I suspected the 2nd and 3rd but have always suspicious that they could be returned customer demos which would not make them unused.Opened to show customer.
Opened by customer but returned unused
Often, excess or slow moving stock that the retailer wants to move on, without openly breaking a pricing agreement with the distributor or manufacturer.
Yep, that has happened to me twice. Once saved me a few hundred... and the other a few thousand. No complaints!I purchased an "open box" item and it was clear when delivered that it was new and unopened. I paid around 70% of the "regular" price. I guess that this happens quite regularly to boost sales.
Many are just the dealer finding a way to discount stock, possibly to find a way around manufacturer restrictions that the dealer should not sell at a discount. I have bought many ‘open box’ items where it is clear that the box has never been opened.See numerous of these on eBay from dealers where items are being sold as "Open box - never been used". What exactly is the reason for these?
Finding a reliable dealer who you can trust implicitly is a worthwhile aim.BEWARE - ‘Open box’ may not mean ‘The box has only been opened’!
I bought an ‘open boxed’ amplifier from a very well respected dealer advertising it at full RRP. So, I made the assumption that this item was unused, as the full RRP suggested.
Turns out it was two years old! When I found out, I gave him a really hard time. I threatened to notify the distributor. He took it back and I received a brand new replacement with a little discount.
Interestingly, on the replacement, I ordered an internal phone stage, commonly known to retail @ £215. The dealer tried to charge me £415, rather than £215! He pleaded ignorant, but if I knew the retail price of the phono stage, how come he didn’t? When I challenged this, he charged me the correct £215, oh yeh, with a little discount. Think he was trying to make back some of the original discount he’d offered me on the amp. F’ing cheeky!
Tread carefully.
What an absolutely ridiculous statement.“only a visual inspection is required to establish if something works.”