There is this notion, or rather fear that when someone is selling a second hand electronic gadget it is because it has disappointed them in someway. Be it a fast discharging battery, or a slow or no response and a host of other reasons. What should one really look out for because I think, landing your hands on a good second hand electronic gadget really saves a fortune?
@NicholasMukuha There are always reasons people will have a second thought from buying a second-hand electronics ranging from, as you rightly pointed out, performance reduction of these prodcuts and others issues like stolen prodcuts. Whenever I want to buy these second-hand electronics, I first of all research online to see reviews of people that have used this particular product and how good it is. Then, I ensure that I am not being cheated by checking the latest price of the new electronics in the market and finally, I will have some verbal assurance from the seller that this particular electronics works fine and was not stolen. This is just a means to ensure confidence before buying these second-hand electronics.
Many second hand dealers do not stock electrical goods in the UK because they don't have any way of testing them to see if they are safe. I think for that reason I wouldn't buy electrical goods from a second hand shop although if it came from someone like a good friend or a family member I might. We do have a dealer a short distance from where I live who sells all kind of white goods and he told me that everything that comes into his shop is tested but I don't know of many places like this and I would still be wary as faulty electrical goods can cause fires.
That's a fact some people sell their electronics when they begin to experience problem(s) using them. Ordinarily many will stay with electronics working effectively with no problems. On the other hand there are people that sell their electronics just to get a newer upgraded make, in this case you may have a good deal from this class of sellers. I bought a refurbished computer and I have been using it for over a year with no negative issue. The cost was a far cry from the cost of the new make.
I have gotten some pretty good stuff throughout the eyars at the discounted and free rates when it comes to getting things from other people, so I am all for it. Of course you need to make sure the thigns work well, but other than that, why not.
Even though I have bought second hand electronic items, I am not very comfortable with buying second hand items. For example, you never know the exact condition of the item. What if the seller is selling the item because it has some faults? I will never buy a second hand items unless it is priced at least 50 percent less than the similar kind of new item. Second hand items can save you a lot of money but it may also give you headaches especially if it begins to break frequently.
Despite the savings that they can cause to our pocket (some discounts can be highly tempting ), I'd rather spend a little more and buy everything new. I mean, it's safer and - most of the time - worth it.
@Shine_Spirit I would rather be safe and have warranty for a little extra money then have the item purchased stop working after 1 week of the purchase.
At the moment, I personally believe that the savings does not justify the purchase of second hand electronics due to several reasons. Firstly, we are unable to measure the amount of usage of the electronics. Perhaps certain the internal circuits may be close to failing after one or two months of usage. Secondly, most second hand electronics may not have the manual or guide with them. We have to read up and find out the model ourselves. If the manual cannot be found online, we may use it in the wrong way or do not know the way to use certain functions. This will lead to quick failure even if the device is in decent condition originally.
I totally agree with you. Many times what we think will be cheap, can become even more expensive (and I think that's the real problem).
It happened a few times back in the days and ever since when i want to go cheap i remember the regret after.
I always advise people to refrain from buying second electronic items, be it a phone or a computer. It is best to buy brand new although it is expensive. And poor people are turning to second hand items because of budget constraints. Over here, another issue with used phones is the probabilty that it was stolen and sold to the phone store. Phones costing 20k pesos brand new is sold to the store for 500 pesos only because it was stolen (usually the thief is the one who sells). And then the store would sell it for 3k to 4k depending on the condition of the phone. My take is this - if no one will buy the used items then there will be no thieves.
I have reasons to believe that most electronic items have a fixed life as the electronic components need to be soldered with motherboard or power supply and the best of soldering has a fixed lifetime. For instance the resistors have shorter life compared to other components because of power resistance application. However, once the soldering begins cracking you do not have much chance with that gadget. So in my view an electronic gadget has a life of 3-5 years and after that it's your luck.
I am not a real fan of buying or using second hand products, however, if I get a good deal, I am not hesitant to buy them. One has to be very careful when buying second hand products online or from a person you do not really know. I always make sure I know or try to find the reason he/she is selling the product. You are safe if you buy a second hand product that is within the warranty period. I usually buy such second hand products as it saves you a considerable amount of money and there are no such issues with the product usually.
I will not personally prefer for second hand item. As other users mentioned they have particular life span. And also most of the people are selling stuff when this life span is at the end. So yes it may be working fine for now, but in very near future they can gone for bad. So I guess better to spend more money and go for new one as in the end it will save you more.
After we've learned the lesson it's easier not to repeat the same mistake, isn't it? It is better to always save a little more money and buy everything new.
If only it's that easy as sometimes you find yourself with many responsibilities and you have no other choice but to risk it.
@naruto100 And I would like to add that even the refurbished items sold by companies like eBay etc can give you trouble as some of them have only half guarantee/warranty period and the difference of rates is not much. So I would rather spend a few bucks more which would save money ultimately.
Totally agree with you. Here rates are not much difference, but as product may have some problem with hardware or software they have gone for refurbished. So for saving very little money going for that kind of product is not smart move. Better to go with totally new thing with full warranty. However I have no personal experience about refurbished item.
I once bought a second hand laptop from a shop and really wished I didn't. It broke down after a couple of months and I had to sell it off at almost nothing so they can salvage for parts. I always advocate for the purchase of second hand goods like books and furniture but for electronics, I will suggest you only buy from friends or family.
