I wanted to find out if there any people out there that actually have bought a refurbished computer or laptop. I have always been interested in refurbished products because they usually a lot cheaper than new items. But I'm not too sure on their insurance and the condition they come in when you buy them. Has anyone ever bought a refurbished item and if so what was the outcome?
I bought a refurbed Kindle off of Amazon Warehouse, which was brand new, never even unboxed. Legally they can't sell it as new however because it's already been sold to someone, so it has to be considered a refurb. It's...difficult really. On the one hand, you can get some real bargains, and good companies go out of the way to restore it to factory settings. Which means they can be as good, if not better than new. On the other hand, some not so great companies don't have the best quality control, you know? I believe however they still carry the same warranty as a new product, although that would depend upon the company.
My desktop and laptop computers are both refurb. I've actually had my desktop computer for about 5 years and it was a refurb. There was an issue with it inside that I caught a few years after I got it but I'm not sure if that was the computer or something I caused. Also my laptop is a Macbook Pro and I've had zero issues with it what-so-ever besides being a bit slow. It plays videos and surfs the net just fine.
I know people who've bought refurbished computers. Most of them were satisfied with their performance and didn't mind the condition either since most were either totally new or looked that new. But if you are going to buy a refurbished laptop or computer, you'll need to be careful where you buy it from. Buy only from reputable companies or stores.
You'll find hits and misses with refurbished computers and laptops. Most of them are okay and won't give you any trouble. Some will break down prematurely and others might have malicious software on them if you bought them from the wrong company. Just be careful and only purchase from reliable companies, such as the manufacturers themselves. Don't buy from third party retailers.
I have purchased a refurbished laptop. It was a ThinkPad. Otherwise, I wouldn't have bought it. I also troll Goodwills for used ThinkPads. Even the old ones are still solid machines. They ( the older ones) don't run with the Windows 7 and later. I have installed Linux on all my older machines.
Refurb are the ones which were returned to the company because of some faults under warranty and company fix those issues with the device and sells in the market again in a lesser price this is the way how it all works. But surely there is nothing wrong with buying a Refurb one because at the end they are fully checked and working properly.
Personally, I only bought used hardware, not a whole system and my experience was positive. I got a good price and the components I bought had no issues, they didn't burn or break. We have to keep in mind that refurbished doesn't necessarily mean repaired, most times it means used and put together as a new system. If you buy a refurbished computer you get used parts and that's it, not parts that broke and then got repaired.
I don't mind refurbished tat much but I'd stay way from them as much as possible especially when you know you can't trust the seller. If it's a legitimate seller then it's cool but for me, I'd rather pay more for something that I know is brand new.
Some of them are cool others are just not. But I bought a refurbished PC once and up to now it still runs like a race car. You just have to look out whether you can trust the seller or not.
If you are looking to buy a refurbished desktop I'd suggest you to just build a brand new one yourself. As this usually gives you brand new parts for nearly the same costs, although it does take a bit or researching and learning. However, a good condition used PC that has been looked after by the previous owner is quite a good choice, just look for when new generation of parts comes out and there are usually owners that have upgraded selling their old parts for a good price.