Newegg Open Box items?

[John Doe]

What's your luck with Newegg Open Box items? In your experience,
what percentage are defective beyond expected usability?

I don't like the idea of a bare piece of hardware that is been
handled by someone else, but I don't need any more of the extras
that come with mainboards (like cables or CDs) either. They say the
percentage of Open Box Item returns is significantly higher. They
say only the manufacturer tests the items. And they say don't buy
one if all you're doing is looking for a good deal. That last
stipulation is the most interesting IMO. Of course I'm looking for a
good deal or I wouldn't buy an open box item. So what is the other
thing(s) you might be looking for? Mainly curious.

Have fun.

 

[VanguardLH]

What's your luck with Newegg Open Box items? In your experience, what
percentage are defective beyond expected usability?

So when might you visit Newegg's page on their open box warranty?

http://www.newegg.com/Info/ReturnPolicy.aspx

Buy it, get it, build it immediately, test it, and return inside the 15
days if it doesn't work.

I don't like the idea of a bare piece of hardware that is been handled
by someone else, but I don't need any more of the extras that come
with mainboards (like cables or CDs) either.

The opened box item should have been retested to verify it meets the
expected use of the item. That only applies to functionality, not
looks.

They say the percentage of Open Box Item returns is significantly
higher.

Higher than WHAT?

They say only the manufacturer tests the items. And they say don't buy
one if all you're doing is looking for a good deal. That last
stipulation is the most interesting IMO. Of course I'm looking for a
good deal or I wouldn't buy an open box item. So what is the other
thing(s) you might be looking for?

Depends on what the customer considers a "deal". A customer that buys
an open-box DVD player at a retail store expects the case not be dented
in, the remote be included, and probably wants a manual, too. A
customer that gets just the dented base DVD player with no remote and
no manual might get pissed because they expected the full package
despite it was an open-box item. The customer looking for the good
cheap deal on an open-box item but expects everything to be included
and in pristine shape has unrealistic expectations. At the store, you
can ask to dig inside the box to look at the condition of the items
inside and just what items are there. You don't get to do that with an
online purchase, and they WARN you that you only get the base item with
none of the extras that you might think should comprise a complete
package. Newegg says you get the same as an OEM purchase for an
open-box item, but many users are too lazy to read the product
description, don't observe the details, and don't check the policies.

 

[Kent_Diego]

What's your luck with Newegg Open Box items? In your experience,
what percentage are defective beyond expected usability?

I got a video card and a motherboard. They both had the accessories and all.
The video card was returned for a reason as games would crash so I had to
return. I got a great ASUS P5B-Plus motherboard for cheap. The video card
was not working on and off. I looked in the PCIe slot as saw a sticker stuck
in the contacts. Pulled it out and the motherboard has been working great
since.

 

[John Doe]

So when might you visit Newegg's page on their open box warranty?

I had already read their open box warranty and their open box
disclaimer.

You should drop your more abrupt (24hoursupport.helpdesk)
mannerisms, IMO.

Higher than WHAT?

Lighten up dude.

Of course I can't argue that with you because it's not my writing.
The text is in their Open Box disclaimer during checkout.

"Open Box products do have a considerably higher return rate than
brand new items. If you are just looking to get a good deal, please
only buy new products."

Newegg says you get the same as an OEM purchase for an open-box
item, but many users are too lazy to read the product description,
don't observe the details, and don't check the policies.

That would be my guess (they're just trying to get the buyer's
attention). My experience selling a few things on eBay suggests that
some buyers do have a tendency to avoid reading stuff even when
it's right in front of their eyes.

 

[VanguardLH]

I had already read their open box warranty and their open box
disclaimer.

You said that somewhere before?

You should drop your more abrupt (24hoursupport.helpdesk)
mannerisms, IMO.

I don't do requests. >;-P

Lighten up dude.

I missed the word "returns" when reading that sentence.

Regarding your first question, "what percentage are defective beyond
expected usability?", I'm not sure how percentage would be measured. If
1 defect rendered the item unusable, that's 100%. Would dents in a case
be counted in some weighted scoring as to usability? If a PSU had a
wire yanked out of a 5V connector and I needed to use all connectors
then that would be a 100% defect rate because the PSU was unusable,
except that I probably have some old PSUs or Y-adapters around that I
could cut off their connectors and use heatshrink tubing and solder to
replace the bad connector (if I couldn't manage to extract the pin and
solder the broken wire onto it and insert back into the connector shell)
so then the 100% goes to 0% unless I give maybe 10% to my nuisance of
doing the fix, if I decided to do the fix and wasn't concerned about a
manufacturer's warranty (which might not apply with an open-box item).

I guessed I wouldn't decide on percentages but rather if the item was
usable as delivered, usable if I was willing and able to modify the
item, or the item wasn't usable and I couldn't or wouldn't modify it,
with nebulous percentages of 0%, 0%, and 100%. If you aren't going to
do anything with an item other than shove it in the box, it would be 0%
(unusable) or 100% (usable).

Of the open-box items that I've gotten from Newegg:
- Barebone hard disks. Still working. Nothing in the box other than
the silica pack, as expected of an OEM item.
- Motherboard. All cables included, backpanel faceplate included, no
softare CDs, and bag of hardware missing (standoffs, insulating washers,
etc.). Better than I expected but was missing stuff.
- Memory modules. Still working. Nothing really in a retail box that
would be missed in an OEM or open-box, anyway. Because of overclocking
and static damage, this one is a bit more risk.
- Floppy drives (yes, I still buy them if the case has a bay for them).
Dug the cable out of my old supplies unless the mobo included it. No
problems, still usable (100%).

Some items I won't buy open-boxed include:
- Video cards. This is because too many bozos try to overclock, fry it,
and then return it while claiming it was a defective product.
- CPUs. Same overclocking and static zap fear. While they may actually
go back to the mfr for retest, often there isn't much a deal over an OEM
version.

Although you said Newegg claims the open-box items were retested by the
manufacturer, I doubt that is always true. If you read the FAQ more
closely, *refurbished* items are requalified by the manufacturer.
That's why there are some items I won't get as an open-box item. What
if Newegg decided that an item needs no refurbishment and simply tapes
the box shut? I don't expect Newegg to do anything more regarding
requalifying a returned item than does a retail store for an open-box
item. The more sturdy an item against boob user damage the more likely
that an open-box item might lure me to buy it but it would have to be
significantly cheaper to affect the overall cost of the total build. $5
saved on a part doesn't mean much when considering the entire cost of
the system.

 

[John Doe]

My DP35DP mainboard from Newegg did not even included an I/O panel
shield. Ordered one from Shop Intel for $6.

The mainboard was inside of an antistatic bag but without antistatic
foam underneath. Some of the pins are sticking through the bottom of
the antistatic bag. Touching some of the exposed pins is ordinary
bubble wrap that produces a lot of static electricity (the kind that
makes your hair stand up).

 

[Flasherly]

What's your luck with Newegg Open Box items? In your experience,
what percentage are defective beyond expected usability?

I don't like the idea of a bare piece of hardware that is been
handled by someone else, but I don't need any more of the extras
that come with mainboards (like cables or CDs) either. They say the
percentage of Open Box Item returns is significantly higher. They
say only the manufacturer tests the items. And they say don't buy
one if all you're doing is looking for a good deal. That last
stipulation is the most interesting IMO. Of course I'm looking for a
good deal or I wouldn't buy an open box item. So what is the other
thing(s) you might be looking for? Mainly curious.

Have fun.

Pretty good. I'm a little wary of graphic boards (might have gotten
one overclocked and burnt out, which I paid to reship back - things
are going to change in that regard w/ gas prices and UPS rates) -
everything else has been fine. MBs/CPUs, and a lot of them. Sometimes
prices are more worth it than others - than to buy new for a few bucks
more. Sometimes another a new item is better priced elsewhere. Good
customer support from newegg, as always. I always try and check
prices, research items, well & etc., before buying returns, but also
have come up with very nice builds on the cheap.