shopnsave

I was at Best Buy recently looking at DVD players. The reworked players (returned and fixed to work properly) were so much cheaper than the others that it was hard to turn down. How do these models compare? Is the quality up to par after they have been reworked or would purchasing one of these be asking for trouble?

nekobus

Defective players aren't "reworked", they are returned to the maker. The open box specials are non-defective customer returns. They are marked down and put out on the shelves. If something is missing(remote, instructions, etc), it should be listed on the tag.

IMO, it depends on how much you are saving and what the item is. Sometimes the discount is rather large on TVs and you can bargain down the price even more if you buy the protection plan. The discount on other items may be pretty small and not really worth it.

sracer

Buyer beware! "Open box" and "customer returns" aren't necessarily "checked" for proper operation. I've witnessed boxes that were returned by customers and had a gloss-over inspection for contents. The box was then closed and a sticker slapped on the box saying that the unit was "serviced".

If you are going to take a chance on one of these, make sure that you have the store's return policy and clearly understand it. Ask a manager if you can return the unit if it is defective or unsuitable for your purposes. (Make note of any restocking fee that may be incurred) It wouldn't hurt to have the manager scribble a note on the receipt stating that you could return it if not satisfied.