Companies passing off refurbished goods as new?

[rumpelstiltskin]

Does this still go on?After my 42 inch LG Plasma lasted two years i had to go and buy another one,but at the same shop unfortunately(using Dixons part refund money for my LG).I bought a Panasonic Viera 42 inch plasma but had my doubts about it being brand new?You know generally when you get a new tv home it has all the stickers on the screen displaying all the tv,s features etc?Is this a given?The sellophane was just around the very edge of the screen and looked like it had just been stuck on pretty roughly.I know there were a few stories going around a few years ago about Dixons passsing off used goods for new,does this still go on?Plus the tv,s inbuilt freeview keeps losing the signal with this tv,LG one was fine!

[h0b0]

A Panasonic refurb will have stickers on it saying so somewhere. I think you either have a return or ex display. Personally Id rather have a refurb than an ex display.

[VEX]

Not many put stickers on them now, they tend to be in the box for POS but not on the tv.

HTH

V.

[gbbird]

Sounds suspect. I would query it

[anonymous-user]

I just got a Viera 46" plasma and there were no stickers on the screen or surround at all, just the plastic protecting the screen surround although that was neat and tidy. Were all the cables, remotes, manuals etc in their bags and did the cables still have the cable ties around them? Were the batteries for the remote separate and wrapped? Little things but all clues as to whether it had been used before.

[Pontoneer]

When I ran a hi-fi shop back in the 1970's we ALWAYS sold the display unit : this was the very item the customer had received a demonstration of ; we knew it was working before he took it away ( or had it delivered ) , and turning the stock over this way meant that no single item sat on the shelf long enough to become 'shopsoiled' . On the rare occasion where a slow moving item was less than pristine by the time a customer wished to buy it , we would point this out and offer a price reduction or other recompense for this .

We would NEVER sell unopened boxes - even where something was not on display , or specially ordered in , it would always be opened up and checked in front of the customer - this avoided any disputes about items being faulty when they got them home .

Genuine faults were always dealt with fairly , but allegations that things were supplied broken/damaged could be refuted .

[barker22]

nothing wrong with refurbs as long as it it advertised as such. Always having a browse at the ebay daily deals refurbished section. some savings to be had

[h0b0]

I used to sell refurbished Panasonics and they were always clearly marked. For those companies that dont make it obvious they normally have different serial number formats. From my experience there is always a way of telling.

Also, we used to rent 20,000 TVs out and we started sending out refurbs to save some money. After a short period of time it became very clear that the refurbs were much more reliable than the new ones. I think it was because they undergo more testing before going out again.