Factory Refurbished

dubbs112

I am curious to see what people think of buying anything that says

Factory Refurbished[/b]


Is this a clear sign to steer away or is the savings worth the risk?

Darthn3ss

well... i'm don't have a problem buying refurb... someone broke someting, it got sent back, and got repaired... fine for most things, imo.

JDMurray

The first thing you want to check with any refurbed unit is the warranty. 30-days is typical, 90-days is very good, and AS-IS is just asking for trouble. Make sure the description states exactly what the refurb work performed on the unit was. Some sellers have a better reputation for refurbing units than others. The refubs from Dell are usually quite good, and if I'm looking to save some money I have no problem buying refubed units from them.

Slowhand

Don't be afraid to check the warranty, as jdmurray said. Also, if you're buying from a place that offers it, spring for an additional, extended warranty. You'll be insured that whatever goes wrong, you can get fixed, and you won't have to worry about the thing breaking down a week after the return policy expires. Also, speaking from personal experience of having worked in a retail computer store, refurbished units often simply get replaced with new ones when they're under extended warranty, because it's rarely worth the effort to fix it, and it's cheaper just to replace the unit.

Webmaster

Same here, as long as there's a month or more warranty I have no problems with it. Actually, I usually try to find refurbished before looking at new equipment.

It's the same as with a new car, the value, hence the cost/price drops relatively fast during the first couple of years. To add to that, I don't need 'the latest', but I do like brands. With new equipment (material) you pay extra for the brand, while with factory refurbished you often don't pay for the brand but for what it's actually worth. And regardless of how much money one has, you can only spend it ones.