Is it safe to buy refurbished electronics?

Save Money by Buying Refurbished Electronic Items

When searching for deals and bargain online or in a catalog you will always see items that are marked as refurbished. Most people will pass on these bargain thinking that these products are rejects and was returned because they are damaged or have problems. The question now is when is it safe to buy a refurbished electronics item?

A refurbished item can mean rebuilt but it can also mean returned unused or slightly used due to buyers remorse. The problem is that it is hard to know which item you are getting when you buy a refurbished electronics. So what do you need to do to protect yourself from losing money on a deal?

Do's

1.  Check for return policy: Make sure that you can return the item when there is a problem. NEVER BUY  "AS-IS".
2. Buy Direct from the manufacturers website: The safest place to buy is directly from the manufacturer, the only problem I have with buying directly from manufacturer is that you will almost always pay for return shipping if there is any problem with the item.
3. Buy from a reputable company: This is how I usually buy when I buy refurbished item as it is easier to return. You can buy refurbished items from company like Walmart have it ship to store and if you have any problem, you can also return it to any Walmart location. This will save you money on shipping and no hassle return.  Amazon is another place to buy refurbished product, you just need to make sure that the product you are buying is "Fulfilled by Amazon".  This means that Amazon will handle both shipping and return. It will be hard to get help from amazon if you encounter any problem when you return the item directly to the third party vendor.
4. Check the product description:  Make sure to read the product description. Reputable seller will put the condition of the item such as physical damage, missing parts, not in original box, etc. From my experience, when the item is shipped in original box, It is usually from buyers remorse and the product is more likely in like new condition. 
5. Check product reviews:  Before buying the product, check the reviews first and check for problem pattern to see if there is a common issue that the users are complaining about. Customer will usually give 1 to 3 star when they have a problem with the product. 
6. Test, Test and Test again:  Once you receive the product, check for physical damage then do a thorough test before the return period expires. Make sure to test on the common problem that the users reported on the product reviews. If you are happy with the result the you got a good purchase if not, make sure to return the product right away. 

Don't

1. Don't Buy As-Is: Check and double check the description and make sure that you are not buying a product in an as-is condition. Buying as-is is usually on used "non refurbished" item only but you will be surprised how many companies does this on refurbished items.
2. Don't Throw the Package: Make sure not to damage or throw the packaging until after the return period expires. This ensures that you will have no problem in returning the item.
3. Don't Buy from auction:  Avoid buying from auctions and any individual seller. It will be very hard to deal with these type of seller when you are asking for refunds. Another thing you need to be aware of when buying form individual seller is that you might be buying a stolen item.  

I have 2 HP home computers that I purchased refurbished and never experience any problem with them. One of the computer is already passed down to my kids which is now being used for kids software and internet access the other one is still being used as our main computer.  I have also purchased 2 refurbished cell phones from Ting just a year ago and also helped my sister-in-law and niece to purchase 2 refurbished phone from Ting. On both purchase one of the phone works without any problem while the other one have battery life issue.  Ting replaced the phone right away and provided envelope with prepaid label to ship the other phone back to them.  The replacement phone have the same issue. When I look the the reviews on the phone, I just realized that it is a common problem with that model. Ting offered to give me full refund as they cannot replace just the battery, the phone is good so I decided to just spend another $10.00 on Amazon to buy different brand battery which solved my battery problem. On the other hand, my sister-in-law decided to get the refund and buy another brand.  

Reading product reviews prior to buying the product will give you an idea on what to expect when buying a refurbished item. You can also use that information to decide if it is worth the risk and/or find the solution to the problems being mentioned by some users. Let's face it, when a user buy a new product and they found something that they don't like, could not figure out or does not seem right, most does not spend time to check on how to resolve or fix the issue, they just put it back in the box and return it to the store. This is where you come in and SAVE.