New, used, or refurbished?

[#1]

Looking to buy a bit of tech equipment probably via Amazon and on this particular item the prices have a £20 difference so is it worth it or not on a bit of kit costing £50 tops or £30 bottom.

My gut tells me to go new, but I'm not sure.

[#2]

Personally I would go with refurb, mostly they are exactly the same as new, with the same warranty etc.

[#3]

Agree with @HairyMcbiker.

I have had a couple of refurbished items, a printer and camera purchased years ago that gave me good service, the only difference is that they came in a white box rather than the original one but not a problem unless you intend to sell them on.

I suspect many refurbished items are really new items but stock they want to get rid of, by using the word refurbished they are not undercutting shops that sell the same goods as new, hence the white box.

Any problems you can return it within a month, if it conks out after a month but they are still selling it buy another one then send the old one back saying it's faulty, which of course it is.

[#4]

depends entirely on what the item is really.
there are certain items you wouldn't want to buy refurb or used, no matter how much cheaper they were.

[#5]

Climbing rope?

[#6]

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@chenks76 wrote:
there are certain items you wouldn't want to buy refurb or used, ...

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Nappies

[#7]

Toilet rolls. 

[#8]

Used toilet tolls, nooooooo. But aren't most now made from recycled paper - that's kind of refurbished?

Reminds me of when people ask if you have a spare tissue they can borrow. Nope, they can keep it after use!

[#9]

well, HDDs for one.
i wouldn't be buying a used or refurb HDD.

in fact, thinking about it, i doubt i'd buy any used or refurb tech.
i'd rather pay more to be assured that it's a new item with a warranty.

[#10]

I've not long got a refurb iphone 6 for about £150 less than I'd have got it now.  I only got it because I need to do some testing for work using an iPhone.  It came looking like new, with a 1 year warranty and so far I've not had any issues with it what so ever. 

[#11]

A Wife

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[#12]

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@Mav wrote:

Used toilet tolls, nooooooo. But aren't most now made from recycled paper - that's kind of refurbished?

Reminds me of when people ask if you have a spare tissue they can borrow. Nope, they can keep it after use!

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Agreed! 'Snot a good idea!

[#13]

Oh I don't know. They could always knock the hard bits off first. 

[#14]

This topic has really gone down the pan! 

[#15]

I've purchased from Amazon refurbished: iPad, Samsung DVD player, Samsung BluRay player, Blaupunct TV (for the bedroom) and they've been excellent quality. The only real downside is that they are usually last years model (the iPad was a couple of models back) but if you can live with not being bang up to date go refurbished.