02/12/2026
I own a small store, and one of my regular customers who uses a wheelchair asked if I could install a ramp so they could actually come in without struggling. It felt like the right thing to do, so I hired a contracting company and financed the build through one of those installment loan services because I didn’t have the full amount upfront. I figured it would be straightforward: build the ramp, pay it off over time, everyone benefits.
They built the ramp, but then they added these guardrails blocking the entire thing so nobody can actually use it until the loan is fully paid off. Fully paid off. I signed a 72-month installment plan, which means the ramp just sits there unusable for six years while my customers stare at it like some kind of cruel display piece. It’s literally there to help people, and instead it’s become an obstacle and an eyesore right in front of my store.
When I called them to ask what the hell this was about, they said,
“The rails come off once the payment is complete.”
So now I’m stuck trying to figure out whether I take out another loan just to pay off the first one early so people can actually use the ramp, or leave it blocked and deal with customers wondering why I installed something they’re not even allowed to use. Either way, I’m the one stuck holding the mess while the company shrugs and calls it policy.