Used VS Refurbished Office Chairs: Things you should know before buying
A used or refurbished chair is a hard buying decision for some people since Facebook Market and other online websites can be tempting. Although, there are significant distinctions between used and refurbished office chairs you need to know before shelling your hard-earned money to a stranger over the internet.
What is the difference between a used and refurbished chair?While both options seem the same to non-experts, they are, indeed, different.
A used chair is what the name suggests: used. A previous user(s) made sure to utilize the chair to its maximum capabilities and decided to sell, or sometimes gift, the chair owing to various reasons. A used office chair could be broken, does not suit the owner’s lifestyle anymore, or just because times are hard. Hence, in most cases you are getting the chair as is. Whether it was defective or aesthetically unappealing, there is no way to fix that, except if you have the know-how and decided to replace and repair the damages by yourself.
On the other hand, a refurbished chair is a used chair that was, hopefully, fixed and repainted by professionals to resemble a brand new one. Depending on the team working on the refurbishing process, a detailed makeover can turn a wrecked office chair into a perfectly functional and shiny one.
Do your homework before buying a used or refurbished office chair
The main reason that draws the buyer to a used chair is the price. While there are many variables that control the price such as the brand, model, condition, the seller’s location, and many others, but a used one will probably be cheaper than a refurbished one. Although, what good is a cheap chair if it cannot function as one?
Below are some of the main points you should note while making your decision:
ConditionThis is by far the most intrinsic point you should pay attention to. We previously mentioned how a used chair is basically “what you see is what you get”. However, there are some problems that you cannot see from the seller’s photos. For instance, a broken caster or torn fabric is easy to spot, but faulty mechanisms are almost impossible to catch just by looking at an image.
We usually give two advices to anyone who wants to buy a previously owned office chair:
First, know your seller. When buying a refurbished chair, it’s important to know who did the work. Is the company established in the market? Does it have an active presence online as well as a traditional brick & mortar? Can you see the reviews on their products? As for individuals on Facebook Market and similar websites, how old is their profile? Is this the first item they are selling or do they have a history? Be aware of fake profiles who are luring customers through price to sell them junk.
Second, try to buy your used office chair from someone nearby so you can test it yourself. Nothing beats the old-fashioned physical testing where you can try all the mechanisms on the spot. This will greatly reduce scamming probabilities and can raise a red flag if the seller refused allowing you to check it beforehand.
PriceWhen it comes to respectable refurbishing companies, the selling price is often not arbitrary. The goal of such companies is to earn their clients’ respect and ensure loyalty. In other words, customer retention is far more important than earning an extra couple of hundred dollars.
Unfortunately, this is not necessarily the case when buying a used office chair from individuals. We often find sellers offering outrageous prices for junk chairs. Scammers often capitalize on the potential customer’s lack of knowledge in the office chairs market so they exploit that by offering a low-tier chair supported by flashy words to convince them that they are buying a luxurious one.
Google is your friend. Do your research even if you think the price is suitable. Chances are you will find that the advertised product is a knock-off brand or not worth half of the asking price.
What makes OfficeLogixShop trustworthy?Refurbishing is a long and accurate process. For instance, this Herman Miller Aeron refurbishing process video shows the steps and measures we take to turn a used chair into an almost brand new one.
We start off by determining what needs to be replaced. Some parts can still be perfect after in-depth cleaning, but sometimes we find it better to replace them completely.
The next phase is all about meticulously cleaning every part of the chair using a steam cleaner and a special vacuum mixed with specific detergents.
Once every part is completely clean and disinfected, we move on to applying the touch up paint. This step is essential because without the touch up paint, the scratches and other unappealing aesthetic nicks will ruin the whole experience. Of course, we only use our OfficeLogixShop touch up paint to have the look of a brand-new office chair.
Finally, we replace the armpads and casters. It does not matter if those parts were in a perfectly working condition, we always replace them with new ones straight out of their packaging.
VerdictBuying a used chair can be a financially wise decision since it will not be as expensive as a new one. Although, by investing in a used one, you are risking getting damaged or falsely advertised equipment with no way to get your money back. This is where professional and respectable refurbishing companies step up. Entities like OfficeLogixShop offer the best of both worlds by providing high quality office chairs for an affordable price along with warranty and free shipping to eliminate all doubts and risks.
Ordering your refurbished office chair from OfficeLogixShop is easy! You can view our collection of perfectly refurbished office chairs and order yours today. As a bonus, if your shipping address is located within the United States (with the exception of Hawaii and Alaska) you are also eligible for free shipping!