What I noticed is just how popular refurbished items have become. Sure it saves you money, but most of the times, you're never told what the issue was with the actual item and you end up buying them not knowing that you may have to spend more to fix it. I've only ever purchased 1 refurbished item which was a gps and it has given me so many issues lately (its only been a year). I have been considering purchasing a refurbished iphone, but is it really worth it? Are refurbished items a good deal or a robbery?
The only way I'd trust a refurbished item is if it is done officially by the brand that made it which fortunately some companies do. Aside from this I'd maybe also be more willing if I know the person who is doing the fixing but otherwise I would be too paranoid that the materials being used aren't official or up to par and I also worry having to pay full price for cheap parts so unless I can be sure of what's going on if much rather just buy brand new.
I wouldn't worry too much about refurbished items being defective. That actually is the reason why they are returned to the retailers or manufacturers. Any issues they had are fixed and after they've been tested and found to be functioning properly, they'll be sold as "refurbished." Unlike used items which might have one or two defects, refurbished items have no defects. And since no one has used them, they're as good as new and much cheaper. Wouldn't you call that a great deal?
Often, refurbished goods are due to bugs, which tend to run throughout the product/model, so you can search to find out which aspects of the item were issues in the past, and that could give you an idea of what the past issues were with the refurbished items in that model. As @Denis Hard stated, the refurbished goods are thoroughly inspected and tested after being refurbished, so there's little chance of the issue reoccurring.
Apple's refurbished items undergo a far stricter process than other devices with other Manufacturers. Regardless of the previous issue, if any, the company replaces the battery and does a multi-point inspection. Broken hardware is replaced, and software issues are solved by replacing the software completely. Not all devices are returned because they're defective. Some people return phones because they don't like them, and these end up being refurbished. It's not an issue.
I have also noticed that refurbished items have become more and more popular, but I still prefer to get a brand new item over refurbished ones. The only time that I will settle for a refurbished item is when I don't have the money to purchase a brand new one, and I am in need of the item to where I don't really have a choice.
Generally refurbished electronic purchased from the dealer or company are in good condition and maybe better than a brand new one as the kinks have been worked out of the system when it was refurbished if there were any problems or the equipment was on a short time lease.
I have thought about it a lot. There are some good deals to be found on Amazon of refurbished goods. I've found that refurbished computers are quite popular. I wouldn't buy a refurbished computer myself. I'd be worried that all the parts would be worn out and that it would only work for a couple of weeks before breaking down again.
I know Apple officially refurbishes it's products, and you can buy them on their site, but as far as other products that aren't "officially refurbished", then you actually have a 50/50 chance of buying something that will stop working shortly. I have experienced that with buying a refurbished phone and and a 2nd hand CPU, so I now know what to expect when buying refurbished items. So I would suggest that you just save the money if you can than buy the refurbished ones.
I will only buy products if they are being sold by the manufacturer rather than by somebody who just claims to have "fixed" it. You will run into far fewer issues by doing it like this, so it is always going to be a heck of a lot safer. I also make sure that there is some form of guarantee on the product, as this means that I'm not going to waste money on something that is just going to break without me being able to get my money back for it.
I have a refurbished iPod and it's great. I wouldn't hesitate to buy products as long as the retailer had a guarantee. I bought mine via Groupon and it was fine. Apple also have a good selection and often products are returns that they can't resell or minor issues that can be fixed. Right now they have a sale on refurbished goods where you can get an iPad mini for $20 as a mystery electrical good package.
Refurbished items doesn't mean it's faulty. It's just that it's been already unsealed and probably has a little scratches here and there, but in the long-run... if you want to save around $20 in the best case scenario, it might be just worth for you. I personally don't take any risk whatsoever.
