If I buy something refurbished will it be any different than a brand new model?

Sometimes the warranty is not as good, or as long. Sometimes there is no warranty at all. I have a friend who bought a used cell phone, and when she pulled it out of the box, it had mud or something all over it. Apparently it didn’t work, so after some shouting, she got another, which did work.

Your answer from my experience: It depends.

It depends, but usually you get what you pay for. Take used cars for example. They usually work just fine.

I buy refurbished computer stuff all the time from Geeks.com. I get great deals and I have never had a problem with longevity. I also am pretty committed to never buying a new car. I bought my last car on Craigslist and it is still running strong 2+ years later. I also buy furniture used on Craigslist and have gotten really incredible deals. I also pick up used, vintage furniture from curbside around my city, and have restored them into things of beauty that I could probably resell.

I think it is about knowing how things work. If you understand how the thing works, you understand how it can break, and then you can approximate what kind of condition it is in and whether it is a good deal or not.

I worked on several big Web sites for sewing machine vendors. They both sold a lot of refurbished machines for way under what the same machine cost new. In some cases, the refurbs came with a full manufacturer warranty and were refurbished by the manufacturer. These were typically machines that didn’t work properly right out of the box, were swapped out as warranty replacements, then sent back to factory technicians who first fixed whatever was wrong then carefully checked them out to see they performed up to specs before selling them as a refurb. The warranty on such items is usually either the full OEM warranty or nearly as good.

In other cases, some third party refurbishes things. They may or may not be trained by the original equipment manufacturer. The warranty is probably not as good, or is nonexistent. Here, test drive before buying.

Then there are charlatans who sell used goods as refurbished because they put a little polish on it to make it look like new again. Do a web search of refurbished material like you are buying and the reputation of the vendor you’re buying it from. Find out who did the refurbishing, what refurbishing means by their definition, and research the refurbisher as well.

Refurbs can be anywhere from a great deal on something that’s just as good as new to a complete ripoff. Caveat emptor.

I think it depends more upon which company is selling the refurb. and what their precise definition of that term would be.

Apple Refurbs have an excellent track record. These are primarily products which were returned to the stores by the customers within the allowable 30 day period ( Im not positive about the 30 days, but I know it’s a pretty limited time allowance)

These are then run through an exhaustive battery of diagnostic tests before being offered for sale and carry the same warranty as new and eligible for the extended Applecare. I would not hesitate to buy an Apple Refurb either from their website or an authorized dealer. They get high marks from Consumer Reports and many computer specific tech magazines and review sites. There are a lot of very satisfied Apple Refurb customers out there.

Other products and companies I would consider on a case by case basis. If they didnt offer the same warranty as new, I would have to wonder why.

thanks guys :) good to know

It all depends on the product and where it was made. if the refurbished product was originally made in the U.S., i have found that refurbishing American made products are practically as good as new. i would avoid any product made in China.

I know from experience that some times refurbished can be better than new. For example, you’ve got a product which is failing 10% of the time right out of the box. If the manufacturer refurbishes it, they’ve seen this problem (defect) a million times before and know exactly how to fix it, so you could get a refurbished item for the fraction of the cost which works perfectly right out of the box, while someone else could pay a lot more for the same item new and have it fail immediately, possibly having the replacement fail as well. Do pay attention to the warranty terms, but you can think of it in terms of like a new car. Your new car may have a recall waiting to happen for something that is inherently unsafe. You bring it in and get it serviced, the issue is taken care of, the car is actually safer (better) than new, because it was refurbished.

It depends on where you are buying it from..

I have purchased a variety of refurbished items and I’ve never had a problem. I’ve purchased everything from drills to iPod’s to tv’s. Everything I’ve ever bought has been furnished with a full manufacturers warranty. I believe purchasing refurbished items is a good way to get the same product for a lot less money.
It’s also worth mentioning that all of the refurbished items I’ve ever bought has always looked brand new also. I think the key to purchasing quality refurbished items is making sure they are refurbished through the manufacturer. That way you are sure to get a quality item with a full manufacturers warranty.

no, refurbished simply means that there was a defect in the product that is now fixed. i have never had problems with refurbished items, but like @amcachola said it depends where you buy.