Do You Buy Refurbished?

I think Apple products are one of the safest ones to buy refurbished since most of them are done officially by the company itself, and for those I am more trusting. If the refurbished product was only done by independent stores then I'd be more skeptical and hesitant since I worry about the parts that were used and if I'm really getting the value for the money I am spending or if I will be duped into paying more for cheap parts that I have no chance to check. I think it's alright to gamble if the item isn't too expensive or if you trust the seller, but otherwise I think it's much better and safer to just get brand new.

 

I wouldn't mind buying refurbished electronics. Refurbished electronics are as good as new ones. A refurbished computer I bought in 2012 still works fine. I had to replace because the hardware was obsolete and were it not for that I'm sure it would have survived for a few more years.

@OP, all refurbished electronics are always tested first before being sold so the likelihood of getting a refurbished device/gadget that doesn't work perfectly is rather remote.

 

Yes, I buy refurbished products, but that is only when I don't have the means to buy something that is brand new, combined with a lack of time and funds. Other times the product that you are looking for are older, especially when it comes to technology, and they are not making them anymore in brand new condition. So you are forced to buy refurbished if you want that exact model.

 

I have a refurbished iPod and it's great. You can save so much and as electronic items date so fast, they don't hold their value for long before the next model comes out. I got mine via Groupon that do good deals on refurbished lines and still are guaranteed.

 

I don't like buying refurbished because I simply prefer having something that hasn't been touched by anyone else (aside from the manufacturing and boxing). That's a personal preference, though. Many companies refurbish their devices to a like-new standard, so you can definitely trust the companies that take refurbishing to the highest level. On the other hand, some companies rarely do anything to refurbished units and simply stick them back onto the shelves or online.

 

I generally wouldn't have a problem purchasing refurbished small kitchen appliances - in fact I've seen some great deals on these at places such as Big Lots, which were selling Cuisinart electric grills for only $30, when they normally sell for $100-$120 brand new. They were re-packaged in some generic white boxes with a label on them indicating they were refurbished, but when I opened one to inspect it, it looked brand new.

However I have also had some bad experiences buying refurbished products as well. One of the worst was when I set out to get a new vacuum cleaner. I had moved to a new location and discovered that there was a Sears discount store near me which sold returned and refurbished merchandise. They had a selection of cordless sweepers, for about $70 refurbished, which normally sold for about twice that amount. I bought one without opening the package and inspecting it first, which I should have done. When I got home and opened it, not only was it missing all the manuals and any other attachments (it was literally just the sweeper itself and the charging cord), but the sweeper was full of scratches and dents as if someone had been using it for months, if not longer. I immediately returned it and just bought a brand new Dirt Devil sweeper from Wal-Mart instead, which worked much better.

 

I once got a refurb item from Best Buy but had to return it. Since then, I buy new. Before I used my computer for more than browsing, there was a neighborhood warehouse that sold cheap software and refurbished computers. I loved this store because as computers got smaller, a simple desktop with monitor,speakers and printer would cost less than $300. After a while they got in demos and items with slight imperfections. Then they were gone for good.

 

I have before but i usually don't. Before when my economy was a bit better, I would just pay a bit more and just get the product at the full price but recently I've been looking at refurbished more. Not only refurbished but deals in general. I just didn't trust the refurbished items before because it's not very soothing knowing that the product has had problems before and needed to be fixed..

But I think most refurbished should be fine as long as you buy from major companies like Apple or something. Cameras I all buy used or refurbished as well because the functions will be the same as long as there's no major damage internally or anything. I'd go with refurbished if you're looking to save money because they are quite a lot cheaper at times (at least enough to make you hesitate from paying full).

 

I usually don't find many good deals when looking at refurbished products, which is why I mostly prefer not to risk and take something that might be faulty and just pay the extra 10 bucks for a brand-new product. I just don't find it to be worth in the long-run.

 

It's always advisable to buy brand new but if you're tight on the budget, going for refurbs are not bad. Especially if the one you're buying from is a trusted seller who is of good reputation and will not cheat you. There are plenty of good phones out there, and not everybody is a snake.

 

Electronic items and appliances are always preferred to be brand new even if the refurbished version are so cheap. And when the refurbished put on a warranty, it is still not a good experience for an electronic item to go kaput since you will have to have it repaired, i.e. going through the hassle of bringing it to the repair shop and wait for a period. That's not to say that brand new don't have those problems, it's just that brand new have the advantage.

 

I will buy refurbished products directly from the manufacturer, if they come with some form of guarantee, however there is no way that I would want to buy anything like that from anywhere else, as I may find that there are things wrong with the goods that I would then not be covered for. You should always make sure that you're careful with things like electronic, particularly if you know that you're going to have to spend a lot of money on them, as this means that you're much less likely to risk losing your money in the future, which can only be a good thing.

 

I don't generally buy refurbished electronics, but once I made an exception with a Samsung microwave. It looked as good as new, and worked like a charm. I used it for 10 years and left it for someone when I left England to return to Botswana in 2013. I know they're still using it, and it works just fine. I guess you just have to take a leap of faith.

 

I would rather buy new when it comes to Electronics, especially computers. That way I know everything is up to date and will work better.

 

Yes, I do buy refurbished and have not had any problems with them. Sometimes refurbished is even better because you know the components have been gone over individually and you are not just buying an untested mass produced item. I think buying refurbished especially if it is a well know company is a pretty safe bet.

 

Sure i would but i haven't really had the need to buy a refurbished phones or other gadgets. I don't see anything wrong with refurbished stuff.

 

The laptop I was using before my current one was a refurbished MacBook Pro. It lasted me eight years before finally giving up the ghost. In the interest of full disclosure, though, I did need to have a few repairs done over those years. However, they were known issues with that particular model and I probably would have needed some of the same repairs done even if I’d bought it brand new.

After the last repair in 2011, I figured that if I had further serious problems, the machine was so outdated that it’d be more beneficial and cost-effective to buy another one. That happened last year. I would have bought another refurb but I needed something quick, so this one was brand new. So I’d say do your research and find out if the company has a good reputation for their refurbished products, and you should be good.

 

Same here. If only I have the budget then I would certainly opt for a brand new one. I also buy refurbished smartphones on Ebay, since the models that I like are old models already, so you really can't buy them anymore from the original manufacturer.

 

I know. I mean, if you have the money to spare that I cannot imagine any other reason why anyone would purchase the refurbished version of a product. And also for the simple reason that they don't make the model anymore and the only way to get it is to purchase a refurbished version. It sucks to buy older models from ebay though because if something goes wrong, they aren't going to fix it for you.