Are you in the market for a new printer? Learn all you need to know about new vs. refurbished printers so you can find the right machine for your needs. 

With the surge of electronic communication and cloud file sharing, one of the core appliances to any business or home office is commonly overshadowed—the printer. Being able to quickly print out an extra agenda seconds before a meeting or make hard copies of spreadsheets to work on manually may seem like marginal tasks. However, oftentimes it’s the trivialities that underly a smooth workflow.

If you are in the market for a printer, it can be daunting to face the many different printer options out there—especially when there are so many factors to consider. From production quality to size to new vs refurbished, there can be an overwhelming number of considerations to find the right printer for your needs. 

To answer one of those issues, we’re here to guide you on a crucial dilemma that surfaces during the buying process; the pros and cons of new vs. refurbished machines.

Refurbished vs. New

Refurbished—isn’t that just a fancy word for used? No, no, we’re not sesquipedalian philosophy professors here. While both “used” and “refurbished” electronics imply they were previously sold, the latter refers to remanufactured goods. 

Say you buy a laptop, use it for a week, and then decide you haven’t much use for said laptop after all. The obvious decision is to return it to the store for a refund. Because you didn’t damage the laptop internally or externally, the electronics store is left with a laptop in perfect working condition that they can’t sell as “new.” They also want to avoid labeling it as a used laptop—used implies wear and tear.

Enter “refurbished,” a way to inform customers the product has been bought and sold but is still in pristine working condition. Refurbished items typically come with extra amenities, reassuring the customer of the product’s quality.

• Guaranteed Working Condition – A refurbished printer will have gone through extensive testing and cleaning to ensure that it is in working order. These are typically done by the manufacturer or a specialized operation.
• No Questions Asked Warranty – Because refurbished products aren’t 100% new, stores often provide excellent warranty coverage to allow customers time to confirm it’s in the proper condition. 
• Technical Support – When buying a refurbished product of a current model, these typically come with the same technical support benefits of new products.

Now that we have the terminology out of the way, let’s dig into some of the benefits and downfalls of each.

Pros & Cons of Buying a Refurbished vs. New Printer / Copier

Knowing the pros and cons of both refurbished and new printer-copiers will help save you time on your buying journey. To determine which type best fits your needs, let’s break it down by the following: 

• Getting the latest model – Buying new guarantees that you will have the latest and greatest model on the market. Comparing that to refurbished—you’ll have to rely on someone returning the exact printer you want in order to buy it.
• • Pro New – Easy to find the newest model
• Available inventory – While the latest model might only be available new, that doesn’t hold true for every model. Perhaps you’re not looking for all the high-tech features, and you would rather have a printer that’s tried and true. In this case, refurbished older models tend to be more available than new, older models.
• • Pro Refurbished – Easy to find older, cheaper models in working condition 

• Pricing and discounts – According to TechSpot, buying refurbished electronics can save you up to 50% off the cost of a new model. A discount that large can be incredibly rewarding, especially when the refurbished model guarantees its working condition.
  • Pro Refurbished – Guaranteed a lower price for the same condition
• Return Policy – While return policies vary store by store, manufacturer by manufacturer, new items will generally have the easiest return policies. Because refurbished items are sometimes excluded from credit card protection, many stores won’t accept refurbished returns. (Always be sure to ask about the return policy before buying a refurbished printer.)
  • Pro New – Guaranteed a comprehensive return policy 

Xerox Chooses X-Digital for Refurbished Machines

Xerox selected X-Digital to be one of its only refurbished and new Xerox machine sellers. With a team of highly skilled engineers who were trained by Xerox themselves, X-Digital provides quality refurbished and new printers at great rates. For our refurbished machines, we ensure the functionality of each printer by stripping each machine to its frame and then rebuilding it piece by piece before it’s sold to customers. Each refurbished printer is rebuilt to its original condition to guarantee like-new functionality. This means you get all the benefits of a well-oiled machine at a considerable discount.

Choosing the Right Printer For You

Knowing everything from the size of the model, the printing speed, and the quality capabilities of your next printer will help you narrow down your search. Once you’ve found the right model, it’s time to consider the final detail: new or refurbished. The best news is when it comes to purchasing from X-Digital, you don’t have to decide. We offer both new and refurbished machines so you can easily compare all options and functionalities to make the selection that’s right for your needs. 

Keep the guidelines outlined above in mind to start your shopping process and get on track to find your next printer. Contact the experts at X-Digital today to learn more! 

To buy or not to buy refurbished, that is the question – William Shakesprinter 

Sources:

1. TechSpot. Thinking about buying refurbished tech? What you need to know. https://www.techspot.com/news/74600-thinking-about-buying-refurbished-tech-what-you-need.html
2. Deal News. What Does Refurbished Mean? https://www.dealnews.com/features/What-Does-Refurbished-Mean/