Buying Refurbished Office Equipment
A refurbished product is one that was bought new, and was returned with cosmetic damage or a fault that has since been repaired. They are available mainly from retail stores, who sell large number of items, and use refurbished bargains to clear those few that have been returned and fixed.
Advantages of Refurbished Equipment
Cost
As the goods are not technically new, they are sold at a much lower price than their new ‘pristine’ equivalent. This can save you large amounts of money; refurbished discounts can range from 10% to as much as 40-50% depending on the condition and age of the product.
Guarantee
Although refurbished products are much cheaper than new products, they still come with the same full guarantee that the new product would have. This means that you can save substantial amounts of money, without risking losing it on a product that does not work.
New
Even though refurbished goods are not sold as new, they are effectively new products. They may have been used briefly, or as a display model, but they will not normally have undergone the same amount of use as a second hand equivalent.
This means there is less wear and tear on the unit, and even if there is a fault, it is covered by the guarantee.
Disadvantages of Refurbished Equipment
Cosmetics
As refurbished goods have been previously bought, they can often have scratches or dents. These will not affect the working of the product, but may make it less appealing; particularly if your office is seen by your cus tomers, and you do not wish to have damaged looking equipment about.
Missing Items
Some refurbished items are reduced because they do not have all the relevant accessories or documents (e.g. Instructions, connecting cables, remote control). This is not a problem for many pieces of equipment; but in some cases the product may be unusable without it (or replacing the missing parts may cost more than the discount on the product).
Refurbished goods offer equivalent prices to some second hand goods, but for a guaranteed and almost new product. If you are looking to save money without risking faulty goods, or are buying lots of equipment for a new office on a tight budget, then you may find refurbished goods to be exactly what you are looking for.
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