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re: Buying Refurbished Electronics: Yay or Nay?
Posted on 2/13/14 at 4:03 pm to SW2SCLA
Posted on 2/13/14 at 4:03 pm to SW2SCLA
A factory refurb with warranty...Absolutely!
Here's why.
A factory refurb has higher quality control testing procedures than a unit coming straight off the production line. The reason is because it has already failed and been repaired once and they absolutely cannot make a profit off of the unit if it fails a 2nd time.
Here's why.
A factory refurb has higher quality control testing procedures than a unit coming straight off the production line. The reason is because it has already failed and been repaired once and they absolutely cannot make a profit off of the unit if it fails a 2nd time.
Posted on 2/13/14 at 4:04 pm to SW2SCLA
You have to consider that a lot of "manufacturer refurbs" are nothing more than customer returns who either had buyer's remorse or user error. Some could simply be damaged packaging, or a fault/defect that the manufacturer can easily fix and has no bearing on the lifespan/reliability of the product (stuck power button, chipped/scratched/broken screen, loose wifi cable, etc). And regardless of what was wrong with it, they undergo very thorough QA and testing before being resold.
What's the warranty on a new one? A year? If it's a well-reviewed tablet, the odds of a legitimate hardware failure (through no fault of your own) within 90 days vs a failure within 1 year are pretty much equal. And people with serious problems with their tablets who need to get warranty replacements usually end up getting a factory refurb as their replacement whether they realize it or not. The only variable here is battery life (which can be shortened depending on what the tablet was used for and how long it was used prior to going to refurb land) -- a good manufacturer refurb won't have any issue with this because the battery should have been tested and replaced as necessary, but given the 90-day warranty, you'll know pretty quickly and can raise all sorts of hell if the battery life is not up to par.
What's the warranty on a new one? A year? If it's a well-reviewed tablet, the odds of a legitimate hardware failure (through no fault of your own) within 90 days vs a failure within 1 year are pretty much equal. And people with serious problems with their tablets who need to get warranty replacements usually end up getting a factory refurb as their replacement whether they realize it or not. The only variable here is battery life (which can be shortened depending on what the tablet was used for and how long it was used prior to going to refurb land) -- a good manufacturer refurb won't have any issue with this because the battery should have been tested and replaced as necessary, but given the 90-day warranty, you'll know pretty quickly and can raise all sorts of hell if the battery life is not up to par.
This post was edited on 2/13/14 at 4:07 pm
Posted on 2/13/14 at 4:04 pm to Hopeful Doc
quote:
Every time. Had great experiences thus far. I've almost exclusively bought manufacturer refurbed stuff since about '05.
ive probably had a better batting average on refurbs than brand new items. its had someone give it the once over instead of just coming off the line. normally have a short warranty but enough to cover any obvious defects (not that ive ever had the issue).
Posted on 2/13/14 at 4:08 pm to NoSaint
Thanks for all the feedback everyone. Just ordered my first tablet
Posted on 2/13/14 at 4:15 pm to SW2SCLA
I have a factory refurb Velodyne sub that I use in my bedroom that works like new. I think I got 30% off or something like that on ebay. Well worth it.
Posted on 2/13/14 at 4:32 pm to ILikeLSUToo
quote:
You have to consider that a lot of "manufacturer refurbs" are nothing more than customer returns who either had buyer's remorse or user error. Some could simply be damaged packaging, or a fault/defect that the manufacturer can easily fix and has no bearing on the lifespan/reliability of the product (stuck power button, chipped/scratched/broken screen, loose wifi cable, etc). And regardless of what was wrong with it, they undergo very thorough QA and testing before being resold
100% correct, I once worked as a test engineer fora large computer manufacturer, customer returns, warranty returns, and return for repairs were run through the same test line as the newly manufactured items, after successfully completing the test process they were considered the same as new.
Posted on 2/13/14 at 4:33 pm to SW2SCLA
Bought a refurbished Macbook Pro two years ago and it's run like a boss.
Posted on 2/13/14 at 4:38 pm to Jim Rockford
Got a refurbished Ipad 4 directly from Apple. Came with the same one year warranty the new ones have. Got a 20% discount.
Posted on 2/13/14 at 4:41 pm to SW2SCLA
Depends on brand. I bought a 5th gen iPod touch for my kid from apple refurb. No difference or problems.
Lesser quality brand, probably not.
Lesser quality brand, probably not.
Posted on 2/13/14 at 4:53 pm to USAF_Vol
I have bought several refurb electronics items with no problems.
Another good deal is buying used stuff from Amazon Warehouse. I have bought a bunch of used auto parts like spark plugs, belts, pulleys and even brake pads. Every item received was a new item that someone else returned because they ordered or were sent the wrong part. They ship same as prime shipping. When you search for an item on amazon look under the item description to see if there is a used one listed. If I ever receive a used item from Amazon that is not in an acceptable condition I'm sure they will accept the return no questions asked.
Another good deal is buying used stuff from Amazon Warehouse. I have bought a bunch of used auto parts like spark plugs, belts, pulleys and even brake pads. Every item received was a new item that someone else returned because they ordered or were sent the wrong part. They ship same as prime shipping. When you search for an item on amazon look under the item description to see if there is a used one listed. If I ever receive a used item from Amazon that is not in an acceptable condition I'm sure they will accept the return no questions asked.
This post was edited on 2/13/14 at 4:54 pm
Posted on 2/13/14 at 5:18 pm to SW2SCLA
I've purchase a refurbished iPod many years ago and never had a problem with it. I've also had a few refurbished replacement phones that have worked well. I did have a problem with one refurbished phone though. The speaker went out so I could not hear anything when I made a phone call.
Posted on 2/13/14 at 5:32 pm to lsufan_26
So far I've bought a pair of Nikon D5100 bodies (from Cameta) and a Nikkor 70-300VR lens (from Adorama), each of which were factory refurbed and pristine.
Posted on 2/13/14 at 6:38 pm to SW2SCLA
quote:
Thanks for all the feedback everyone. Just ordered my first tablet
Which did you wind up going with?
Posted on 2/13/14 at 6:44 pm to Hopeful Doc
Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 inch
Posted on 2/13/14 at 6:51 pm to SW2SCLA
Solid choice. Everyone I have heard from with one of those is a fan.
Posted on 2/13/14 at 7:09 pm to junkfunky
quote:
I will if it's from amazon or newegg cause they'll bend over backwards for me if there's a problem.
Bought a refurbished desktop from Newegg last fall. It booted up once and then promptly died. I had to pay shipping to get it back to them and then wait 3 weeks for the replacement. I know Newegg has a good reputation and I've never had a problem before this but no more refurbs for me. And I've had a couple of problems with other vendors as well, this one's the last straw.
Posted on 2/13/14 at 7:18 pm to SW2SCLA
I bought my GPS back in the day refurb. Bought three and mine was free after I craigslisted the other two.
I also bought my first iphone 3G refurb and my AppleTV is also refurb. Big ticket items I typically get new (Smart Flat Panel TV, etc)...
I also bought my first iphone 3G refurb and my AppleTV is also refurb. Big ticket items I typically get new (Smart Flat Panel TV, etc)...
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