Buying Open Box from Newegg?

Howdy all! Been considering buying an open box mobo from Newegg and just wanted to know if any forum members had any experience going that route? I've read their policy and whatnot, I've just heard mixed tales about it. I mean, it is Newegg after all and I love them to bits, but what exactly constitutes an open box item? Refurbished? Used? RTM?

Anyone here care to offer input?

It's a product bought and returned back to newegg, it is in most cases if not all sent to the manufacturer for testing and refurbishment if necessary.Warranty will vary depending on manufacturer.

People do get DOAs from time to time ,but newegg is good about that sort of thing.

It's usually a returned item that is open box. Refurbished items have a different title.

What is an Open Box item?

Open Box items have been opened and touched and/or returned. Because they originate from different situations, they may or may not include accessories, documentation or retail packaging. Refurbishment is done by the manufacturer. Open Box products are warranted for only 30 days. We recommend that you try out your Open Box product immediately after receiving it.

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You sure?

Marshmallow64 said:

It's usually a returned item that is open box. Refurbished items have a different title.

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I buy open box all the time, in years I can only think of one thing I ordered open box that didn't work. Most people return things due to incompatability or id-10-t errors. Just make sure you thoroughly test it before the 30 day return policy is up. The Biostar in my sig is open box...the fast one.

The one "risk" you take is you have NO CLUE what accessories will be included. This can be something as small as a SATA cable, or as big as an add-on sound card (like the Maximus Formula had). As long as I get my I/O shield - I'm happy- and my last 3-4 open box MoBo purchases from NewEgg came with the I/O shield - and MOST of the other accessories! But I've also purchased 3 or 4 that didn't have much at all (just the MoBo and the USB/FW Quick Conect header).

Tried this recently on a system board, but the socket pins were bent. RMA'ed it. It does seem like a good discount, though. I might try it again some other time. :Shrug:

just jump back to the Reviews (anywhere not just there) to see WHY the chances are a specific item was sent back.

A) they all are buggy/failing/flawed
B) to complex and users couldnt handle them, or missed one point that could be critical to operation.
C) Doesnt FIT half the stuff they tried it on
D) didnt have a feature some users found critical, will you?
E) incorrect applicaison, like putting a 300W GPU on a 400W machine
F) going back for "refurb" to much
G) is there a new "revision" that the history shows a big flaw in the old model
H) easily damaged in shipping, but is it in the area that you care about?
I) LCD screen with One widdle bad pixel, and user freaks out and sends it back for the one with 4 Dead pixels
J) and the list continues . . .

you gotta know if its a failure and they just dont test it well enough to find that specific failure. how many times do people send stuff back, and they know it fails, but it will be re-tagged and re-bagged because on simple testing it doesnt.
How many times have you seen stuff go back, but it had little to nothing to do with a failure of the product.
If you go to (say) amason, and it rates a 2 star, and the problems and Reasons people had problems with it will effect you the same way, then is it a deal?
if you go to e-pinions and you see that everyone who couldnt operate or install it doesnt know how to do that (and it shows) , then it could be a deal.
.

Thanks guys! Appreciate the input.

Buy an open box motherboard if you're ok with receiving the motherboard in an anti static bag in a plain white box. As long as your expecting that, then buying open box is fine. If it comes with any accessories, consider it a bonus.

Recertified is factory refurbished, open box is a returned item, I am like 90% sure.

Marshmallow64 said:

Recertified is factory refurbished, open box is a returned item, I am like 90% sure.

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Pretty sure this is the case. Except re-certified, can be merely tested and found working, or it might mean wounded, but now fixed.

As stated the open box may be missing some stuff, cables and whatnot. Though, for whatever reason, luck maybe...most all the accessories have been present in every New Egg open box I have ever purchased. You taking a gamble on time...if an open box doesn't work, you will have to return it until you get a working one...or incur the restocking fee if you request your money back.

i bought an open box biostar board while back
it came in orig box with all the goodies
but was bad
didnt test it right away(it was a gift)
so had to rma
got back a bad scratched up used board
sent that back rma
got back a conductive penned board(same board)
never bothered testing it
gave board away to friend

i would prob not buy another open boxed motherboard


p

As others have said, you don't know what you will get with the board.

Only buy open box if you fully understand that you are buying JUST the item and this version of the item doesn't come with cables, manuals, driver disks, heat sinks, etc. Then, feel lucky if you get anything besides the item in the package. And there is the slight possibility that the item may not work or may fail after a short time.

As long as you bear those things in mind, it isn't a bad deal to gamble on an open box. If you are one of those folks that demands that everything the item should come with is included in the package, DON'T ORDER OPEN BOX! I have seen so many posts over the years from people that buy open box items then go on forums complaining about how the item didn't come with this or that.

If you do get it, good luck on it

I have yet to have a problem with open box/recertified from the egg. Over the years I can't count how many items I've bought from newegg that were open box or recertified/refurbished.

I've also been extremely lucky to get the accessories with the motherboards .

I think Newegg is maybe the only etailer, aside from big river, that I would consider going the OBB route.

I'm not so sure that all open-box items are simply returns. Some products I have received in just anti-static bags in a white box without any accessories, but others have been fully sealed in retail packaging. They are good about RMA though and do it no questions asked. I have had to do few RMA's though. Once a video card and once a motherboard.

JonSimonzi said:

Buy an open box motherboard if you're ok with receiving the motherboard in an anti static bag in a plain white box. As long as your expecting that, then buying open box is fine. If it comes with any accessories, consider it a bonus.

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+1 to this. Expect nothing more than the primary piece of hardware, all extras are a bonus and you'll do just fine. Ive gotten things in all ranges of states. I even bought two identical open box boards, one came with everything, even the original packaging it had just been opened. The other, white box + I/O plate. Never once had a DOA open box item though. Only bought about 4-5 boards, few procs, 2 sets of RAM from them though I think so not a big spread of things really.

Open boxes are still crap shoot. You might get a good deal, and you might end up with just one main part and nothing else.

Open boxed mobo is probably the worst as it could have been returned due to a very tiny defect that wasn't properly disclosed or the detail got lost in the RMA department and it ends up on the shelf. Such as one DIMM slot not working with memory stick over certain size.

Open boxes at the egg is really worth the chance, you have a whole 30 days to return it for a full refund if it turns out to be junk. I have been buying them for years and my return rate has been less than 10% which is pretty good given the low price they sell it for. Sometimes it is just the board/card and sometimes it is full box, luck of the draw.