I have searched earlier threads about buying refurbished televisions but only found references to iphones, computers, and small appliances. I'm looking at an email from Walmart about refurbished televisions which caught my attention because I'm in the market for one. I also looked to compare prices for a new one and was really quite surprised at how close the difference in these were. Has anyone ever bought a refurbished television from Walmart? Were you satisfied with your purchase? How long have you had it? Did you chose a new over a refurbished one?
I haven't heard of refurbished television, only computers and gadgets although I had seen a small shop here selling refurbished air conditioner and refrigerator. With the fast pace of technological advancement, I don't think it is a good idea to buy a refurbished tv since it is getting cheaper and cheaper with more features like a smart tv that I saw in the department store last month. It is a tv but can be used like a smart phone, huh.
I always look for refurbished items when possible, and have had great luck with buying them, and saving a lot of money at the same time. Amazon, especially, often offers items that have been refurbished, and they usually have the same warranty as a new one. I don't know anything about buying a television from Walmart that has been refurbished; but if they include the warranty, and you can save money, I would say to go for it, @MrsJones ! I have never had any problems with buying a refurbished item, since they go completely through them and replace anything that isn't working right, and often they are more carefully inspected than items that just go through the assembly line and then sold. What specific problems have you had with refurbished items, @Corzhens , that you so strongly feel it is not good to buy one that has been refurbished ?
I think personally refurbished items are better than those that are just mass produced because they have been looked at and analyzed personally by someone instead of just coming off the assembly line. Not only are they cheaper, but you are apt to find a better quality item. I just bought a refurbished smartphone...which I was dismayed to see it has the same battery problems as the phone I just got rid of, but that seems to be endemic with the brand. I paid a song for this phone so I really can't complain!
@Happyflowerlady and @Ke Gordon. You both mentioned a similar and valid point that I hadn't considered that being 'the individual inspection on the refurbished' versus mass production inspection of the new. I'll use this when I go back to Walmart's website for another price comparison. Thank you, ladies.
I haven't heard of refurbished televisions too, only refurbished computers. I do see the sale prices for televisions and once I bought a $79.00 insignia that is quite good as long as you turn off your television completely every time you don't use it. Insignia is digital, so you got to program it and it's so easy to program it even I successfully did it! I was reading about other people who had problems with their insignia television burning out. The customer service said turn off your insignia's completely, by buying a separate plug for it to switch it on off for the television so it lasts. Digital television will stay on even if you turn it off with your controls, so you got to turn it off at the source. Unpluging it all the time wears out the plug, so the safest is those breaker plugs that you switch on and off for your digital televisions so it'll last long for you. To tell you the truth with televisions so low cost, I'd buy new televisions instead of a refurbished one.
Sometime in the 1990s, we bought our first air conditioner which was a refurbished Carrier. It was running good and we were so excited since it was our very first air conditioner. After a week of use, there came the intermittent problem that the compressor would quit running so the air conditioner was not giving cold air. The dealer repleced it with another brand but after a month, it conked out. Our of exasperation, my husband bought a brand new air conditioner with a credit card. It served us for more than 20 years.
This is true. My thinking is that I can buy a refurbished television with all the features I want versus a new one which would cost more than I want to spend for those same features. I think that because the price of digital televisions have decreased that it is a lot easier to purchase rather than being consistent in turning it off at the source. It would be great if there was a remote that could do that for me.
Sorry so far as I know there is only the switch on the serger power cord that can do it, not remote control. From the remote control tv goes on and off, but the instrument is still on so it burns out fast. The plug to the television got to be pulled out or switched off with the serger power cord on off switch.
I see a store that sells "surplus" tv's and they're all box types, but I haven't checked it out. If you are on a budget then it would be a good alternative, but I'm pretty sure that the warranty that they will give is relatively short, maybe about 7 days, so if the tv breaks down beyond it's short warranty, then you're stuck with a useless tv. I think it's better to save and buy a new tv set instead.
I think buying a refurbished television should be a relatively safe option, since TV's are pretty straightforward in how they work. In fact, what is labeled as refurbished may simply be items that were returned, and that they had to repackage to sell them again. There might not have been anything wrong with them at all, but rather the customer may have simply changed their mind about the purchase and returned it. I used to live near a Sears outlet that sold returned items at a discount as well. The only thing you need to be careful about is the condition the item is in, and if there is really enough of a discount vs. buying it new to make it worth your while. Also keep in mind, these products may come with either no warranty on them or a limited one at best. The only bad experience I had was when I bought a refurbished cordless vacuum from the Sears outlet. When I got it home, not only was the item heavily worn out, with scratches all over it, but attachments were missing as well as the manual. Plus the price wasn't much better than what I would have paid for a new one, so I promptly returned it that same day. Big Lots is another place you can sometimes find refurbished items. One of the best deals I saw there once were refurbished Cuisinart electric grills, which normally sell for $120, selling refurbished for around $30.
I am a big fan of buying refurbished computers and items that are open box items from Amazon. Most of these items look brand new and you can save up to $75 off of the sticker price. They are sold at great price.
I've never come across refurbished TVs before and I think I'd be a little hesitant when it comes to this item because for some reason I see TVs as being one of the types of electronics that break easily. Although, if the discount is big enough and furthermore if the warranty is good then I'd more likely take the risk. I'd maybe just look at it this way, which is that off brand TVs are now very cheap and if I can buy a branded refurb for the same price I'd more likely just go for that instead because I'd consider that to be the more secure purchase even though it's technically second hand and since the store itself is also reputable I think I might give it a go.
If you're looking to save a considerable ammount of money you should definitely go for one of those Televisions, however, I personally think that it is not good to buy this kind of items as used because they're something we use every single day and for me, it is way more unreliable and risky to buy this kind of used items, I would recommend you to save up the money and buy a new one when you get the chance.
