Living in a vast marketplace of products provides life with the latest in technology and convenience. It seems there is a product and a brand for just about anything you could possibly think of. From sustenance to pleasure, if you could imagine it, it probably exists.
What does that mean for you as the consumer? That means you have options for just about any purchasing decision you will ever have. Between the tiers of quality within a product range and the growing competition amongst companies, the ball is really in your court so to speak. You have options.
Since you have options, and competition creates newer more exciting innovations to products and technology in the marketplace, means there is an abundance of products. It is convenient to the consumer that most products have seasonal updates creating newer versions of everything with added enhancements, but this also floods the marketplace with supply. This means you as the consumer may pay a premium for the newest gadget, but as soon as that product evolves, earlier generations take a massive markdown in retail value.
Buying Value
Everyone wants a good deal. Especially when shopping for something specific, a good deal makes it a whole lot sweeter. Sometimes a good deal will entice you to treat yourself to a product that you have been eyeing for a while but never seemed to pull the trigger.
One way to find value is to shop refurbished products. The interesting thing about refurbished products is that each product will get tested by the manufacturer to ensure that the product functions and performs as intended. When manufacturers produce goods, they are only required to test a certain percentage of them, which means some of those products may slip through the cracks of inspection, become damaged during transit, or have a faulty or missing components. These products are returned to be refurbished to a “like new” status.
Is refurbished better than new? Yes, and no.
Yes, because refurbished products work just as well as new products. No, because there is a limitation on the number of refurbished products available which means for specifically sought-after products, you may be better off just buying new.
Another way to buy value is to look at smaller company brands. Often these smaller companies will have a much tighter quality control process and generally better customer service overall due to the relative size difference from large box store companies.
Purchasing products that have an “open box” tab are like hidden gems when searching for deals. Most of the time, these products packaging became opened during transit but the product itself is new.
Warranties
There may be some hesitation when shopping refurbished vs brand new products because you may think it’s not as good as new. That’s not the case because there is no difference between refurbished and new products when it comes to the manufacturer’s liability.
When a product becomes certified refurbished, they always include a minimum 90-day manufacturer’s warranty. Many of the vendors selling refurbished products will also have a lenient return policy adding further confidence that purchasing refurbished will be hassle free.
Benefits of Buying Refurbished
There are a lot of advantages when shopping refurbished. Not only for you personally, but for society in general.
- Big savings – Refurbished products cost less, and typically get bought. You won’t find refurbished products sitting around waiting for a buyer. Refurbished products are often sought out by wise consumers and bought up quickly.
- Provides access to newer products and technology that may have otherwise been outside your budget.
- It is Eco friendly – When buying refurbished, especially regarding electronics, you’re saving the world from horrible electronic pollutions. Believe is or not, the world is still not ready to support electronic waste with only about 25% going to the proper recycling plants. Toxins from electronic waste not disposed of properly can contaminate our water, poison the soil, and releases chemicals into the atmosphere. All of which pollutes the ecology of our food and bodies.
When should you buy new products vs refurbished products?
As mentioned earlier, one key difference between new and refurbished products is availability. There will be times you can find refurbished availability on niche or latest model products. If you can, you better gobble it up before someone else does, because certain products will always be hard to find.
TV’s
Most homes have 3 to 4 tv’s nowadays. While you probably don’t mind having a less expensive secondary TV, it’s likely important to you to have the latest best option in your family room. For your primary television, which is the main source of your visual entertainment, you should be shopping new TV’s with the latest technology such as an OLED display. You may get lucky and find something refurbished but for your main TV it’s important to expand your options by shopping new and get exactly what you want.
Smaller Brands
Although you may not find many refurbished products from smaller brand names, you will always get a nice deal over the box store brands which usually has greater markups and larger margins on their products. For example, brands like Deco Gear offers products that box store brands may retail with a 20% to 100% greater markup for the identical product featuring the same specifications.
Digital Cameras
You will almost never find DSLR’s, and mirrorless cameras refurbished. Why? Because they always work! Optical companies like Nikon, Canon, and Sony, have been around for a century. 100 years is more than enough time to finetune your craft to the point of perfection. It’s astonishing how advanced these cameras have become, and the technology is not that complicated. Most professional cameras are also built like tanks and have a much more rigorous testing process than your average products. Each of these companies also uses proprietary patents for their cameras, so their passion and mission to produce consistent quality is very high.
Cameras are also a very personal tool for photographers. Especially for content creators and professionals who need the proper tools for their productivity. When dealing with a product that has such a strong correlation to your passions and productivity, it is crucial that you choose the best option with the right features, that will support your photography. Sometimes choosing something because it is a good deal is not the way to go. Get what you need.
Laptops
Personal computers have become an essential part of life. Although you may find many options of refurbished smart phones and tablets, quality refurbished computers are not as readily available. Besides, the prices for laptops have come down quite a bit over the last decade and the competition is strong between brands and between vendors. Therefore, you will usually be able find deals and promotions on laptops.
Personal computers also cater to your personal needs, which is another reason why there are so many different options and specifications to choose from. When you need something like a laptop for work, productivity, or entertainment such as games, music, and streaming, it is important that you keep your options opened and choose the personal computer that best fits your needs.
Final Thoughts
Shopping refurbished products has a lot of benefits. I encourage you to always include looking at refurbished products along with new products because you never know what kind of hidden gem you may be lucky enough to find. When all else fails you can always buy new, but at least you explored all of your options.
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