Occasionally while in transit, something could happen that will slightly dent or scratch an electronic. It's only on the outside that may look kind of ugly but the electronic itself is fully functional. When that happens, stores have two options: they can either sell the product as it is or send it back to the manufacturer for inspection and repackaging and pay the extra shipping costs. Most stores, to avoid the added expense, will opt to sell the product at a lower price. Would it be wise to buy such a product since it could have sustained some structural damage that might get worse when you start using the product?
It would depend on two things for me, how damaged is the outside, and did it do any damage to the inside. If it did a lot of damage to the outside then I'd decline, if it did a little bit of damage, but the insides worked fine then I'd have no qualms about buying it if the price was right.
Obviously it would depend on a few different factors (what do I need it for? i.e. will it have to look good and/or support weight when I use it? etc.) But it mostly depends on how much I trust the people retailing it: Do I think they would sell me snake-oil for the monster under my bed (as long as the money's 'good'), or do I believe they'd only sell me something if it were useful?
As long as the damage can be overlooked for my standards and it's not that noticeable, then I would just probably buy it, since I buy 2nd hand items anyway, and most of them have cosmetic damages, but they work fine. But if the damage was glaring, then for sure I will not buy it at all.
I would buy it but depends if the damage has not affected the functions of the product, where the damage is (say if it was a mobile phone then I would not want to buy if the screen is slightly cracked), and the selling price of course. The product could last longer if we take good care of it because a brand new product will not last long either if it gets damaged a few weeks after we bought it.
Yes, it's wise to sell them at lower price. Because usually a freight-damaged gadget only has an effect on its physical which doesn't extend to its inside and doesn't affect the function of the gadget. It's only the appearance that's affected. And we use the gadget because of its use, not because of how it looks. Besides there are now many achievable options to conceal the physical display.
As long as it is works as good as a new one, then it should be fine. It would be a great way to save some money. I have sold a few electronics that just had a few scratches. Those people I sold them to, saved a lot of money by buying used.
I don't mind doing that with other items. For electronics, though? I'm a little more hesitant. Just because they're only dinged up on the outside, doesn't mean there wasn't some internal damage anyway. They might turn on fine immediately, but if there's any damage inside, it might cause them to die faster or cause issues.
Eh, if I'm going to make a big investment in an item like a new TV, computer, gaming system etc, I want it to be in perfect condition because it is very likely I'll be holding on to that item for years. So if I'm going to spend the money, I want the product to be in perfect condition. If I can't afford the item, then I don't see any sense in me buying a used, damaged one in its place.
I'm very picky when it comes to electronics and I don't think it would be worth it to buy those which are already slightly damaged. I think because of that, the lifespan is automatically shortened and you will realize in the end that it was not worth your money as compared to when you just buy a good one right at the start. I make sure I buy from really reliable shops.
