Refurbished LCD TV - A Buyer's Guide

Why is it a woman can do so well at being a grandma and yet be so lousy as a mother in law? A perfect example is my wife’s mother, Dolores. She’s a terrific grandmother to our kids, doting on them, spoiling them rotten, and they adore her. But it seems no matter what I say or do, I’m wrong and she takes a special joy in pointing it out to me.

So a few months ago on one of the rare occasions I was actually listening to her, she was whining about her old TV giving her problems. I saw this as a great opportunity to score a few brownie points, if not with the old broad, at least with my wife for being so kind to her mom. See, I know about the deals that can be found on refurbished TVs. In fact, not just TV sets. You can save a ton of money on other electronics, even appliances.

A buddy of mine turned me on to refurbs and sent me to this site (click on the link to check it out) after he saved nearly two grand on his kick-ass huge 72 inch refurbished Sony HDTV. Watching the Steelers on that set is seriously almost better than being there. So I went to the site looking for a deal of my own.

I learned they’re called refurbished once the original factory seal has been broken and for whatever reason the set’s been returned to the place of purchase, usually within only a few days. Even if they never even unpacked it or took it out of the box, the store can no longer sell it as new, although you can’t tell it isn’t new by looking at it.

So they send it back to the factory for ‘refurbishing’. It’s thoroughly tested and cleaned, they make sure all the accessories are there and still working like new, then it’s repacked in a new factory box and sent to distributors. These distributors in turn sell the ‘refurbs’ to retailers, like the site that I mentioned above.

There are a couple of things you should know before you buy a refurbished TV. Be sure to look for ‘factory refurbished’ or ‘factory authorized refurbished’. Otherwise you can’t be sure it’s been through the same rigorous testing that the factory uses.

You should always look for a return policy, so in the event it’s not just what you wanted, you’re not stuck with it. Most reputable refurb retailers will allow a couple of weeks for you to decide.

Also, make sure the company you’re dealing with offers a manufacturer’s warranty, like the one I mention above. Refurbs that were done at the factory or by factory-authorized refurbishers will have a guarantee from the manufacturer, although it’s typically 90 days for a refurb as opposed to a year on a new set.

You can find refurbished TVs from almost every manufacturer you can think of, and the savings will blow your mind, sometimes well over half off the original manufacturer’s recommended price.

As it turned out, I found a nice set for Dolores at that same site and saved her about $800. The old girl actually seemed grateful. Hope that helps you make a decision.

There are some more links below to more info. Check 'em out so you can make a good decision.