saving as much money to improve our investment portfolio has been our number one goal. so we are cutting on expenses in all our purchases by targeting sales, buying items in large quantities. but one area we have not explored is buying second hand items as am still afraid of buying junk which may have us using more to repair than buying a new one. from your experiences, is it wise to buy second hand electronics?
My hubby and I used to buy and sell stuffs a few years ago. That includes buying used gadgets particularly phones and laptops, and sell it at a higher price. Buying a used item does not mean that you will get a defective one, well you might if you don't know how to check the item and you might end up getting a defective one. On the other hand, if you know how to check items and can distinguish the difference between a good working one and a repaired one then you'll have no problem. It's convenient in a way that you can save a lot, and some even offers warranties to avoid doubts
A business is a need for quality equipment, I believe that you can take equipment such as tech things out on taxes. Discuss with your accountant about it. I like new tech and new cars too better than used ones. Like Jasmin said you got to know what you're buying especially when it's used tech equipment. It is up to you what you do, but it's good to have options. Sales is when you get good deals, if you speak with a sales person you could get a good deal buying in bulk at one time too and take them off on taxes too. Good luck!
This is a great idea to save some money, but I don't really like buying used things (I don't feel very comfortable). I only buy when the value is too low (low values often appear frequently) or when I have too much difficulty finding some specific item that I really want.
Yes I can buy second hand items to save cost, the second hand item must still be in a very good condition. Right now the computer I am using for the past eight months was bought a refurbished one. That is same as second hand, I ensured the system was still very much in good condition after running all tests on it before making payment. The same is applicable to persons that buy second hand vehicles.
There was a time in the olden days before the Windows era when I bought a second hand hard disk. The cost was 50% of the brand new and all along it was a good bargain. But after one month, the hard disk gave up and it wouldn’t be formatted anymore. That was a neat lesson for me not to buy used computer parts and peripherals anymore. It is better to spend more for a brand new part so you get the warranty. I’d say it is foolish to buy junks when it comes to computer parts.
I'll have to agree with @Alexandoy. I've bought a second hand desktop computer years ago. It worked for six months and it was gone after. I've also bought a second hand TV (Japan/Korea surplus) and only got to use it for one year. Although they only cost me 25% to 30% of what a brand new device would have cost, their cost weren't worth my money. To repair them would require old model parts that are not readily available and are sometimes more costly than the newer models. Buying brand new items comes with one to two years warranty which somehow gives me a peace of mind. Hence, instead of gambling on these second hand electronic items, I'd rather save and wait for the time when I can afford brand new ones. On the other hand, I have a different view on non-electronic items. I just bought a second hand disc-o-matic sewing machine for $60. It needed some repairs (the lower gears are busted) which only cost me $8 (parts and labor). It's now running smoothly and I expect it to last for years as most sewing machines do. My public utility vehicle was also bought second hand and though it requires more maintenance, the maintenance cost is just a fraction of the price difference between a brand new vehicle and my vehicle's purchase price.
I have to concur with @jasmin and @alxendroy on this one. my grandfather is one big fun of second hand vehicles. over the years I have seen him buy junk, spend fortunes trying to repair them and end up selling them at lower price than he originally bought them.
I love to buy second-hand products. But you will not win every time. If you aren't expert on checking products then you may lose money. So when it is the question of buying second-hand products, you need to know everything of the product.
For me it is depend on item and how I am going to use it in future. If my usage is limited then I don't mind going for second hand item for saving money. But if my usage will be high for the same item, then I would go for new because of durability. I am not saying second hand items are not durable, but yes not all of them are durable. I mean there is no guarantee. So for me it depends.
I have seen where some second hand item outlived new ones. One thing some products in the market today that have fallen under second hand class because they were used before had the best quality and firm materials in their make. So many new products have been watered down such that the second hand of their kind remain stronger and firmer than them. If I get good bargain I will buy second hand trusted electronics items.
@ADSSOLSN Although I am happy to purchase second hand goods I would wonder about electronic products. I couldn't ever be sure that it was working properly unless I was able to check it out before hand. I always think that I don't know why the previous owner got rid of it. It may have been just to upgrade but I normally expect that something will be wrong with the item. My parents have passed on their TV to me when they upgraded. I appreciated it because I knew that there was nothing wrong with it and it was purely because they wanted to upgrade the one they had.
Well, I have never have bought a second-hand item before but it depends on the item that you decide to buy. There is no guarantee that it will work as the new one but if it is worth the money invested then you can prefer buying it.
To be honest, as much as I would like to save I would never go for second hand electronic items. The reason being I am no expert to distinguish between a defective/repaired piece from a good one. Therefore, I try to avoid the secondary hidden costs.
I could never bring myself to buy a used computer,but I have looked at them,online before. I guess you see lots of new cheaper models that are nice when it comes to laptops today,and besides every year the technology gets better. The screens are better and brighter,as well as the updated operating systems and the prices keep coming down!
I recommend it but I don't do it. I like new things so if I'm paying, I'll save for the new version. If I am being gifted a used item then I will gladly take it since I am not the one paying for it.
Buying second hand thing is no bad at all, I used to buy clothes in a garage and I enjoy it every single day, why would I buy expensive brand new things when you can actually have things in a garage sale a quality similar things.
Computers can be tricky to purchase, but for phones that have less complicated parts, then I think that it's ok to buy them, granted that the price is reasonable. Because if it's too low then you have every reason to be suspicious, since they usually are at the end of their functionality, like a PC always malfunctioning, and the seller is trying to get rid of it, or it has a hidden defect.
@Decentlady That's the fair thing to do. If we are not expert or we don't have someone who can do it for us then better to avoid such second hand thing (specially in electronic items) and go for new one only. Because we never know till how long it will survive. So yes if we can't understand the condition of any product properly then better avoid it.
