This Is Why Buying Certified Refurbished Tech Makes Perfect Sense
Have you ever wanted to buy a new gadget but you came up a couple hundred dollars short when you broke the piggy bank, and counted all your tips? Other than waiting another couple months to finally save enough; buying a certified refurbished product will spare you some money, and still ensure you have food in the cupboard for the next 4 weeks… So breaking a bank won’t ever cross your mind!
Certified refurbished products, which includes electronics, furniture, and household items, are products that have been returned to the original manufacturer by customers for varying reasons. The manufacturer then has them repaired and resells them at a lower price. The good thing about these certified refurbished options is that they come with the same guarantee as new products, and are appraised and corroborated to look and operate like new! — Too good to be true? —
I have been a personal fan of certified refurbished products for some years now. The refurbished section on any shopping website, when it comes to tech, is usually the first place I rummage through for deals.
They Are More Affordable
Since certified refurbished products are technically pre-owned, manufacturers usually sell them for less than the price that a new product of the same model is going for. Now don’t get worried about buying a pre-owned product! Customers usually return items not just because of a defect…, but another reason, is simply because they have changed their minds on owning that specific product or model and have decided to return it just after a couple hours, days, weeks or months of use… This is where you can benefit!
Trending GoBeyond.ai articles:
1. Best Practices for Managing E-Commerce Customer Service
2. Top 15 Magento 2 Extensions For Your E-Commerce Site
Another man’s garbage is another man’s treasure
Have you ever taken a look at the refurbished section of the official Apple website? Here you can find Apple products for purchase at reduced prices. You can reap savings varying from $100- $380USD on selected items. So the next time you are looking to buy the latest device, whether IOS or Android, Mac or PC, wait a few weeks or a couple months after its initial release, and you may find certified refurbished options that will allow you to save! — and who doesn’t like savings? — You will not just find savings on the newest tech, but you can also certainly find certified refurbished products of older models. You will also get the same warranty as a new product! — win, win —
Here is a link to the Apple refurbished page.
I made over $300USD combined savings on the 13inch 2017 Mac Book Pro (with touch bar) and the iPhone 7plus. With these savings, I was able to get my hands on a laptop model with a higher GHz and storage than I could have afforded (which came as phenomenal assets for a faster turnover time when editing videos in Premiere Pro). If I had decided to purchase the 2018 model or a 2017 laptop that was not in the certified refurbished catalog, I would have left myself too broke — Maybe unnecessarily broke — and I may have had to settle for a lower processor and memory. Additionally, in buying the certified refurbished phone, I was able to afford the 128GB version of the 7plus. It may not be the latest phone out there, but it is still a steal! — and again, who doesn’t like savings? —
Always Do Your Research
When buying certified refurbished technology, even when making the decision to purchase from a known company, you should ensure you do your research and read any available reviews. Usually, a good company will let you know whether a product is certified refurbished. Therefore, you will be aware of what you are getting yourself into! Buying straight from the manufacturers themselves is always the way to go, but you can trust third-party sellers like amazon.com to get a good deal on a certified refurbished product! But always always always read reviews! It is also best you buy certified refurbished items from third-party sellers if the product has a 4–5-star rating.
Certified Refurbished vs Used Products
For persons on the lookout for camera gear like myself; used tech is also an option if a certified refurbished item you are seeking to get, is unavailable or unaffordable for the time you need it. Used products are different than certified refurbished products, as they do not necessarily come with a guarantee and are not usually assessed to identify and address default. Basically, what you see is what you get! But they can be cheaper than certified refurbished products…
Adorama.com and B&H photo are great websites you can hunt for used gear in excellent condition. On these websites, you can filter your searches to choose the condition of the gear you are seeking to buy. Whether you are searching for used gear for parts or for actual use, this would be taken into consideration when you are choosing the desired condition.
My first camera, the Nikon D3300, came used from Adorama. It came in excellent condition, looked pristine and arrived operating like new. It has been over 2 years since I have had it, and I have not had to deal with any technical faults. At the time, I paid about $399USD for the camera, which was sold with the kit lens. The camera came with all original accessories which were also in great condition. My second camera body (the Nikon 5300) I got from the refurbished catalog on the Nikon website.
Find the link to the Nikon refurbished section here.
Saving On ‘Stale’ In-store Tech
Buying tech in-store that has been collecting dust for a long time, can get you lots of savings. I’m talking about, buying open-box electronics or devices that have been in the store for some time because of low sales. Open box items are items usually returned to the retailers but are qualified as being in good condition. Instead of returning to the manufacturer, it is sold by the retailer at a reduced price. Gear on display is also considered as an open box item. So, if you want to be a ‘gear head’ who yearns to get sweaty hands on affordable tech, don’t be in a quandary to buy the gear on display if you are presented the opportunity to do so! — Scurry into action mate! —
Find open box electronics on Best Buy here.
In addition to this, there are electronics that have lower than the expected sales in-store and may sit on the shelf for an extended period of time. If retailers do not see a rise in the demand for this product, they may discount the item just to get it off their hands. I took advantage of this opportunity last year on these Marley headphones I had been eyeing for some time. I got over 11% in savings just from waiting to see if the demand would decrease. I snatched it up as soon as it went on sale.
Finally, always be on the lookout
Sometimes, in order to snatch the right deals and make the savings you intend to, it is great to always keep an eye out, and start your research from early on. It is difficult to find the most affordable deals when you are shopping in a hurry, whether in-store or online. Therefore, it is first-rate if you do your ‘fieldwork’ on a gadget, long before you have the money to buy it. I usually start scouting out for the product I intend to invest in several months, or even a year before I have the money to get a hold of it. This might seem a little insane, but it ensures that I know what is out there, and I feel more assured when I finally make the purchase.
So my dear friends, if you are looking for affordable gear at a fraction of the cost, it pays to not hesitate to shop certified refurbished or even used gadgets. You can save a ton! No one will even notice it’s refurbished or used unless you tell them! But also, don’t forget to check the reviews, as these can help you to get a grasp of the experiences of other customers. This will give you insight on whether or not you are getting a good deal. It will also help you to validate the condition of the product and you can explore actual user experiences just by reading these reviews!… If you want to get paid to shop, shop certified refurbished. There are a lot of refurbished products out there waiting for a home! :)
Thanks for reading! Here’s a little nugget for you:
2 Chronicles 7vs 14 “ If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Elfin
Don’t forget to give us your 👏 !
