Refurbished Car Audio

In the last decade a new industry has raised throughout the USA: refurbishment centers for consumer products. Although they were usually used for big and expensive machines, nowadays they are used for home and office appliances. Manufacturers find themselves with hundreds of returned products due to malfunctions during the period of warranty. Why throw them to the trash? Those products can be repaired and left as new.

It was unavoidable that one moment or the other, this industry would reach car audio equipment. These reconditioned, remanufactured or refurbished electronics are left as good as new, with the advantage of having been thoroughly tested and with a reduced price. How much? It depends on the model, the brand and how much money did it cost to repair it. Discounts can go as low as 30% and as high as 60%.

How do you find a store that sells refurbished car audio? It’s quite simple. You only need to type refurbished car audio in your favorite search engine and you will find a lot of companies willing to sell their products. But don’t go for a shopping spree at the first webpage. You will have to make some research and take in consideration two main points.

First of all, most refurbished car audio equipment will come from discontinued models. So, when you find a determined refurbished amplifier in a store, you won’t be able to compare its price from retail. Although the store will tell you the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) at the moment it was launched to the market, it won’t be of much use. Consider that retailers rarely use the MSRP for pricing their products. If you want a good base of comparison, take note on the characteristics of the amplifier and look for a similar model from the same brand.

Second, if the price difference is more than 30% then it is a good option; less than that isn’t advisable. Why? Because refurbished products don’t have the same warranty as a new product. Usually they go from 15 to 90 days. After that time you will have to cover any failure. Some stores do offer extended service plans for their remanufactured equipment, but be careful. If you buy this plan you may end up paying more money than for a new audio system.

Buying refurbished car audio may not sound very easy taking these points into consideration, but it should be part of your research process before buying car audio, even if you want to buy a new product. You may find yourself surprised.