what are the pros/cons of used versus refurbished?
142879
First and foremost is price. Unless you just absolutely have to have the latest and greatest computer on the market, I have always bought refurbished. Some may have a few scratches, nicks, or minor dents, but mine set inside an enclosure on my desk, so I don't see them. The hard drive has been reformatted to get rid of the prior owners information and the unit has been checked out to ensure it operates correctly. Over the past 15 years, I have purchased 5 refurbed units, 3 for myself and two for my son. We have never had any problems. Hope this helps.
142880
Pro's: Marked price reduction, up to 50 % or even more, cf new machine If done by a certified facility, practically new machine My husband and I have been buying refurbished equipment for 4 years, starting with an Apple I Phone 3G. That silly gadget is still going strongOnly problem is that it can't handle many of the new APPs.We now have 2 refurbished Dell computers. Both give great performance. The first one is over 3 years old.Cons: There aren't any as far as we are concerned. The cost may be somewhat higher than "used" equipment, but the guarantees that go with refurbished equipment make this a moot point.Regards, Annette (Emily Annette King) Pro's: Marked price reduction, up to 50 % or even more, cf new machine If done by a certified facility, practically new machine My husband and I have been buying refurbished equipment for 4 years, starting with an Apple I Phone 3G. That silly gadget is still going strongOnly problem is that it can't handle many of the new APPs.We now have 2 refurbished Dell computers. Both give great performance. The first one is over 3 years old.Cons: There aren't any as far as we are concerned. The cost may be somewhat higher than "used" equipment, but... » Read More Pro's: Marked price reduction, up to 50 % or even more, cf new machine If done by a certified facility, practically new machine My husband and I have been buying refurbished equipment for 4 years, starting with an Apple I Phone 3G. That silly gadget is still going strongOnly problem is that it can't handle many of the new APPs.We now have 2 refurbished Dell computers. Both give great performance. The first one is over 3 years old.Cons: There aren't any as far as we are concerned. The cost may be somewhat higher than "used" equipment, but the guarantees that go with refurbished equipment make this a moot point.Regards, Annette (Emily Annette King) « Show Less
142881
Used are perhaps computer that someone leased for a period of time & then their lease is up & the computer returned. Refurbished is a computer that was returned either to the factory or store because of problems, & not necessarily functional problems ...They check them out, fix them , clean them up & resell them. I have purchased 6 computers including lap tops & to date I'm not disappointed. They all worked fine.
142882
IN MY PERSONAL OPINION, refurbished is a bit better. Used you have no idea if everything works or if the computer has "issues". Refurbished means that a tech has gone through and made sure the computer is in working order. Neither are new but the gamble is better with refurbished and the cost is a lot less. Mine did come with a loose power wire but I knew enough to fix it. There is usually tech support for a refurbished one also.
142883
I can only answer on the basis of my choice to purchase a refurbished model over a used one. A refurbished computer is supposed to have problems removed and components replaced if needed. The unit received should be in good working order w/out errors / error messages.
1628636
The only difference I noticed was cosmetic stuff- logos, and the voices when it powers up, etc. If you buy a refurb though do so at your own risk... I'd suggest buying new.
1233077
yes. no scratches or anything on mine. personally, i have owned both new and refurb'd electronics and prefer the refurbs. any little quirks the specific models have are fixed. so in my opinion, its better than new. i have had this since the beginning of the summer and it works great. it is everything i wanted at a low price. also have had amazing luck with gateway products. have owned several brands, but used harshly and often, they dont overheat or freeze up. great product.
1699961
A refurbished camera is one previously owned and used that is restored to "like new". But it isn't new and I found that a new one from Amazon was very reasonably priced and well worth the difference.
841406
I sell those used or refurbished , Please read the comment on the item before you buy.
1554903
I would buy now and take advantage of lower price. If the unit is reconditioned, then the testing and warranty come into play. However, Amazon has given me good service on things like returned items, without any problems.
1352631
Mine was new, although I think that you have the option to get one refurbished for a few bucks less. Great computer, only reason I didn't keep it was because it didn't have a backlit keyboard.
1699756
I had purchased a refurbished phone before and had nothing but problems with it. I would go for the used one.
658209
Refurbished units usually come with all the same things that the New units do. The difference is that refurbished units are used items that have been returned due to a defect but have now been corrected. What ever the unit comes with will be listed in the description of accessories or specs. Just "compare" a new item to the refurbished, just to be sure. :)
771681
When i bought at the time, it was brand New. Refurbished means reconditioned. They get a used/malfunction product and give it a real treat. They should work ok and are less expansvel.
218477
I bought a refurbished one and have had no problems, it came with the same warranty the new ones had.
196232
When I purchased my unit the price for a new unit was almost $50 more than the refurbished. With Amazon when a price gets low go ahead and purchase. As far as the remanufactured unit, I can't see the justification for the extra money in cost.
2004528
The unit i purchased was refurbished but works as new. There is/was no warranty included with mine but it is rare, if proper care is taken, a person ever needs to call upon issues.
58669
The one I ordered was a "refurbished" model about $40 cheaper. The second one I got works great.
1576479
Yes. It goes through more quality control testing when it's refurbished and is usually in better condition than non-refurbished products.
1563224
I believe a used item is secondhand sold as is, while a refurbished item may have been used or returned unused, but restored and/or repaired to new condition, and may or may not come with a warranty
1454985
Mine was used and then refurbished with Windows 7, hard drive clean and ready to go. I am thrilled with it, knew there had to be thousands of desk tops out there that people were getting rid of that are perfectly good to use for a basic home office computer. I would say buy one that has been refurbished by a reputable "geek"!! Susan