Refurbished or Not?
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A lot of people have a misconception about refurbished products. Most people will not buy them, because they have the thought that the item is used and in horrible condition. In most cases, this is not the situation. When someone buys an item and returns it, the manufacturer cannot simply add tape to the box and resell it. The item is no longer new. Even if a customer returned the item because it was missing a remote control or a cable — it is no longer considered new…
The manufacturer has to throughly look into the item, making sure that it is in great working condition — and if something is not working, they fix it before putting it back up for sale.
The great thing about these refurbished products is that they are usually offered at much lower price, and are usually brand new. For example, for my birthday my parents got me a new TV. I just ordered a refurbished TV from buy.com. The TV has 23 great reviews from customers, and comes with a 90 day warranty. For an additional 30 dollars, I bought a 2 year extended warranty. With free shipping and the warranty, I spent less than 500 dollars.
Next time you have the choice to buy refurbished, consider it. You are getting a great item for a cheaper price. Make sure you are buying the refurbished item from a trustworthy dealer, and that they offer some sort of warranty.
Justin
4 Comments
E2001
July 8th, 2008
at 6:48am
“Refurbished” is a generic term covering everything from “previously opened” to “completely rebuilt”. The trouble is, you never know exactly where on that line the item originated. Granted, in the case of huge department store purchases, “refurbished” usually translates to: “returned” or “open package” items. But in the case of “Mom & Pop Shops”, it usually means “re-created from a giant box of used parts”. YOU have to decide which is better; as most Mom & Pop Shops will stand behind their products with religious zeal. You won’t find that kind of support at Best Buy.
Exothermic Reaction
July 8th, 2008
at 2:24pm
I agree with E2001, You have to decide if it is a risk or not depending on the retailer.
I have had very good luck buying refurbished items. I figure refurbished usually means actually tested. I have seen a large difference in what I get; some are simply repackaged returns, others are remanufactured to like new condition.
I would recommend you weigh the warranty conditions. If there is not a significantly better warranty on the new product, go for the refurb.
Exo
Dave
July 8th, 2008
at 6:42pm
I have bought a couple of refurbished laptops. The last was a Gateway, You could not tell the difference from brand new. Down to the plastic cling film over the surfaces. No scratches no dings could not tell that it had ever been used. Has been 3 months and no problems with it. I think that I saved approx. $400.00 off of list with free shipping to boot.
I have also purchased 2 I pods from the apple store that were refurbished with no problems. Same deal they appeared to be in new condition have had no problems with them and saved 50 to 75 a piece on them.
just_jeepin
July 10th, 2008
at 9:51am
Over a year ago, I bought a refurbished XM Pioneer Inno for $135. That was over $100 cheaper if I bought a new unit. It was in pristine condition and has worked flawlessly. The only difference from new… it came in a cardboard box and not the plastic blister pack. I can’t see paying over $100 for the packaging!