You are looking at buying a new electronic, but want to try and save money. Technology changes rapidly, and keeping up with the latest and most innovative devices on the market can be a challenge. When you’re looking for a new electronic device, there are choices: buy a new device or buy a refurbished device. Let’s see what refurbished means, and the pros and cons of buying refurbished vs. new devices.
What Does Refurbished Mean?
Refurbished, when talking about electronics, refers to older or used technology that has been cleaned and rebuilt to make it like new. It can refer to the hardware being replaced or updated with newer, faster, and more innovative tech than that which originally came with the device.
Pros of Buying Refurbished
- Refurbished technology is usually cheaper than buying new.
- The refurbished devices come cleaned and repaired if they are sent back to the manufacturers.
- They generally look like new, undamaged and completely unscathed. They appear to be no different than a new device. If done right you won’t be able to tell visually that a device has been refurbished.
- Refurbs are environmentally-friendly and give people an option to recycle tech rather than trash it. This reduces our electronic waste as a whole.
- You can get older models of devices that are refurbished, and usually a lot less expensive than a new one.
Cons of Buying Refurbished
- When you buy a refurbished item you don’t get the history of the device. You don’t know how the person before you treated the device, and you don’t know when it was purchased. You normally don’t get the original accessories that came with the device either.
- The lifespan of the battery is unknown. For example, battery life cannot be checked or tested so you’re taking a chance on the lifespan of the battery
- Refurbished devices normally don’t come with warranties.
Open Box or Refurbished?
Normally an open-box product is one that has been purchased and opened, then returned before it was ever used. The buyer or recipient may have not wanted it, or maybe the packaging was damaged so it was returned as a precaution, even though it worked fine. Open box products normally have all of the original accessories. These electronics are sold at discounted prices because the box has been opened.
Final Decision…
There are many different reasons for buying refurbished versus new. You may want a second device and not need it to be the best, most fully loaded option on the market. Most refurbs work out great. They don’t show signs of problems, even though they’re recycled. Let this guide help you decide which option is best for you.
If you have questions about refurbished or new technology, we are available to answer your questions here at Computer CPR. Do not hesitate to reach out to us.