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Dave and the team discuss iOS 12 could include hints of a larger phone, insurance companies issue a reality check regarding car safety systems, Android Pie, tech giants and tech addiction, Palm smartphone revival, only 2% of Alexa users have used it for purchases, very expensive AI headsets, Ford's exoskeletons, and more

 

Joe in Durham, North Carolina listens on 680 WPTF asked: "I regularly receive emails from a nationally known retailer of computer gear. They're offering to sell refurbished computer at very good prices. But isn't a refurbished computer a computer that had so many problems to begin with, that it had to be stripped down and rebuilt? Isn't it a bad idea to buy one of these?"

 

In our opinion, not at all, Joe. Refurbished machines - especially “factory refurbished” are generally just as good as “new” ones.

The term “Factory Refurbished” can mean different things. It can be an unused customer return that is essentially “new” or it could be an out of box failure or warranty return that was sent back to the factory to be repaired.

Let’s say, for example, you buy a new iPhone. Less than a year later, your phone dies but is still under warranty. So you go to the Apple Store and swap it out for a new one. Most likely that “new” one is a factory refurbished model.

These devices are too expensive for manufacturers to just toss in the trash. So, they will likely then take your dead phone, and if it’s economical, send it back to the factory to be repaired and either re-sold as “refurbished” or in most cases, used as warranty replacements.

Most of the time, especially when buying factory refurbished products from major retailers, they still come with their own warranty. Many times, the same warranty as a new item. So if you’re buying it from a reputable retailer and especially if it says “factory” refurbished, you can probably trust it.

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