Systems and methods for managing leased appliances

A refrigeration appliance for use under an appliance leasing agreement, the refrigeration appliance comprising:

• an appliance controller configured for selectively controlling the refrigeration appliance in an operating mode in which the appliance controller operates the refrigeration appliance for performing an appliance function and a locked mode in which the appliance controller prevents the refrigeration appliance from being operated to perform the appliance function;
• and
• memory storing a local parameter defining an initial lockout time at which the refrigeration appliance will be locked out from performing the appliance function;
• wherein the appliance controller is connected to the memory for reading the local parameter from the memory, the controller being configured to operate the refrigeration appliance in the operating mode until the lockout time and to switch the refrigeration appliance to the locked mode at the lockout time;
• the refrigeration appliance further comprising a lockout time change module, the lockout time change module being configured to receive a lockout time change input;
• wherein the lockout time change input comprises an encrypted key;
• wherein in response to receiving the lockout time change input, the lockout time change module is configured to execute a decryption algorithm to decrypt the encrypted key to determine an updated lockout time as a function of the encrypted key and update the local parameter stored in the memory to define the updated lockout time as when the appliance will be locked out from performing the appliance function.