In these tough economic times everybody wants to save money. They are looking for every possible way to save a few bucks here and few bucks there without decreasing their standard of living. After all, if you could get the same exact product at a steep discount wouldn't you do it? Buying refurbished is one great way to do just that.

Refurbished GPS units are practically the same as a newer unit with two major distinctions: a previous of problem and a cheaper price.

Neither of these are very good excuses to not purchase a refurbished GPS.

The idea that a product with a history of problems is going to continue to have problems is an idea that appears to have a lot of cooberation in the real world. Once a relationship begins to have problems, it is often the case that the relationship will appear to constantly be having some issue or another rise up. The toilet seat gets left up; then the dinner isn't ready when you get home from work; then a an argument erupts about the in-laws. Our problems just seem to pile up on top of each other.

However, in the case of relationships it is important that we understand what is really going on - we have never fixed and addressed the real issue that is causing all the problems. We treat symptoms but ignore the root issues!

In general, a refurbished GPS device does is not at all like our problem relationships. When there is a problem with a component, the manufacturer knows it. Maybe there was a problem with a certain chip that was causing the screen to not display properly - the only way that this will get fixed is if the manufacturer replaces the faulty chip with a brand new one.

There are a lot of other reasons why a GPS device might not be working or may not meet production standards. It could be a faulty chip or wiring. But it could also just be a cosmetic issue. The device could work perfectly fine but if the case is a little scratched or the screen has a large enough nick to make it so that the device no longer is up to production standards then the producer is not allowed to sell it as new. They have to sell it as refurbished.

Did you hear that? A small cosmetic issue could the be the only reason that the GPS is being offered so cheap. What is the difference between a Garmin GPS without a scratch that costs $150 and the exact same Garmin that costs $99 and that has a scratch? Not very much if you ask me.

I'll go with the cheapest GPS I can find that offer the same exact functionality as other units on the market - you can get that with refurbished units.

According to source of all knowledge - Wikipedia - refurbishment is

the process of major maintenance or minor repair of an item, either aesthetically or mechanically.

To summarize an already terse definition, a refurbished item is a patched-up item.

The problem could be mechanical or cosmetic. It could be major or it could be minor. A whole lot of things get labeled as refurbished for a variety of reasons.

With some electronic devices, such as digital cameras, the "refurbished" moniker can denote that the device did not pass the quality standards of the manufacturer. Or it could mean that the device was heavily used and been recently refitted with new components. The thing that you will want to look out for in spotting which item is which is the title, "factory refurbished."

This will normally mean that the factory where the unit was produced is also the place where the flaw was found and the unit restored to working order. This is the best type of refurbished device for three reasons:

1. The factory is in the best position to test a defective part since so much quality control already goes on in factories.
   
2. The factory has all the parts there to make the fix quickly and efficiently.
3. The device has not been in the hands of another consumer yet, so it is in "like new" condition.
   

Factories are definitely the best places to refurb GPS devices. They are clean, have highly trained personnel, and have the most resources to be sure that a device really does need to be fixed.

Are factory refurbished GPS devices are cheaper than new but work just as well and have even had their functionality tested more than a new item. Sometimes they even have additional warranties associated with them! The benefits are simply too many to pass these cheap items by.

The main reason you are looking for a refurbished GPS is because you want save some of your hard earned cash. You know that your money just doesn't go as far as it used to and you don’t want the rising cost of things like gas, food, and housing to eat into your freedom to purchase a frivolous gadget. Buying refurbished is definitely going to help you achieve that goal.

Right now on Amazon.com there is a TomTom One Third Edition Vehicle Navigation GPS with a regular price of $119.99. The refurbished versions of TomTom One Third Edition Vehicle Navigation GPS (Refurbished) is also being sold on Amazon.com for $79.99 regularly. That is savings of 33.33%. Would you like a 33% discount on an item just because?

All the big names in the industry offer refurbished models.  Garmin, TomTom, and Magellan have a wide selection of older models availabe under the refurbed label.

Buying a refurbished GPS is obviously the best bang for your buck.They are cheaper than new units but they should work just as well. But where can I get one of these cheap navigation GPSs?

The most obvious place for people to look will be the internet. There are certainly many big names in the online retail world - but the most popular and well known is going to be Amazon. They have thousands upons thousands of items available on their webpage, including many factory refurbished products in their electronics section. You simply cannot go wrong by giving Amazon a look. If you happen to find a screaming deal with them feel free to check out other online retailers - you might find a better deal, but you might not. You also have a trusted brand when you go with Amazon. That can be a big deal for those hesitant to making purchases online.

Another popular option is eBay. They are a extremely popular auction-style retailer that also offers businesses who sell their products on the website for a fixed price. If you want to buy a used GPS or you want to find a retailer offering a lower price than you could find on another site or in a store then eBay might be the website for you.

Buy.com is another giant in the online retail industry. However, a quick search for “refurbished GPS” returns very few real returns. It could just be that there search sucks, but it appears that they don't really have too much of this product to offer.

You can also find an occasional refurbed GPS at a brick and mortar store, but this is not a common occurence. When they do, they are usually loss leaders that are used to lure tech shoppers into the store to buy tons of other gadgets too. If you see an advertisement for one of these in your local circular know that the competition is going to be fierce and that you might not get the unit that you want.

Be sure that you are completely comfortable with the place you purchase your item and just how much you spend. Take your time, it will probably work to your advantage. After all, the cost of technology is generally on the downward trend.

Have fun finding a cheap refurbished GPS!