Amazon Renewed Program. Worth it?

By Corporal Punishment

Hey Geeks, I wanted to divert a bit from our software life to talk about something that might interest you if you are looking for a good deal on Amazon: The Amazon Renewed Program.

What is the Amazon Renewed Program? It's a way for Amazon to sell products returned by customers, repaired by qualified technicians, and tested to ensure they work as new. These products are sold at a lower price than the new item and come with a minimum 90-day warranty.

The items are all in good working order and Amazon does note on most listings how blemishy (Pretty sure I made that word up) the item is expected to be:
- Premium or Excellent - no signs of cosmetic damage when held 12 inches away.
- Good - Light scratches, barely visible when holding the device 12 inches away.
- Acceptable - Scratches visible when holding the device 12 inches away and perceptible to the touch.

Sounds great, right? Well, I decided to try it myself and see exactly how "like new" an item might be. Being a homeowner and not a big fan of storing cans of gasoline. (Petrol for our UK friends) I have been slowly acquiring battery-operated lawn/maintenance equipment, specifically EGO-branded products. Given that Amazon Marketing reads my mind better than a telepathic chatbot -- I ran across this beauty EGO Power+ LM2135SP 21-Inch Select Cut Lawn Mower with Touch Drive Self-Propelled Technology 7.5Ah Battery and Rapid Charger Included (Renewed).

Being a refurb, Amazon Refurbished offers the package for a $201 discount. That significant. Put a different way, it is like buying the 7.5 amp hour battery and rapid charger and then getting the lawn mower for $24 bucks. 90 days worth of mowing will tell you a lot about a unit. I also figured the mower would need to be seriously jacked up not to be worth $24.00 - and pulled the trigger.

The mower arrived with the original packaging, but there was some damage to the box. At first, I thought there was nothing wrong with the mower. However, I found the left handle had been broken at the bottom and a small dent in the handlebar-- which matches the damage on the box. Dropped???? Now sure. If I purchased the item new - I'd send it back, but the damage has no effect on the functionality of the mover and could be fixed with a strip of electrical tape. Gorilla tape if I wanted to splurge. The item is listed as EXCELLENT condition. To be fair, because of the placement of the break, it's hard to see. However, GOOD would have been a more accurate rating.

I put the mower through its paces and found everything was in working order. I am very impressed with the machine being light, quite powerful, and able to mulch up 6-8 inches of wet grass with no issues.

Although the Amazon Refurb program says batteries should come with 80% capacity, this one came nearly discharged. It took less than an hour to recharge and worked great. The charger lived up to its hype.

So, the total damage to the mover - a cracked handle. For me - that's well worth the $200 in savings. Especially since I could buy the new handle assembly for less than $50.00.

Ok, though this is a sizable purchase, it was only one purchase. That said, I think it's enough to draw some conclusions about the pros and cons of buying refurbished products from the Amazon Renewed Program.

Pros:

- You can save money on products that are in good condition and function as new... but they won't be NEW.
- You can find products that are no longer available as new, such as older models or discontinued items.
- You can help reduce waste and environmental impact by giving a second life to products that would otherwise end up in landfills.
- You get the same customer service and return policy as buying new products from Amazon.
- You will get at 90 Day return warranty from Amazon.

Cons:

- You may not get the original packaging or accessories that come with the product, or - in my case- the packaging may be damaged.
- You may have cosmetic defects or signs of wear and tear on the product. Even if rated Excellent.
- You might have a shorter warranty than buying new products from Amazon.

So, is it worth it to buy refurbished products from The Amazon Renewed Program.? That depends on your personal preferences and needs. If you don't mind some minor flaws and want to save a few bucks, go for it. If you are picky about aesthetics, you should stick with buying new.

Overall I'm happy with the process. What drawbacks I saw would not dissuade me from buying select refurbs again. So, I recommend keeping an eye on their page for the right deal for you.

NOTE: This article was written in May of 2023, and prices and savings were based on that purchase in that moment in time. Thank you, Robert Peterson, for pointing out my deficiency in defining that information in the original post.