Purchasing refurbished goods can be daunting, and even more so with TVs where the price of such a big device is so high. Yes, the savings on a second-hand TV can be huge, but consumers often worry that the product they receive won’t perform as well as a brand new equivalent – and they are right to be concerned. The quality of a refurbished electronic device depends entirely on the company carrying out the repair work. Are they sending it back to the manufacturer for professional factory repairs, or simply giving it a wipe down and putting it in a new box? It’s often hard to be sure, so you need to know that you’re buying from a reliable and honest retailer.
On top of that, there’s the warranty to think about. A new TV from John Lewis comes with a guarantee of at least 2 years, if not more, whereas some refurbished TVs only come with 90 days – hardly enough time to test out your television properly. With a TV, you want at least a year’s warranty, minimum.
This is where things get tricky. With some product categories, it is definitely better to go the refurbished route. For example, buy a new iPhone or iPad from the Apple Refurbished Store and you’ll get a product that’s as good as new, much cheaper, and still comes with a 12-month warranty. Buying TVs is another story altogether.
In this guide, we will highlight the best places to purchase a refurbished TV and offer some advice on purchasing second-hand non-refurbished TVs too.
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Where are the best places to buy a refurbished TV?
1. Amazon (Certified Refurbished)
Warranty: 1 year
Amazon sells second-hand products across all electronics categories, and there are a few different types: Pre-Owned, Open Box, and Certified Refurbished. For the purposes of this article, we’re ignoring the first two. They have not been sent back to the manufacturer, and their conditions will vary wildly. A seller may describe a TV as ‘Like new’, but as customers have found out, that term tends to be subjective.
Amazon’s Certified Refurbished stamp, however, is as good as it gets. TVs listed on Amazon’s Certified Refurbished page have been sent back for factory repair and testing. All television sets come with a 1-year warranty, and they look and work like brand new.
TVs often come in a plain non-branded box, but will always include all accessories that would be found inside a brand new equivalent. It’s a good way to save on the latest 4K HDR TVs. Most TVs we’ve looked at are at least £100 cheaper than when purchased new, but we’ve seen savings of over £200 on 55in 4K Smart TVs from the likes of LG and Panasonic.
Buy a refurbished TV now from Amazon Certified Refurbished
2. Tesco eBay Outlet
Warranty: 1 year
There are always dozens of TV deals to choose from in the Home Cinema category of Tesco’s eBay Outlet. And the savings can be phenomenal, especially if you bid smart. But there a few things which you need to be aware of before making any purchase. First of all, the definition of the ‘Refurbished’ tag on this site is much less exact than that of Amazon’s Certified Refurbished stamp. When you select a TV, take a quick scroll down to the bottom of the product description, where you will find a more detailed description of that specific item’s refurbished ‘Grade’.
One may say ‘Refurbished’, or ‘Grade A’, which means it should be in perfect working order, and appear as new. However, a ‘Grade C’ or ‘Refurbished with Cosmetic Marks’ means that there will be noticeable marks on the TV, such as scratches or dents. Unfortunately, Tesco does not provide specific details of the cosmetic marks on each individual product, nor any photos of said damage.
Another very important factor to keep in mind is what comes inside the box. In the terms and conditions, Tesco states that “all products are supplied with basic accessories to use the product (unless stated in the listing)”. Always check that listing! Half of the refurbished TV deals we looked at had a note from the seller detailing some crucial accessory missing from the television set, such as an HDMI cable. One was even being sold without its stand, meaning you’d have to either buy one separately or wall mount it.
Tesco says that all its refurbished TVs have received a professional refurbishment and factory reset after being returned by customers to Tesco stores, so if you get a Grade A refurb it should work just like new. All TVs bought through Tesco eBay Outlet also come with a 12-month warranty.
Buy a refurbished TV now from Tesco eBay Outlet
3. Appliances Direct
Warranty: 1 year
You may not have heard of Appliances Direct before, but it’s an excellent option if you’re in the market for second-hand tech. Don’t be put off by the spammy site design; Appliances Direct has built up a solid reputation for delivering second-hand electronic goods swiftly and safely to customers. It has a Trustpilot rating of 4/5 based on 17,500 reviews, with excellent next day delivery options and a great return policy, too.
Searching for your (sort of) new TV is a breeze with Appliances Direct’s search system. You can filter your search by the size, price, and category of TV you’re looking for, then narrow it down to 55in plus TVs, or look exclusively at Smart TVs. If you’d rather search by your favourite brand, you can do that too. The standard of refurbishment is displayed clearly on each product listing (Grade A1-A3) as well as how much you’ll save by buying it. We’ve seen 4K TVs going for £300 cheaper than they are brand new on Currys or Amazon. Be aware, though, that the claimed savings usually refer to the full price of the TV when it first came out, not necessarily how much it sells for now.
Appliances Direct describes a Grade A1 refurbishment as ‘like new’; the TV box has been opened and it has been used, but it has been fully cleaned and engineer checked. Grade A2 might have some minor scuffs, but you’d have to look closely to find them. Finally, Grade A3 means that there will be either noticeable scratches or dents or both, but the TV will work just fine. All TVs also come with a 1-year warranty, for extra peace of mind.
The best deals on Appliances Direct seem to be Outlet Deals – that means it’s a one-off, and once sold, you won’t find that model for that price elsewhere on the site.
Buy a refurbished TV now from Appliances Direct
What about buying second hand, non-refurbished TVs?
Frankly, we don’t recommend that you go in for the second-hand option. If you aren’t getting a guarantee from a trusted retailer then, well, there are no guarantees. TVs are expensive enough as it is, so the last thing you want to do is get one home only to find that it doesn’t even work – then have to fork out another £500 or more.
We strongly advise that you use one of the refurbished TV retailers listed above if you’re trying to save by getting a second-hand TV. But, if you absolutely want to spend the bare minimum on a 4K TV, then you’ll probably still consider opting for a second-hand, non-refurbished TV instead. If that’s the case, then there are a couple of tips that should help ensure you’re not ripped off.
The first place you should look, before turning to the minefield of online buying sites, is in your personal network of friends and family. Ask around to see if anyone’s upgrading their year-old or two-year-old TV for a bigger, newer model. If so, they might be willing to let it go at a bargain price if they know it’s going to a good home. Likewise, you know it’s come from one, too, because it’s coming from somebody you trust. You could also try putting out some feelers on Facebook to see if anyone has a Smart TV they’re looking to ditch.
Failing that, you’ll probably be heading over to Gumtree or eBay. There’s a never-ending supply of second-hand electronics on these websites, but also an alarming number of potential pitfalls. Consider the following when buying a second-hand TV from a stranger.
Buying a second-hand TV: An essential checklist
Ask for an original receipt or proof of purchase
You don’t want to end up handing your money over to a criminal. You also don’t want to commit a criminal offence yourself by handling stolen goods. Seeing a physical or digital receipt will reassure you that the seller was also the original buyer. If the warranty happens to still be valid, this will help you in any warranty claim that you may end up making.
Check for a returns policy
Private sellers won’t offer you a return policy, but some of more established eBay stores often do. This will give you a small window of time during which you’ll be entitled to a full refund if the TV you have delivered isn’t up to scratch. A returns policy normally lasts between 30 to 90 days, but it’s no substitute for a 1 year warranty. You should also read the customer reviews of sellers offering a returns policy, to make sure that they actually honour their word.
Meet in a public space
Admittedly, this one’s not as easy to follow when purchasing a second hand TV as it is when purchasing a phone or laptop. The general rule of thumb when collecting from a seller is to meet in public, during daylight hours, at a train station, coffee shop or somewhere in a similar vein.
Due to the size and weight of most TVs, especially the 50in plus 4K beasts you’re probably after, most collections will be made from the seller’s house – that, or they’ll be delivering to your home. Either way, make sure you have at least one person with you for safety’s sake. If the seller suggests that you collect the TV from an abandoned warehouse in an industrial estate, we would advise you to look elsewhere for your second hand telly.
Pay securely
PayPal is the ideal middleman service for transferring money to a person you don’t know. It’s always best to avoid handing over cash in hand if you can, especially if you’ll be forking our hundreds of pounds for your second-hand TV. PayPal also ensures that there is a record of the payment and who it went to, making the seller much easier to track should something go awry.
Test it works
Finally, don’t forget to test the TV before agreeing to buy it! Make sure it looks the same as the description and any images which advertised it, then ensure that it turns on, has sound, all its cables and appliances are intact. Don’t forget to check the remote works while you’re there.
Which TV should I buy, whether second hand or refurbished?
Perhaps you’re so overwhelmed by the choice of 4K TVs on the market that you’re stumped about which one to even choose in the first place. Luckily, we have a guide of all our favourite TVs in 2018 so far which can help you to narrow down your choice to just a couple of models. From there, you can browse the websites we’ve discussed in this guide to try and find yourself a cheeky refurbished bargain. Happy viewing!