happens
if I don’t come back for my item?
- If you don't repay the loan, after 90 days (60 days if renewed)
the pawned item(s) becomes the property of ATG.
Can I get my
items if it’s past the due date?
- Rest assured, we want everyone to have their property. If the item(s)
is still on premises when you arrive, you can buy it back from us.
If the item(s) have left the premises, unfortunately, at that point
they are unable to be reclaimed.
Do you offer
Layaway?
- We are pleased to offer "Interest-Free Layaways". With just 20%
down you can put any item in the store on Layaway for up to 90 days.
Why
buy from us?
ATG is an established,
licensed, bonded & insured business with a reputation to maintain.
Our industry is closely regulated & monitored. Every single item that
passes through our store is not only examined for function & serviceability,
it also has its model & serial numbers reported to our local police
departments to check against the police databases. This should reassure
you. After all, what other store can guarantee that their merchandise
has been screened in this way? Why buy second-hand? Our stores offer
a great opportunity to purchase items at a reduced price. We offer
a 30-day functional warranty on non-jewelry items. Our jewelry is
guaranteed & comes with a lifetime stone replacement warranty. See
our Sales Policies here.
How do I know
it’s not stolen?
Quoted: "Nationally
less than one (1%) percent of all loans are stolen, of those a good
80% are family related. Over 78,000 people are employed in the industry,
which contributes 1.6 billion dollars in salaries to the nation’s
economy. Approximately 303 million dollars in sales & property taxes
are contributed by the industry. Capital investments of over 9 billion
dollars are from the Pawn industry. There are over 34 million customers
served yearly by pawnshops."
In conclusion,
there is a great deal of misunderstanding concerning the pawn business.
It is a business that combines retail sales with old fashioned banking
& serves a clientele that includes all income brackets. Those involved
work diligently toward keeping their business legal as well as serving
a needed purpose in the community of loaning to those whom the banks
will never acknowledge.
