For the longest time I thought a refurbished TV and a used TV were different terms for the same thing. In fact, I thought refurbished was just a half-dollar word for used. I sure am glad someone set me straight. Knowing the difference saved me from my own ignorance.
When a buddy at work told me he'd just bought a refurbished set online and gave me the store's website address, I just smiled, thanked him and stuck it in my wallet. What I was thinking though was, man, things must be tight for Doug if he's buying a used TV set. I'm really glad I kept my mouth shut though and chose to say nothing. It would have made me look stupid.
A couple of weekends later, I was at his house. We'd gone inside for a cold one and I was looking around for the set he'd gotten such a great deal on. The only one I saw was this massive 52" plasma flat panel on the main wall of the living room. He laughed at the stunned look on my face, but I couldn't hide the fact I was impressed. The thing looked brand new.
He asked if I'd been to the website he'd given me, and I had to admit I hadn't because I thought it was for used TVs. So he explained to me that a refurbished TV was not really used, it was one whose original factory seal had been broken. Maybe somebody took it home for a few days and decided they wanted a different size, or they may have realized as soon as they got it out of the box that it wasn't what they wanted.
For whatever reason, it came back to the store, where it could no longer be sold as new. It's then sent back to the factory where they test it thoroughly, repack it and send it on to distributors they've authorized to sell the 'refurbs' to the general public. I've listed a few sites below that really give you some great resources for finding these deals on your own. You really should check them out.
Anyway, I've been doing some research of my own since then, trying to scare up a great deal for myself on a refurbished HDTV. I've wanted one for a long time, but the price has kept me from indulging. But now that I know more about refurbished TVs, I may never buy new again. Why pay twice as much if you can't tell the difference between a brand new set and a refurbished one?
I've got my eye on a really sleek Sony 48", but I'll need to decide pretty quick if I want to be sure of getting it. If there is a downside to refurbs, it's that the set you see this week may not be around by next week. The retailers' inventory depends on what the factory sends them, which is in turn determined by what the customers bring back to their place of purchase.
So my advice is this: if you see something you like, you need to act on it, and with savings of up to 70% in some cases, it's really not hard to make up your mind. Check out the links below to see how you can find YOUR best deal and save a couple thousand bucks in the process.