Are refurbished parts a safe way to go?

[NightPatrol]

Hey guys,

I've been looking for some upgrades for my PC and I'm noticing that refurbished parts are much cheaper then brand new parts. However, I know that these parts can sometimes be prone to die etc. Is buying refurbished a safe way or should I just spend more for the new thing? Thanks!

 

[ATMINSIDE]

I personally go either new or used, typically refurb parts have a (much) shorter warranty.

 

[Woomack]

Depends what are you looking for. In most cases refurbished parts are not worse than the new parts. If manufacturer/store is giving warranty and you actually know what was broken ( or if it was broken at all ) then often it's worth to buy.
Many products back as refurbished when manufacturer gets something in RMA process but already replace it to new product while the one which supposed to be broken is actually perfectly fine. Users have often problems to configure or simply use some products and make RMA.
So again all depends for what you want to use it. Always read description and best if you can check in what condition is product.

 

[trents]

Personally, I have had very good experiences with refurbished products. Only a couple of exceptions over the years. Just be aware of the shorter warranty and make sure you test the product right away to evaluate if there are indeed problems. Most refurbs have been tested to some extent but maybe not as thoroughly as might be necessary to reveal the problem. One of the few refurb failures I had was a PSU that initially worked but failed soon after deployment. A lot of people return stuff that is perfectly fine but they just didn't like it. It wasn't what they expected. Beware also that the shipping charges can be higher on refurbs than on new stuff. I've noticed this with refurbed motherboards on NewEgg.

 

[tachi1247]

I try to avoid refurbished parts. I don't think I would ever consider a refurb item that wasn't repaired by the manufacturer itself. Even then I'm weary. If there is nothing wrong with the item after the repairs why is the warranty always shorter than a new product? If they've repaired it and put out through the extensive QA to ensure nothing else is wrong, then it should have a longer warranty not shorter.

It also bothers me that in my mind they aren't as thorough about the repairs as may be necessary. I'm always thinking that part A doesn't work 100% and that causes part B to fail. It gets sent back, they see part B is broken and they replace it and send it back out as a refurb.

 

[DNRDustin]

IMO your as likely to get a bad refurbished product as a new one. Sometimes things fail or just slip through the QA process. Chances are you'll notice an issue while it's still under warrenty either way, and if not you've got your money's worth.

 

[tachi1247]

IMO your as likely to get a bad refurbished product as a new one. Sometimes things fail or just slip through the QA process. Chances are you'll notice an issue while it's still under warrenty either way, and if not you've got your money's worth.

Depending on the product or issue it may or may not manifest itself again right away during the warranty period. Regardless, I don't think you can just say you got your money's worth if it fails outside what is usually a 90 day warranty on refurbished items. You're telling me if the caps go bad on a refurb motherboard after 6 months that I got my money's worth because they knocked 20% off the original price? I certainly wouldn't say so...

 

[DNRDustin]

Sorry no, a 90 day warranty is shady. I meant more like say, if my manufacturer refurbished corsair hx750 outlasts the 7 year warranty it came with. So I guess that's relevant to this thread. If it is a manufacturer refurbished, and the product has a good warranty, then chances are it's a good buy.

 

[knoober]

Buying refurbed and used parts had allowed my to cycle through 3x the amount of equipment that I otherwise would have. If I hadnt gone the cheaper route I would have to baby every little thing that comes through my door. Since they are a bit cheaper to buy and replace, I can take stuff apart and break it by being an idiot (which I have done more than once). That is my reason for getting refurb/used

If money wasnt a large issue and I knew I was going to treat my system like the jewel it deserves to be (rather than kicking it through the dirt) I would get new with warranty every time. Anything that isnt new can have unexpected quirks. Not all do by any means, but sometimes you find yourself saying "I wish I would have just gotten a new one, then I could send this POS back to the manufacturer!"

 

[ProgramGuy]

I also like to get a refurb on occasion, depending on the amount of money involved. The higher end stuff I usually like to buy brand new or used... its the shorter warranty thing again.

 

[wagex]

ive never had any issues with refurb items. only nuisance is motherboards alot of times do not come with i/o covers and silly things like manuals or sata cables. its hit or miss on what it comes with, pretymuch you are just guaranteed the main product not any accessories, atleast on newegg. i make sure i get atelast a 30 day warranty on stuff too though incase its DOA.

 

[tachi1247]

Buying refurbed and used parts had allowed my to cycle through 3x the amount of equipment that I otherwise would have. If I hadnt gone the cheaper route I would have to baby every little thing that comes through my door. Since they are a bit cheaper to buy and replace, I can take stuff apart and break it by being an idiot (which I have done more than once). That is my reason for getting refurb/used

If money wasnt a large issue and I knew I was going to treat my system like the jewel it deserves to be (rather than kicking it through the dirt) I would get new with warranty every time. Anything that isnt new can have unexpected quirks. Not all do by any means, but sometimes you find yourself saying "I wish I would have just gotten a new one, then I could send this POS back to the manufacturer!"

Depending on the source, buying used is great. I'll buy used stuff of the classifieds here anytime. If it's been working normal then it probably will continue to do so. It's the fact that something wasn't working before on a refurb that scares me away.

 

[wagex]

Depending on the source, buying used is great. I'll buy used stuff of the classifieds here anytime. If it's been working normal then it probably will continue to do so. It's the fact that something wasn't working before on a refurb that scares me away.

refurb doesnt necessarily mean its been broken either, it can mean a range of things from just being returned checked and then resold which also falls under "open box", to sent to the manuf. to be refurbished. it depends on the company mostly.

 

[tachi1247]

refurb doesnt necessarily mean its been broken either, it can mean a range of things from just being returned checked and then resold which also falls under "open box", to sent to the manuf. to be refurbished. it depends on the company mostly.

That is true, but you have almost no way of knowing what the case is. Most stores will sell items that are returned as open box. Refurbished usually means it was sent back to the manufacturer for some reason. Sometimes people RMA something that isn't broken because they think it's causing there problem and it isn't, but again there is no way to distinguish those items from things that really were broken. All of these unknowns is why I prefer to stay away from refurb products.

 

[Joe88]

Sorry no, a 90 day warranty is shady. I meant more like say, if my manufacturer refurbished corsair hx750 outlasts the 7 year warranty it came with. So I guess that's relevant to this thread. If it is a manufacturer refurbished, and the product has a good warranty, then chances are it's a good buy.

How did you get 7 years?
My factory refurb tx750 only came with 1 year

 

[freakdiablo]

I'm actually surprised a lot of posters are saying they'd rather buy simply used over a refurb. I have yet to have a problem with a refurb, and would rather have it returned and checked over by the manufacturer (never gone with a 3rd party refurbisher, will admit they *may* be shady) than simply taking some average joe's word that it's fine

 

[DNRDustin]

IDK that's what newegg sold it with when I bought it. I may be confused and am going to look into it to make sure now.

 

[Tech Tweaker]

How did you get 7 years?
My factory refurb tx750 only came with 1 year

TX series comes with a 5 year warranty for New parts.

HX series (what he has) comes with a 7 year warranty for New parts.

You got the two series' mixed up.

 

[trents]

Nobody's denying the shorter warranty of refurbed stuff is something one needs to take into consideration. All I'm saying is that in my experience it's almost never come back to bite me. The vast majority of refurbed and open box items I have deployed are still cranking away, long after expiration of the warranty they would have had if even they had been NIB.

 

[Joe88]

TX series comes with a 5 year warranty for New parts.

HX series (what he has) comes with a 7 year warranty for New parts.

You got the two series' mixed up.

I mean did he buy his hx750 new and sent it in because of a problem and got a refurb unit back with the 7 year warranty still on it or did he buy it already refurbished which would only give a 1 year warranty
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139134