When is it a good idea to buy refurbished TV?

When people make a decision to buy a TV, in all likelihood, they tend to think only about getting them brand new. As far as I know, it’s not automatic for people to consider one of the better alternatives to getting brand new which is buying refurbished units. After all, you could practically get a brand new unit at almost any price point you can think of these days as competition between manufacturers big and small continually pushes the envelope on innovation and affordability. It’s not unusual to see prices go down drastically in a span of months when it comes new television displays.

Hence, this brings us to the question on whether it is still a good idea to get a refurbished TV unit if you can get a brand new one at roughly the same cost? Below is a list of what I think are good reasons why you could still go for refurbished units despite the temptation to go brand spankin’ new:

Compared to brand new units, refurbished ones of the same make and model should be comparatively cheaper. This is somewhat of a more practical option if you’re looking to get a relatively new model that’s currently in production. So if you want that new LCD or LED TV model and want to save some bucks, you should go check out the “Used” or “Refurbished” sections and look at “factory refurbished” units. Factory reconditioned or refurbished units are preferred because you can expect that they have been re-calibrated to the correct manufacturer’s specifications.
If a “refurb” unit is an “old” model or is no longer in production, then getting it only makes sense if the the price is right and the model is known to be a good one. Consider this if you’re looking at getting a bigger screened unit (say, in the 50-inch and above ranges) which could still be extremely pricey even at the reconditioned or refurbished category. Getting the really big screen size flat screen you want at a lower price should be nice option for anyone but you’ll need to make sure the unit is covered by some form of warranty.
If you’re an advocate or recycling then one area in which you can certainly help is in helping reduce electronic waste. Why get a brand new unit if you can get pre-owned or used one? You can even get a malfunctioning unit, have it repaired to factory specs and voila! You have your refurbished TV! One less burden for the landfill!

While the above reasons may not be slam-dunk arguments for getting reconditioned or refurb flat screen television units, they can be worthwhile for a select group of people who do want to consider all (as in all) options in their TV acquisition plans. What do you think?

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