Don't buy an open box or refurbished TV before doing this first

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Summary

Both open-box and refurbished products offer discounts, but quality and safety may vary.
Always check to see who is selling the product, and what kind of warranty comes with it.
Deals don’t last long, so be ready to pounce on a good bargain. Just don’t compromise.

Entertainment and electronics are expensive everywhere you go, and so it’s understandable to look for deals wherever you can get them. It certainly seems worth knowing the regular price of a product, and then seeking it out when it’s on sale, as well as shopping around various retailers to get as many perks and benefits as you can.

When it comes to smart TV, many consumers might consider open-box items and refurbished products as a means to knock down the price, which in some cases may drop several hundreds of dollars as holiday returns pour in. These offers can be tempting, especially considering just how expensive TVs can be, but they require caution before making the purchase. Whether you’re seeking out a trendy super giant TV or a flashy OLED model, or any other TV in between, here’s what you need to know.

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What does it mean if something is open-box or refurbished?

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The differences between an open-box item and a refurbished one, both discounted items, are minor but important. An open-box item is a product that a consumer has opened and subsequently returned to the seller. It may or may not have been used. You’re not literally getting a product in a box that is open so much as a product that was in a box that was once opened.

A refurbished product, meanwhile, has also been removed from the original packaging and boxing. However, it’s been tinkered with by the seller or manufacturer to improve it. Refurbishing often happens on other products that may need certain cosmetic, hardware, or software upgrades in order to make them usable.

Both products come with discounted price tags, but they are not all created equally. Some may have flaws that limit the lifespan of the product, while others may be working perfectly and present great savings.

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How do I know if a refurbished TV is safe?

Inspect the seller and seek guarantees

There is an opportunity for both a tremendous discount or a giant scam when you’re shopping around for open-box or refurbished products. The best, and arguably, only way to safely navigate these waters is by looking at who’s selling these products, and what kind of guarantees they are offering.

For example, Sony is selling a refurbished PlayStation 5 console for a generous discount. These are products that were used and have since been restored to work well, although cosmetically they may have some blemishes. These products are sold directly by Sony and come with a 12-month warranty, so generally, the purchase seems like a safe one, or as safe as you’re going to get.

Things become more complicated when you don’t really know who the seller is. Wal-Mart operates a third-party marketplace that can feel like the Wild West. Some sellers have thousands of reviews while others have a handful, and it’s probably better to avoid just about all of them when you’re not getting any kind of guarantee that the product will last any number of months. Amazon, meanwhile, has its own line of Amazon Renewed products; because the company is backing these, and they come with the perks and protections of other Amazon purchases, they are likely safe to purchase.

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What about open box TVs?

A better deal but one that can be hard to find

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Open-box items tend to be safer investments, though they can be harder to come by. Best Buy is known for having a lot of open-box items available, including TVs, and these items are guaranteed to work like new. They also come with a warranty, which is needed for protection against any potential mistakes. Still, not every open-box is equal, and you’ll want to keep a look-out for third-party sellers who may rate the quality of the product with vague words like “good” or “fair.”

Where open box purchases get really tricky has less to do with the quality of the item, and more to do with when and where they become available. There’s no real cadence to open box opportunities; you won’t really know when they will be available, how many are available, or what the discount will be. All of these factors are rather fluky, so you need to be ready to be flexible when you want to purchase one. If something good becomes available, then you’ll want to pull the trigger quickly. Just be sure you’re not compromising what you really want for something that is cheaper than it usually is.

There are definitely deals to be had when shopping around for TVs, and that includes open-box and refurbished models. Just take some time to look into these deals before you make a final decision.