Get a Roku Streaming Stick for $29.95
From the Cheapskate: It's refurbished, but that doesn't matter. New vendor Efurb offers a full one-year warranty on all goods, plus free shipping and returns.
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Regular Cheapskate readers ("cheeps," as I like to call them) know that I'm partial to refurbished goods, especially those that are nearly indistinguishable from new.
Ah, but isn't there too much risk involved? If you buy, say, a refurbished TV, what happens if it dies after the typical 90-day warranty? And what if you decide to return it? At the very least you'll be on the hook for pricey shipping charges, if not a restocking fee.
That's why I'm kind of geeked about Efurb, a new site that specializes in refurbished goods. Its claims to fame: You get a one-year warranty on everything, period, and shipping is free both ways. Plus, there's a 30-day return policy with no restocking fee. In other words, risk level: zero.
If you want to test the Efurb waters, you can get a $10 credit when you sign up for an account with this link. That'll take you to the home page; just click the Login/Register link (upper-right corner), then the "Create one" link to create an account. I just did this myself and the $10 credit appeared immediately.
You can spend that credit on anything you like, but I think a good option is the refurbished Roku Streaming Stick: $39.95 before the credit (and $10 less than the price of a new one), $29.95 after. This is the first-gen version -- the one with the rather useless Blockbuster shortcut button -- but that's hardly a dealbreaker.
Not familiar with the Streaming Stick? CNET's review has all the details. It's all the goodness of your average Roku box, just without the box (or HDMI cable).
You could also grab something like the refurbished SanDisk Sansa Clip Zip 4GB MP3 player for $14.95 after applying the credit. Whatever you add to your cart, your $10 credit should automatically be applied.
Because Efurb is new, I haven't bought anything from it yet. But it's an offshoot of DealFisher, a company I've always found very reliable. I won't say all of its deals are spectacular, but for big ticket items like TVs, where you really stand to save a bundle over buying new, I'm glad to see this kind of warranty and support. Your thoughts?
Bonus deal: Game time! Infinity Blade 3 is a couple of years old, believe it or not, but still a flagship iOS title that normally sells for $7.99. For a limited time, however, you can get Infinity Blade 3 (for iOS) for free. This hack-and-slash action title looks truly dazzling, especially on newer iPhones and iPads.