Best Online Stores to Buy Refurbished Electronics

Where can we buy refurbished electronics? The Internet is a great place to find all kinds of refurbished items. They can be iPhones, computers, laptops, netbooks, dvd players, smartphones, GPS devices, even printers. There are many reasons why an item is being sold as "refurbished".

1. The customer who bought the electronic item was not satisfied
2. The customer had a difficult time operating it
3. The box was opened and the item was only used once
4. The item was mishandled while shipping to the customer
5. The item was scratched or had minor dent when bought by the customer
6. The item was overstocked

Etcetera. In any case, all refurbished items must pass a strict examination, must be repaired and reconditioned by the original manufacturer or companies specializing in this process, and must be packaged like brand new products. You will, however, see a label in the product that says "refurbished" or "CPO" (Certified Pre-Owned).

There's no arguing that refurbished electronic items are just as superior as brand new ones. The advantage is, they are a lot cheaper. Buying refurbished phones, refurbished computers, or any kind of electronic item is a lot like buying a used car. Although used cars are not returned due to cosmetic or factory defect, most of them have been used only for a year and work as though they are still brand new. They usually sell for a much cheaper price.

I have lost my LG Chocolate and as a Verizon wireless subscriber, I bought a refurbished Samsung Intensity from my local Verizon store. So far, I have not seen any problems with Intensity and I love it. Unfortunately, you can't always find electronics stores selling refurbished phones or computers in your area. If this is the case, then shopping online is your best option.

Since I use MSI netbook when I'm writing on the go, I decided to do an online test among my top 5 best online stores selling refurbished electronics. Here's the result:

TigerDirect.com
As far as variety is concerned, TigerDirect has a lot of refurbished electronics to offer. TigerDirect sells refurbished computers, cameras, printers, scanners, TVs, and most other computer peripherals. When I searched MSI Wind netbook, I found the exact items I was looking for. The difference between the prices is largely dependent upon the battery life of the netbook. The refurbished version of my own is $50 cheaper. I would recommend TigerDirect for college students who are searching for great deals on refurbished computers online.

RefurbDepot.com
RefurbDepot's strong point is its ability to point the customer in the right direction. For example, I only have to go to Computers section to find everything under "netbooks" category. Most brand new three-cell battery netbooks sell for around $250 to $350, so you can see the average prices on RefurbDepot are pretty much within that range. Although I did not find MSI Wind here, I noticed that the refurbished netbooks are about $20 cheaper.

Techforless.com
This online electronics store has so many affordable electronic items for the bargain shopper. For example, a refurbished Samsung NP-NC10-KC03US netbook that is regularly sold for $329.92 has the refurbished price of $217.87. No MSI Wind netbook here either, but the selection of refurbished computers, cameras, and audio equipment is huge. This store is definitely worth checking out if you're looking for refurbished electronics.

Overstock.com
I love this website because they are very reliable and has a great selection of refurbished items. Moreover, they can provide a lot of information about the item you're looking to buy. Although they only sell the desktop version of the MSI Wind, they sell a lot of refurbished netbooks within the $250-$300 range.

eBay.com
Of course, what would life be for netbook geeks without eBay? The mother of all auction sites, you can pretty much find everything refurbished here. The great thing about it is if you win the bid, you might probably get a refurbished laptop or netbook at a really awesome price. I have seen one brand new MSI Wind with a bid of $203 and only one day left.

Before buying any refurbished electronics, make sure that it is being sold just like a new item, complete with warranty and return/exchange policy. Also, it is worth your while to make sure the retailer is authorized to sell these refurbished electronics by the manufacturer itself.