Is that a good deal, or should you stick to the new models? These are great questions, and I’m going to attempt to shed some light on them in this article.
I’ll just go ahead and let the cat out of the bag and let you know my general answer to this question. No! For what GPS receivers cost new and for the amount of money you’ll save, to me it doesn’t make sense for you to buy a reconditioned unit.
Let me explain my reasoning.
Right now, on Amazon, you can get a Tom Tom 3rd Edition, brand new!, for $119.49. If you want to buy a reconditioned unit, that will cost you $109. Personally, I just don’t see saving $10 as a reason to buy a used unit–even if it’s reconditioned by Tom Tom themselves.
Well, maybe I picked the wrong example. Maybe you can save some real money on other models. Let’s see…
A new Magellan Maestro 3100 will cost you $109. Used, you’re looking at $99! Again, a $10 difference.
Even in the higher prices, there’s not but about a $20 difference between a new unit and a refurbished unit. The Garmin nuvi 660 (a great GPS device, by the way!) is currently selling for $329. Refurbished it’s $309.
$10 to $20 seems to be all the difference there is currently between new and refurbished GPS receivers.
Maybe you think differently, but to me that’s not enough of a savings for the potential hassles of buying an older, used unit.
If you’ve been looking for a reconditioned GPS for sale and found price differences that are larger than what I’m quoting you, then I suspect I know what the issue is.
Prices for GPS recievers of all kinds have dropped a lot over the past two years. What cost $400 or so dollars a year or two ago, only costs $200 or so now.
I’ve seen price comparison websites where they show you the low, low reconditioned price compared with the price for a new unit. What they’re doing, though, is using prices for the new units that are at least a year old–sometime older.
They’re doing this to get you to think you’re saving $300 to $400 by buying a reconditioned GPS. You’re not, because the new GPS’s don’t sell for those higher prices any more.
Part of the issue is dealing with unscrupulous businesses and internet marketers who are willing to skew their prices in order to deceive you. This is why (at least to my mind) it’s so important to deal with really reputable companies like Amazon.
There are others, and I’m not trying to say Amazon is the only reputable company on the Web. They do enjoy a very good and very well deserved reputation for fair dealing, and because of that I’m using them in my example.
If you’re looking at someone’s website that’s selling other companies’ products (called affiliate marketing), make sure the company that you’re actually buying from is someone with a good, customer friendly reputation like Amazon.
Just as an example, I have a number of websites that sell other companies’ stuff. But the companies I work with are only the best ones–the ones you can trust to quote you fair prices on their merchandise.
So, with prices as low as they currently are, to my mind, a reconditioned GPS for sale just doesn’t make sense. Go ahead and spend the extra $10 to $20 and get a brand spanking new unit.
By: Rick Cole
Posts Tagged ‘Amazon’
How About Buying a Reconditioned GPS For Sale?
January 16th, 2010GPS: Your Virtual Tour Guide
January 8th, 2010
OK so you finally have gotten around to that vacation you’ve been planning for months. You’ve saved up some cash and want to go on a grand road trip or trek through out the jungles of the amazon.
The problem is you don’t know your way around your own backyard! How on earth will you be able to enjoy yourself if you are fumbling around with your map and compass!
Though GPS will not transform a directionally-challenged individual into a master outdoorsmen, it will certainly help those who use it correctly to get from one location to another without a hitch.
Imagine for instance if you are planning on going to on a vacation around a certain themed area- let’s say Mount Rushmore for instance. Not only will you be able to get to Mount Rushmore, but you will see instantly what other attractions are within your traveling range!
Imagine finding other attractions and public spectacles that are already in and around what you had set out for? Or if you want to go travel interstate around Mount Rushmore to see other locations and interests, a GPS device will help you get there quite simply! So it is very possible to travel to the surrounding states and attractions within the same amount of time that you normally would spend at a single attraction.
Many GPS providers come with preloaded destination settings that provides directions to not only attractions, but important pitstops such as gas stations, hotels, motels, and lodges.
This is THE way to travel. I am sure once you try GPS on one of your vacations, you will NEVER leave home without it!
By: Simon Wyryzowski
How to Compare GPS Units For Cars
December 27th, 2009
There are several manufacturers who make GPS units for cars. Some of the bigger ones make a ton of different models with various types of features. You can buy a GPS for anywhere from $150 to $900.
For the consumer, this level of competition is great, but it does make for a confusing marketplace. Sometimes you feel like you need a masters degree in engineering to understand what you want to buy.
I’m going to try to simplify all of this for you.
Consumer Reports recently did an article listing their top GPS units for cars. They listed units made by just three companies, Garmin, Tom Tom and Magellan.
Personally, if I were in buying a GPS unit right now, I’d stick to those three companies. There’s nothing anyone else offers that’s not offered by one of them, and also they’ve sewn up almost 90% of the market. If you want your purchase to be supported a year from now, you’ll want to stick with the big boys.
As far as Consumer Reports’ recommendations…From Garmin, they recommended the nuvi 760, nuvi 660, and nuvi 350.
All three of these are great GPS units for cars. The nuvi 760 currently sells for slightly over $400 and can do everything, including saying street names, Bluetooth for hands-free calling, real-time traffic bulletins, and even multiple point routing.
The nuvi 660 sells for about $50 less, and can do all of that less the multiple point routing.
Both the nuvi 760 and the nuvi 660 are the wide screen versions (4.3-inches instead of 3.5-inches). If you want an excellent GPS unit but you’re not interested in Bluetooth, multiple point routing, or the wide screen, then you might really want to consider the nuvi 350. It’s currently selling at Amazon for just under $200.
The two models Consumer Reports mentioned from Tom Tom were the GO 920T, which is an all-inclusive GPS that sells for slightly over $400, and the Tom Tom One, 3rd Edition–probably the best entry level device currently on the market. The One, 3rd Edition sells for just under $150.
The only GPS from Magellan mentioned was the Maestro 4250. For a mid-priced GPS unit, the Maestro 4250 really can’t be beat! It sells for around $250. One thing I really like about it, besides the wide screen, is the deal that Magellan has with AAA where they offer the Tour Book right on the device. (For AAA members, of course.)
These are only a few of the top GPS units for cars. Just the ones Consumer Reports mentioned. There are others, to my mind. Like the Garmin nuvi 880, which can do everything except cook your waffles for you. (They’re working on one that can do that for next year.)
Kidding aside, before you go out and actually buy one of these, you need to find an informative website where you can look at individual models and check out their current prices. That way you’ll get the right GPS for you and your needs.
By: Rick Cole
