Buying Refurbished Monitors...

[Daudi]

Is there a big no no to doing this? I mean it's SO much cheaper than getting them brand new - and they should be practically brand new if their refurbished, it just means they've been fixed or what not right? Plus they usually have some sort of 90day warranty anyways, so if it's defective it will surely show within that period of time. Unless there is some kind of proof that shows that a refurbished g400 doesn't "look" the same as a new g400, then I would reconsider. Anyone have any opinions/input on this?
With that said I need some opinions on what monitor to get. I don't want to spend more than $500. I've heard so many great this about the Sony's that I'm really considering getting one, I mean they seem flawless in every area. I'm not picky at all about monitors so am I wasting my money getting a sony? A 19" would be nice but if I can afford one I would like to get a 21". This would be mostly for gaming. Is 21" too big for gaming..as I see most hardcore gamers have 19"s. Well just a few ?'s that need to be answered...thanks..

 

[Kingofcomputer]

I don't see it's so much cheaper to buy refurb.
If buy from ubid such place, need to pay unreasonable shipping charge.
With coupon and sometimes good deal, you can get a good new one from onvia such place for good price.

 

[goldboyd]

i'd have to recommend against buying a refurb monitor. i've bought 2, and they both crapped out, outside of the warrenty, but under a year. one was a trinitron, one was a dell. i'd never do it again

 

[Daudi]

goldboyd - where'd you buy them from?

 

[Daudi]

oh and where do you get these coupon things from? I am interested in a few monitors at onvia.com but how do I get coupons from them?

 

[Muadib]

I buy refurbs all the time. I have 2 myself, a viewsonic 810p which I got for $450 3 years ago, and a NEC XP17 which I got last March for $100. When I got the 810p it was like $1100 new, which was a tad out of my price range. When I built systems for people with few bucks to spend, refurb monitors are great.

 

[BurnItDwn]

I've purchased a refurb Monitor once before. It was about a year ago ... a 17inch HP monitor ... got it at a computer show for 100 bucks .... the monitor works great today. it sits by my second system and it was a massive improvement from my 13inch monitor that i had been using at the time. I do like my 19inch viewsonic better though (of course it was 4 times as expensive though)

If you want a 19inch ... check out Viewsonic ... they are not "sony" but they really make awesome monitors .... and im sure you could find a great monitor capable of 1600x1200x75 for under 500 bucks.

happy hunting

Brian

 

[Regalk]

Actually the older monitors are pretty good except the refresh rates may be a bit low. Using a 5 year old dell trinitron right now flawlessly. Just got my 3 year old Optiquest 17" repaired and the guy at the RMA shop says to me that he has seen a lot of 1-2 year old monitors come in versus the really older ones. He said that my Optiquest should keep going for at least another 2-3 years quite easily. Also mentioned that the new ones these days are just too many sensitive components and break down more quickly (in his shop were a lot of HPs, Dells, Viewsonics, no-names and SONY).

 

[Superunknown]

I've had really good luck buying refurbed monitors. Purchased a Sony 21" 500PS and a IBM 21" P201. Have had both for 1 1/2 years and both came with 90 day warranties...still working well...think I got both of them from UBID. Not the best company, but I guess it depends on who does the refurb. Both were done from the factory.

 

[Diatomic]

I have purchased three refurb monitors to date (one 17" Sony 200ES and two 15" Sony 100ES) and I have had problems. One of my 15" crapped out after the warranty period, but less than a year. The 17" buttons are falling off, but otherwise it is working really well. I guess there is a bit of luck involved.

-Ben

 

[goldboyd]

well after reading these comments i guess i was just unlucky, but i'd still never do it again. and i bought mine from computer fairs, forgot the companies name

 

[Daudi]

Okay I don't know much about monitors but does that hz thing really matter? I mean the price between the e400 and g400 from sony is pretty big, and e400 does like 10hz less than the g400. Is that gonna make a huge difference, I mean is it pretty noticeable in games and stuff??

 

[Paladinexe]

The size of monitor best for gaming depends on your viewing distance. If you sit at a normal configuration setup (pc stand or desk) the monitor is close enough that it is a little hard at times to watch the corners on larger monitors. Ultimately it comes down to personal preferences. I have a 19 inch and sit somewhat close so it is plenty large for me. If you play immersive games you will want one large enough to block most of your view. "BE the game"

 

[jamarno]

It depends on who does the refurbishment. If it's the manufacturer or an authorized company,
the monitor should be as reliable as a brand new one because not only do the obvious defects
get fixed but also the failure-prone parts are replaced even if they operate perfectly. Manufacturers can also test the monitor circuitry much better than anybody else, with the
same equipment used on the productionline. And some manufacturers will classify even
unopened dealer overstock return items as refurbished.

Monitors refurbished by independent companies are often just repaired and cosmetically cleaned up.

 

[mikepeck]

I bought three refurbs from Egghead and have had very good luck with them.. Just be patient when bidding though.. You can get some really good deals.

 

[dormouse99]

Would you buy a refurbished monitor from Egghead? Their ratings in Reseller Ratingsseems just okay, and warranty and technical service is through them. Though the prices are good, I'm nervous about a $500 paperweight.

 

[nippyjun]

Check with your credit card company and see if they automatically extend the warrantee. I wouln't get one unless the warrantee is at least 1 year total. I would even consider buying an extended warrantee if it doesn't cost too much.