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General discussion

Used electronics yes or no?

Feb 18, 2016 10:49AM PST

Poll: What is the most expensive preowned gadget you've purchased?
A. Phone
B. Laptop
C. Wearable
D. TV
E. Other

Discussion is locked

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It's a matter of your tolerance to risk.
Feb 18, 2016 2:35PM PST

Many used items come with zero warranty. Some come with the usual "warranty ends when it's sold." You buy it as-is. This means there's a lot of room to bargain the price down.

Some items should not be considered. Smart phones don't age well and many are locked to some conract or carrier. There are companies you should deal with for those like Glyde. Laptops are notoriously expensive to fix and the best years are the first 2 with Apples, if treated well usually get double that.

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Warranties
Mar 11, 2016 6:00PM PST

All major refurbs come with a same as new warranty.

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never purchased preowned gadget
Feb 25, 2016 2:56PM PST

I personally cannot afford the risk of preowned or refurbished gadgets and other electronic equipment so I always buy new. That is not to say I would never. It would really depend on the price, who's selling, and if there is any type of warranty.

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It was Phone
Feb 25, 2016 10:03PM PST

Once I brought a used Phone. I had a terrible experience and I will never go for any used device.

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New is New
Mar 1, 2016 3:28AM PST

I dont buy pre-owned technique because its just wasted products. You dont know what you buying, you dont have any guaranties, it could last for 1 week or 1 year, you never know....

But only good used electronics is from man that you personal know.

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Ipod
Mar 5, 2016 2:28AM PST

I would never buy an electronic secondhand.. i'd always be second guessing it..
only exception.. i really need it and i am tight on cash and i know that the quality is good..

otherwise i'd borrow it

Bought an ipod once.. thats what set this thinking in motion

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other
Mar 9, 2016 5:47AM PST

I bought a vinyl player Grin

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I've bought refurbished
Mar 11, 2016 6:59PM PST

I purchased a refurbished laptop. That was five or six years ago. This was for what I consider to be a tertiary machine. For my main machine, I buy new. My secondary machine is my previous main machine.

The refurbished machine has been working well. Just this last week, it has slowed waaaay down. I expect reinstalling Win 7 will give it another coupla years of life.

Drake Christensen

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Depends what you buy and from whom
Mar 12, 2016 6:05AM PST

I've bought second user laptops, 3 or 4 over the years. I wouldn't buy any of the other stuff you mention, on the basis that the only reason it is on resale is that it's faulty or worn out.

Why are laptops different? As the title says, it depends what you buy and from whom. I buy ex-lease or refurbished business class machines, from reputable sellers, such as retail stores and auction houses. I don't buy from individuals on eBay! I also stick to well known brands, such as Lenovo and HP. Dell is probably OK too but they have a reputation for using "not quite standard" parts, for example the PSU on some older desktops.

I've just retired an IBM Thinkpad T23 around 16 years old. It's become a bit hard to start - I think I know what the problem is but haven't had time to look at it yet.

I'm still using an IBM T43 from 2002 daily running Windows 7. and my latest acquisition about a year ago was an ex-lease Lenovo T500, about four years old, in pristine condition for thirty nine dollars Australian, about $60 US from an online auction house here in Australia. Came with a 30 day warranty. At that price, it came without an operating system but I installed OpenSuSE Linux and it found drivers for everything in the machine, including motherboard headers for optional features not installed. Runs like a dream.

As Bob says, there is a risk in buying second hand but if you buy a quality product from a source you trust, with a straightforward return policy (like the auction house) and providing you know what you are doing, I think the savings are worth the risk.

Your mileage may, of course, vary.

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Used electronics. Yes!
Mar 12, 2016 10:30AM PST

I always buy used. Everything. Electronics, cell phones, cars, appliances. I love to save money. I never pay retail for anything. The world is glutted with excellent second hand technology and people who will sell it for a fraction of the value because they must have the latest and greatest. My current android 4.4 phone and my previous android 2.2 phone were second hand and both have been trouble free. I have several second hand laptops, all very functional.
I am composing this text on a second hand computer with an second hand upgrade mother board. A bank of second hand monitors. A second hand IBM PS/2 keyboard (best keyboard ever). Connected to the internet with a second hand network switch, router and cable modem.
It helps to be good at technology. I have purchased some item that were not functioning for almost nothing, gambling that I could fix them. Most of the time, I can.
A good place to buy second hand items is eBay. EBay favors the buyers. Sellers usually have a liberal return policy. The sellers can not afford to get negative feedback and they will honor almost any request. Check the sellers feedback numbers. If they are in the high 90s, you are probably safe. Craigslist is more risky. It is more for large items like TVs and appliances that must be sold locally because of size and weight. Usually you have to drive to the seller's residence to pick up the item. How ever, you will get to inspect the item on site and confirm that it works before you hand over your money.
There is some risk in buying used items, but there is in anything. The savings can be tremendous. I have had some bad experience, but on balance, I have found the risk/reward ratio favors buying used.
Remember: Caveat Emptor. Buyer beware. Read the eBay or Craigslist listing carefully, especially the return policy. For local pick up, check out the item on site before buying. For items shipped to you, run them thru their paced as soon as you get them to find any problems before the warrantee runs out.

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iMac
Mar 13, 2016 3:53PM PDT

I bought a used 2011 iMac in early 2015 in Amazon Marketplace because I really wanted an iMac with a DVD drive. The purchase went perfectly for me. The condition was flawless. I got exactly what I wanted, even finding a used iMac with a custom upgraded CPU. I ended up upgrading the hard drive to 4 TB. If I bought new, it just wouldn't have been exactly what I wanted. I still love it. Hopefully, in a few years, it'll be cost effective to put in a 2 or 3 TB SSD. It took me a few months to find what I wanted and a good seller but it was worth it.