this post was submitted on 07 Jan 2024
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Asklemmy
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Refurbished is not second hand. Itโs an item that has been returned to the retailer for one reason or another and gone through thorough diagnosis for any existing issues and repaired. You can save money over โnewโ to buy something that you now know has been scrutinized. Sometimes there may be blemishes, but depending on the product that matters very little.
I saw a video, I believe it was about refurbished gaming consoles, and the guy was showing that often times companies just blow dust out and don't do anything of value to refurbish the consoles.
Considering that you get a shorter warranty with refurbished items, I don't think it's worth it unless you know what exactly was done to the item.
It varies company to company.
And it can still be "used" and then refurbished.
Like, if you trade in a cell phone, a company could just wipe it down, call it refurbished, and sell it on Amazon as "Amazon refurbished" which makes it sound like a return that was inspected and repaired.
On the other side is "manufacturer refurbished" that is sold direct from manufacturer. Those have been returned for an issue, and likely repaired. Depending on the product, you'd be taking zero chance on a manufacturing flaw and getting a lower price.
But they're likely be scratches and stuff
So, for like a washer/dryer combe, definitely go for manufacturer refurbished. But something where looks matter more than function, the cosmetic damage might not be worth it.
Yeah, manufacturer refurbished is probably the safest bet.
I've purchased quite a few refurbished UPS systems, and the component that worry about most, the battery, is always new in these units. Never had issues with the units or the batteries, but it saved me hundreds of dollars. ๐
Hah, I really debated a refurbished UPS for like a month because I was afraid of battery capacity
Bit the bullet and got one like 5 years ago.
Still going strong. No idea what the capacity actually is, but it can power my router and modem for about 4-5 hours. Which is what it could do 4-5 years ago when I bought it.
I didn't mention it as an example because honestly, a UPS sounds like something you shouldn't skimp on and I figured I was just lucky.
But it makes sense, on a manufacturer refurbish they replace the failed part, then test all the other main components and the system as a whole. So less likely to have any other flaws.
This for sure. Appleโs refurbished is sometimes better because a more thorough diag has been done.
Tronixfix does a number of those videos, and sometimes they do a lot to clean it and make sure it's good, other times they don't even blow the dust out
Nah youโre just buying a returned item that was reboxed.
If you think companies selling an amalgam of $0.05 plastic components are gonna meticulously disassemble , diagnose, repair and clean/replace all parts, then reassemble them only to resell at a reduced price, I have a refurbished bridge to sell you.