The holidays are here, deals are heating up and it’s one of the craziest purchasing periods of the year. When it comes to electronics – whether it’s for you, or a gift – be sure to check out the refurbished option. For some, the r-word is a little dirty, but for others, it’s a great way to save cash on a fully guaranteed item. So, to answer the (probably rhetorical) question I posed in the headline: Yes, buying refurbished DOES make sense; and I’m about to tell you why. Is ‘refurbished’ actually ‘used’? Nope, but maybe technically? Here’s a breakdown of how most retailers classify the following terms: New – as in brand new, never been opened, factory sealed, fresh. Redistributed – brand new, never been opened, shipped, returned (but still hasn’t been opened) Refurbished – brand new item that has potentially been shipped, opened and returned – OR an item that has been built with new pieces from a returned item. What about the warranty? Most retailers (especially the ones listed below) will sell refurbished items with the same warranty they offer on brand new gear – except, expect to get a price reduction of about 10-25%. That’s HUGE