I don't trust refurbished appliances that much, I'm too afraid that they'd just break anytime. So I'm going for a surefire way and that is to buy appliances brand-new.
I never buy refurbished appliances because most times they can cause more problems than if I were to repair or purchase a new appliance. Appliances and other electronics are things I always purchase new. If I cannot afford what I want then I save and wait until the price drops.
I am typing on a refurbished Dell notebook computer right now. It works brilliantly. My first one I bought new and I now wish I had just bought a refurbished one first time. I think it is best to buy an item refurbished when you know that fixing it will not be costly. If there is not much of a price difference, then I would go new...but there often is and you can get an awesome one for a killer price!
Washing machines, dryers, microwaves, refrigerators I'd buy only brand-new. I'm a bit finicky about these items and wouldn't like to use secondhand ones. But I'm absolutely okay buying and using refurbished laptops or televisions, if the specs suit me, the seller reputation is good, and it comes with some sort of returns policy or warranty.
I've bought a refurbished TV and stereo. I wouldn't buy a refurbished computer because it's more delicate and more things can go wrong. A TV can take a little abuse but computers are so delicate you can't even touch the inside of the case with static electricity on your hands. I wouldn't mess with a refurbished computer.
I'm always looking for ways to save money. On one hand, I rarely buy warranties for a new item. I found those extended contracts to be a scam so the store gets extra money. As for refurbished items, I personally found this to be a gamble. It doesn't matter if it's factory or store refurbished because if it breaks it breaks. I once bought a factory refurbished receiver that burnt out after 3 months. The factory kept trying to fix it (for free) but it just wouldn't work. I've bought a video game system refurbished with extra cooling from a store and until this day it never received a red ring etc.
I think no matter which way you go, you just need to make sure that you purchase an extended warranty and then you're covered either way.
For me, I rather go for the brand new items. Brand new items are much better because it has a warranty and good quality. I just prefer the second hand one if I don't have budget for the item that I want. Remember that the second hand items are not in a good quality.
I think it depends more on who you buy the product from, rather than the product itself. For instance, I wouldn't hesitate to buy anything refurbished from the Apple Store, and I have in the past. Everything they sell comes with the same warranty a new product comes with. A company's reputation is the most important factor I use when making a major purchase. I wouldn't purchase any used or refurbished product that didn't come with a warranty.
Personally speaking, I would rather use a new item. A new item has a lesser chance of being faulty or having other problems. If I had no budget, I would only buy new. That being said, those on a budget should also look into refurbished items if there is a significant discount. Usually there is a warranty that goes along with a refurbished item so the risk is only moderate with a pretty high reward.
I always buy brand new gadgets, since I'm very particular with the warranty, and the product is less likely to fail if I buy a brand new one as compared to a refurbished hand one. I'm afraid that if I buy a refurbished one then it will conk out easily.
There was a Sears outlet store near me that was selling returned/refurbished items. I was pretty shocked at how much they were charging for the stuff and how poor condition it was in. I bought a cordless vac refurbished there for like $100 (which is pretty steep for a used item), got it home and took it out of the box. Not only was it missing all the manuals, it was really scratched up like it had been used for quite a while, then to top it off, wouldn't turn on. So I quickly returned it and got a brand new vac for less.
Depends on how much will I save. I usually go for refurbished though since it's really a money saver. And if it's refurbished, I make sure that it's in good condition and it will last long. But if the refurbished and brand new prices are near, I go for brand new.
I've bought quite a few refurbished items. But I'll only by factory refurbished with a full warranty. Usually it's stuff that comes off the line and doesn't pass initial inspection. I'm happy with everything I've ever bought in this condition. When you buy from Apple they might replace your refurbished product with something new if you have a warranty claim (well they used to)....so it's a win win.
When it comes to computers or most anything that is electronic, no I would not buy refurbished computers or other electronics. My daughter bought two refurbished laptops and one is still going strong and the other well it quite working after two months, so I guess you are just taking a chance on these items, sometimes you win, sometimes you loose. As for me, I stick to new computers, they cost a little more but are a better buy, even if it means putting them on layaway or just saving up for them. The computers aren't as expensive as they used to be,you can find new desktops for like 400. new and laptops from 300. and you can even get netbooks for around 280. either way I only buy new computer equipment. Now with cars I will buy used, but very carefully as well, I must say the last used car I bought was only 2000. and it has lasted 5 years now with minor repairs!
If you have enough money, it's definitely better to get something new. If you don't then refurbished items will suit you well enough. If all you need is a few weeks to save enough money, i think it may be better to hold off and buy a new one. It'll work in your favor in the long-run. As for quality... if quality is important to you, then you should be willing to pay some extra money to get it. Unfortunately, it's hard to find quality products at a cheap(er) price today. If your looking for a cheaper but high-quality product, you can go with a high-quality brand's smaller product. Or better yet, you can wait for a sale.
I had a not so good experience with a refurbished computer. Everything worked fine but there was a connection problem so the battery did not charge, so it only worked on AC power and it was loose in the plug. I ended up Gorilla gluing it so it wouldn't fall out and shut down on me. Other than that the computer was fine, so I wasn't TOO upset about that inconvenience, but it did alert me to the fact that refurbished items can still have problems that they either missed or ignored.
I've just had a bunch of really bad experiences with refurbished products so I guess my opinion is pre-determined, but I'll say this: It depends on the brand. If you have a brand that is known to be long-lasting, then it is probably worth it to buy a refurbished device. If the brand is known to wear down pretty quickly, then you should probably go with buying a new device. I suggest you do some research before ever going out to buy some sort of refurbished device.
I don't have a problem buying refurbished items. I have bought refurbished electronics (Samsung Galaxy Tabs). One has been running for four years strong and I just recently got the other one and it is doing fine as well. I think it really depends on where you get your refurbished items from to say whether or not they will work like a brand new, unopened product. All refurbished items that I have bought have a factory warranty and both of my Galaxy tablets came directly from Samsung.
