Is it Safe to Buy a Refurbished Camcorder From Amazon?
I have been buying books and low values items over the internet for some time now but have always shied away from buying more expensive items like Cameras or Digital Camcorders.
I guess I just felt uncomfortable about handing over 300 or 400 bucks without being able to walk out of the shop holding the purchase in my hand and without having a specific place or person to come back to if there was a problem.
However I having concluded so many previous transactions without a hitch including buying used books from third party vendors I was ready to stick my neck out and buy a more expensive product.
Looking though the digital camcorders on Amazon and other I was impressed by how much you can save by buying a 'refurbished' model but before doing so I wanted to get a better idea of what is meant by "Refurbished" and what my options were if I was not happy with the product when it arrived.
What does "Refurbished" Mean ? Amazon's definition of "Refurbished" is: A product that has been professionally restored to working order.
Typically, this means the product has been inspected, cleaned, and repaired to meet manufacturer specifications.
The product may or may not be in its original packaging.
The manufacturer warranty or warranty of the company performing the refurbishing services may apply to the product and should be included in the conditions comments.
Returns Policy The Returns Policy states what you can do if the product arrives and you are not satisfied with it.
Usually it will state a period within which you may return the product, the condition in which it should be returned and who should bear the shipping costs for returning the product.
The terms will vary according to which merchant you purchase from, but the returns process is overseen by Amazon so the merchant is obliged to stick to the terms that they have advertised.
In addition Amazon provides a detailed Seller Profile showing the percentage of positive or negative feedback over the 30, 90 and 365 days and over the merchant's lifetime with Amazon.
With all the feedback you can get a good feel for how reliable the merchant is.
Warranty The Warranty is a guarantee by the manufacturer that the product will function as it should for a given period of time from the date of purchase and undertaking to restore the product to working order if it fails within that period.
As mentioned in Amazon's own definition of refurbished the merchant should specify in their conditions whether the product is still covered by the manufacturer's warranty.
Purchasing a Refurbished JVC Everio GZ-MG330 HDD Camcorder Conditions of Purchase The Returns Policy for Marcus Audio Video was that I had 15 days to return the product from the date when I received it.
The product came with a 90 day parts warranty but only 30 days labour warranty which seemed a little short to me.
It is not the same warranty that you would get with a new product as it is specifically a "Refurbished Products Limited Warranty".
Product Condition After much deliberation I eventually purchased a refurbished JVC Everio GZ-MG330 HDD Camcorder from Marcus Audio Video.
The product arrived within a week and was in mint condition although it was not in its original packaging.
It was extremely well packaged so there was no danger of damage in transit and included the handle strap, usb cable, video editing software cd, operating manuals etc.
However it had been shipped with the wrong power supply cable so I could not plug the unit in order to charge the battery which meant in effect that I could not use the product.
Problem Resolution When I looked at the documentation that came with the product I started to get nervous as there was no phone number so I was not going to be able to speak to anyone.
Similarly I could not find a phone number on the Amazon website.
However I went back to Amazon, reviewed my order and clicked on the "Problem With This Order" button.
From there I followed the process to contact the vendor via email, explained the problem and ask what my options were.
They confirmed that I could return the product and get a refund or attempt to source the power supply from somewhere else.
What they could not do was send me the correct power supply.
Since I did not want to return the product I decided to order the power supply from a different source and when I forwarded Marcus Audio Video a copy of the invoice for the replacement power supply, they promptly refunded the corresponding amount.
Conclusion So how do I feel about purchasing refurbished product from 3rd party vendors on Amazon ? Although it was very disappointing not to be able to use the product when it first arrived I found it very reassuring that problem resolution process works and that the vendor was prompt in responding to my complaint and fair in refunding my costs.
In the end I got an as new product for a very good price so I would be prepared to try it again but one another screw up would be enough to put off for good.
I guess I just felt uncomfortable about handing over 300 or 400 bucks without being able to walk out of the shop holding the purchase in my hand and without having a specific place or person to come back to if there was a problem.
However I having concluded so many previous transactions without a hitch including buying used books from third party vendors I was ready to stick my neck out and buy a more expensive product.
Looking though the digital camcorders on Amazon and other I was impressed by how much you can save by buying a 'refurbished' model but before doing so I wanted to get a better idea of what is meant by "Refurbished" and what my options were if I was not happy with the product when it arrived.
What does "Refurbished" Mean ? Amazon's definition of "Refurbished" is: A product that has been professionally restored to working order.
Typically, this means the product has been inspected, cleaned, and repaired to meet manufacturer specifications.
The product may or may not be in its original packaging.
The manufacturer warranty or warranty of the company performing the refurbishing services may apply to the product and should be included in the conditions comments.
Returns Policy The Returns Policy states what you can do if the product arrives and you are not satisfied with it.
Usually it will state a period within which you may return the product, the condition in which it should be returned and who should bear the shipping costs for returning the product.
The terms will vary according to which merchant you purchase from, but the returns process is overseen by Amazon so the merchant is obliged to stick to the terms that they have advertised.
In addition Amazon provides a detailed Seller Profile showing the percentage of positive or negative feedback over the 30, 90 and 365 days and over the merchant's lifetime with Amazon.
With all the feedback you can get a good feel for how reliable the merchant is.
Warranty The Warranty is a guarantee by the manufacturer that the product will function as it should for a given period of time from the date of purchase and undertaking to restore the product to working order if it fails within that period.
As mentioned in Amazon's own definition of refurbished the merchant should specify in their conditions whether the product is still covered by the manufacturer's warranty.
Purchasing a Refurbished JVC Everio GZ-MG330 HDD Camcorder Conditions of Purchase The Returns Policy for Marcus Audio Video was that I had 15 days to return the product from the date when I received it.
The product came with a 90 day parts warranty but only 30 days labour warranty which seemed a little short to me.
It is not the same warranty that you would get with a new product as it is specifically a "Refurbished Products Limited Warranty".
Product Condition After much deliberation I eventually purchased a refurbished JVC Everio GZ-MG330 HDD Camcorder from Marcus Audio Video.
The product arrived within a week and was in mint condition although it was not in its original packaging.
It was extremely well packaged so there was no danger of damage in transit and included the handle strap, usb cable, video editing software cd, operating manuals etc.
However it had been shipped with the wrong power supply cable so I could not plug the unit in order to charge the battery which meant in effect that I could not use the product.
Problem Resolution When I looked at the documentation that came with the product I started to get nervous as there was no phone number so I was not going to be able to speak to anyone.
Similarly I could not find a phone number on the Amazon website.
However I went back to Amazon, reviewed my order and clicked on the "Problem With This Order" button.
From there I followed the process to contact the vendor via email, explained the problem and ask what my options were.
They confirmed that I could return the product and get a refund or attempt to source the power supply from somewhere else.
What they could not do was send me the correct power supply.
Since I did not want to return the product I decided to order the power supply from a different source and when I forwarded Marcus Audio Video a copy of the invoice for the replacement power supply, they promptly refunded the corresponding amount.
Conclusion So how do I feel about purchasing refurbished product from 3rd party vendors on Amazon ? Although it was very disappointing not to be able to use the product when it first arrived I found it very reassuring that problem resolution process works and that the vendor was prompt in responding to my complaint and fair in refunding my costs.
In the end I got an as new product for a very good price so I would be prepared to try it again but one another screw up would be enough to put off for good.
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