Advantages and disadvantages of buying refurbished devices
There are many options that we can choose from when it comes to buying products. One of such options, especially for devices, is to buy refurbished versions. The refurbished version of a device entails devices that have been sold to other customers who return them for one reason or the other. The products are subsequently checked errors, especially if they are returned as a result of errors that were noticed by the customers. The phone will then be marked as refurbished but packaged as new. A customer can subsequently pay lesser for a refurbished version of the product. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of refurbished devices.
Advantages of refurbished devices
Cheaper
One of the major advantages of refurbished devices is that they are cheaper. Considering that they have been opened and probably used for a few days by the former buyer, the sellers will bring down the price of the refurbished product. Thus, you can get the functionality you would have gotten from a new product of 500 USD from a refurbished version that could cost as low as less than 300 USD. The cheaper products mean that you have more money to use for other things that could have been used for buying a brand-new version.
Functionality
The major reason why we buy products is functionality. The refurbished products are expected to carry out every task that a new one would have carried out. This is considering that they are the same model and from the same manufacturers. Thus, it is expected that you should be able to enjoy every benefit you would have gotten if you have bought a new version of the product to the recycled version.
Warranty
Warranty is a very vital service that a company should provide for its customers. It allows you to be able to return a product that you have bought if they get faulty within a period when the product is still under warranty. Normally, the company is expected to either repair the phone or replace it if it is returned by a customer for warranty issues. If the new version of the device comes with a warranty, a similar warranty, that could be a few months lesser, will also be extended to the refurbished version.
Disadvantages of buying refurbished devices
Could develop fault
A major disadvantage of buying refurbished devices is that they could develop the same fault that made the initial buyer return the device if it was returned because of a fault. This is why it is advisable to only buy refurbished devices that have a warranty so that if the device develops a fault, the company will be able to take responsibility for the product.
Buying from the wrong company
Buying from the wrong company is another disadvantage of buying a refurbished phone. Even though this could extend to most other things, it would be easier for the company to claim you knew the risk when you were buying a refurbished device compared to if you were buying a new product from other stores. This is why it is important to read reviews of any company you want to buy refurbished devices to be sure that you would not have issues with the products that they would refuse to attend. For instance, if you want to buy smartphones, you should read smarter phone reviews here to know about reputable companies that sell refurbished smartphones before patronizing them.