manufacturer reconditioned...

March 14, 2005 12:22 PM

I am currently shopping for a scanner and cordless power tools. I am considering factory reconditioned models. What are peoples experiences, good and bad, with this?
posted by flummox to shopping (8 comments total)

Is your question about refurbished products in general? I assume it is, since I don't see the relation between a scanner and a power tool, so I'll add this:

I purchased a refurbished laptop years ago, and use it to this day. I've had no trouble, but I knew when I purchased it that if I ever did have trouble, I had the same warranty that came with a new machine, so I wasn't worried. Get a decent warranty and you should be okay.
posted by odinsdream at 12:40 PM on March 14, 2005

I had a refurb computer for last for years without problems. Today is it's retirement day (yay tax refund), so I expect someone to break in and shoot it shortly.

I also have a refurb XBox that has been a near-constant headache since the day the six month warranty ended.

I guess it balances out.
posted by Kellydamnit at 12:55 PM on March 14, 2005

Reconditioned means it was actually tested at the factory (after being repaired). New means it was batch tested, which can mean either a REALLY quick test, or maybe only one test per hundred products.
posted by shepd at 12:56 PM on March 14, 2005

I've purchased a lot of reconditioned stuff, including my current laser printer, scanner, and VCR/DVD player. Big discounts + no problems = happy camper.
posted by thomas j wise at 1:38 PM on March 14, 2005

I bought a factory refurb KitchenAid stand mixer about 10 years ago and it's still working well.
posted by Doohickie at 2:11 PM on March 14, 2005

I don't know about tools, but, I used to work for a company that bought a lot of refurbished computer hardware. I don't buy refurbished stuff. Enough said.
posted by trbrts at 2:21 PM on March 14, 2005

Thanks everyone.

shepd, your comment about the degree of testing of new vs. refurbished is interesting.

trbrts. Do you think that there could be a difference in the quality of refurbished consumer goods and those sold to industry?
posted by flummox at 3:10 PM on March 14, 2005

Reburbished goods have generally been returned for one reason or another. You know those retailers with the generous return and exchange policies? Well, those returned goods need to go somewhere.

So, depending on the specifics of the returned item and the consumer who bought it, it might have been defective, and repaired; (or not, especially if the problem was an intermittent one).

There also might have been nothing wrong with the product at all. Let's face it, people are morons. Usually, when someone claims that a product is "Not Working", it's actually the operator at fault. Nonetheless they return the item to the retailer, the retailer sends it out "for service", and the goods come back with a "no fault found" work-order.

Goods are frequently returned to retailers missing the owner's manual, remote control, required accessories , etc. Some retailers sell these items themselves at reduced prices, but some send them back to the manufacturer. These RMA's , as they're known, are returned to the suppliers for "repacking" . This might merely be adding an owner's-manual and a new box, but it might also include "fixing" a faulty item, something which may or may not actually happen.

Different company's have different return to manufacturer policies. SONY, as an example, has horrible RMA policies, whereas Hitachi is quite accommodating

Refurbished goods are a crap shoot, you actually have no idea what you are getting. If you purchase them, ensure that you only buy from someone with a liberal exchange policy.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 9:57 PM on March 14, 2005