Edwin said:
What risk? What some take into consideration is that some "refurbished"
units are band new, never been opened boxes. It is common knowledge that
manufacturers often make "irregulars" that are perfect, but just marked that
way so they can be sold a lower prices and not piss off the regular retail
sales chain. Clothing, tools, electronics, are often marketed as refurbs.
They can be a very good buy.
The "risk" may be perceived rather than real. Many of this thread's
posters believe that most "refurbished" equipment is stuff that's been
returned for one reason or another, and they think the usual reason is
that it is broken. Units that were returned and replaced under warranty,
then repaired, reboxed, and sold. They say there is an increased risk of
getting a bad printer this way.
That's what I'm asking. All we've heard here are perceptions, and a few
personal experiences. Very few, considering the number of new and
refurbished printers sold. I'm asking this: Is the failure rate of
refurbished printers really significantly higher that that of new, and
if so, by how much? I'm looking for the results of an independent study
of the question. Is there one? So far we're all just guessing.
When you come right down to it, the OP didn't have a risk, since he was
receiving a one year warranty. But still, there's the hassle of a
warranty return, and the lost time if you're without a printer because
of it. So there IS a risk. There's a similar risk with buying new. If
you're going to do a proper risk assessment, it's better to do so with
cold, hard facts rather than perceptions that might not hold water.
TJ
