Need opinions about buying a Refurb

Ern Dog

I'm interested in hearing from people who have bought refurbished audio gear and if it proved to be more of a headache or if it was a good deal.

I'm looking into buying a refurb amp, NAD C272, but I'm a little leary about it and need some other people's opinions about it. It includes the original manf. warranty, and I could save $60.

RuSsMaN

Factory certified refurbs, with full warranty, from an authorized reseller = savings, period.

I'd be a little leary on 'moving parts' components, cd players, dvd players - but a NAD amp, meeting the criteria above? I wouldn't hesitate if it is what you are looking for.

Cheers,
Russ

danger boy

i'm the same as Russ.. i buy most of my gear used... though only a small amount of it has been factory refurb. I have not had any problems with any of them before.. so you should be fine. Plus you can put your savings into things like interconnects or software.. music.

ben62670

Try every single feature before the warranty expires. Sometimes a refurbished item is from a customer who found a certain function that did not work (usually operator error), and then the factory did not see the flaw. That being said I am the King of refurbished, demo, and used audio gear! Next to nothing NIB.

johnADA

New gear, according to anything from consumer reports and so on, says 20%+ of new electronic gear will fail within one year. On refurbed gear it drops to under 5% within a year.
Personally I own alot of refurbed and used gear now because I saw a worse percentage of failure with new stuff. 50 cents or less on a dollar, all ready been though the paces or a problem rectified, it says it all against never have done a thing as of yet.

Polk65

10 years ago I bought a refurb Pioneer AVR from an authorized dealer during a holiday sale. The back had recent date stamps saying it was a factory authorized refurb. The total including remote was less than the retail price of the remote! It has worked flawlessly since day one.

Are some of these returned due to customer regret or actual units with a problem? Either way, they are inspected and usually come with a new owners manual, accessories, remote and 90+ day warranty.

MSALLA

I like to buy used and refurbs to save some money. However, for only a $60 savings, I would go new. Refurbs usually have a higher discount rate.

jhw59

Ok, I know HK and Pioneer sells refurbs but who else? Rotel? I'm looking for a HT receiver so this is of interest. Are speakers sold refurbished? Would you buy a refurb speaker?

unbridled_id

This is spearit sounds explanation of refurbished items:

What does refurbished mean?

There are lots of reasons that can label something “factory refurbished.” Since consumer laws prevent manufacturers from selling anything returned to them as "new", there are often great savings to be had.

Here are a few examples of how something might become refurbished:

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Since many stores have return policies, perfectly good items are returned that have absolutely nothing wrong with them. These items are returned to the manufacturer, inspected, tested and repackaged like new.
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Items where the box was damaged in shipment. These are returned to the manufacturer for repackaging.
*

The item was returned to the manufacturer because of a defect. Trained, factory personnel corrected the defect and the item is repacked like new.
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The item was returned because of a cosmetic blemish on the casing. Major cosmetic issues are corrected although minor ones may remain.
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Factory demonstration units are also considered factory refurbished. This might mean a sample shown at a show or a sample loaned for review. The units are inspected, tested and repackaged.
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The box was simply opened. That’s it!
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Brand new overstocked items are also labeled factory refurbished.

It is impossible to know the history of each item, but for whatever reason the unit gets labeled factory refurbished, it is inspected, and if needed, serviced by the manufacturer to ensure it meets all the product specifications. All of our refurbished equipment is backed with a manufacturer's warranty assuring your satisfaction.

The advantages of buying refurbished.

Refurbished components can save you money! You're buying the same equipment, complete with its accessories and with a manufacturer's warranty.

Refurbished items can actually have a lower defect rate. Refurbished components are individually tested and inspected by factory personnel to make sure they meet all specifications. It’s like getting 100% quality control.

Bottom line: With quality manufacturers, buying refurbished is a great way to save some money and still have the manufacturer's support and a warranty.

masanz1

Like above, refurbs are benched tested if I remember right, I actually have had better luck with them.

shawn474

I have bought refurbished gear quite a few times and upgrade almost exclusively used. Unless you are not on a tight budget, 60 bucks is 60 bucks, man. It is refurbished to new or "like new" condition and comes with the exact same warranty as if you bought it new. Plus it is from a reputable company. I wouldn't have any hesitation doing so.

Shawn

Ern Dog

Thanks for all the replies. This seems like a No brainer now.
Ern Doggie