"Open Box" sales

petrichor

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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?
 

marko

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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.
 
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petrichor

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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.
I suspected the 2nd and 3rd but have always suspicious that they could be returned customer demos which would not make them unused.

On the plus side some years ago ordered (different times from different dealers) a turntable and amplifier advertised as ex. demo but both were brand new, unopened.

Steve.
 

Bodgit

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Always need to be wary if something being sold isn't "new". Was looking on box.co.uk for a new NAS (DS920+), a couple of them came up which were Grade A and B respectively, both said "Manufacturer 3 year warranty". I enquired to have them confirm this, turns out they only have 12 month box warranty since they're graded.
 

tuga

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I always though it meant to reflect a small degree of depreciation in value to reflect a box that had been open by the retailer (and an item possibly used for shelf demo or even a handful of demos, but is pristine
 
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DomT

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I know a proaudio retailer well who regularly opens boxes to drive up sales and I bought one of these.

Some are genuinely ‘new never taken out of a box’ but last week I saw one of these open boxes advertised on eBay (a Technics turntable) so I contacted the high profile HiFi dealer and asked if it was new unused. Yes they said. It was a customer return. I asked how they knew that the customer hadn’t used it. They replied that it “looked new”. And no they hadn’t tested it to see if it worked ok because “only a visual inspection is required to establish if something works.” Needless to say that so didn’t buy it.
 
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griffo104

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All too often nowadays means a customer return, certainly on the couple of times I've enquired. Usually if it's only been in the shop they mark it as ex-demo
 

jon

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Can also mean that the box got a bit battered in transit, and the dealer checked item inside is working/undamaged before sale.
 

tuga

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Many stores label customer returners as refurbished items and claim that they’re teste before being put for sale

I’ve bought manufacturer refurbished and retailer refurbished goods and was never disappointed
 

glenhb

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I've bought lots of kit as open box, ex demo, customer return. Never had a problem with the quality of the items I received.
 

Steveh

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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.
 
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TheFlash

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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.
Yep, that has happened to me twice. Once saved me a few hundred... and the other a few thousand. No complaints!
 

Fourlegs

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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?
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.

On the other hand sometimes they are genuine opened box, never used and then again every now and then there is subterfuge and the item has been used despite the description.

Go into it with your eyes open and there are true bargains to be had. A few months ago I bought an ’open box‘ item for around £9k where the current retail is £17.5k. Brand new, never used, full guarantee.
 

Southeastern

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Lol....a lot of the time they are normal stock sold as 'open box' to avoid having to honour RRP pricing...a dealer needs to shift stock to keep capital flowing. Cant be sold as a 'sale' as they disrupts the (not really legal) price fixing of brands/dealers etc, so the best way, open box. Discount by a %, while retaining enough % to make a profit.

I love an 'open box' discount.

Edit: Did a man read of the thread first and now realised @Fourlegs covered this above!
 

marko

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I’m sure someone suggested on this thread that I name the dealer, but the post seems to have vanished!
Anyway, I’m certainly not naming the dealer. I sorted things out with him a while ago, so it’s water under the bridge now.
 
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maddog_007

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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.
Finding a reliable dealer who you can trust implicitly is a worthwhile aim.
I've known my particular dealer for nigh on 35 years, he's been with me on my travels thru' hifi from an automatic Dual deckin the 80's, loads of Linn LK gear and up to my present system.
 
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Tony T

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I had some trouble with Audio Affair wrt Open Box, a pair of Solidsteel SS-6 stands arrived in a battered box, damaged top plates and obviously had been demoed and returned to the dealer who was so bloody lazy they didn’t check the condition before sending them on to me. Received replacement top plates but left a sour taste tbh. I’m sure the vast majority of their customers are very happy but they didn’t impress me whatsoever.

Buying s/h from the forums has always been a safe bet for me, buying from established members gives me a real sense of security I don’t get elsewhere.
 

Gray

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“only a visual inspection is required to establish if something works.”
What an absolutely ridiculous statement.

I've spent a few years working in service / returns departments. For one national retailer we graded returns....grade 2 and below were sold secondhand....but grade 1 were 'return to stock' - which was encouraged.
That encouragement didn't work on me - I made sure none of mine were grade 1.

I always buy brand new.
And (by forensic inspection) I always know if it isn't. No 'open box, unused' for me.
 
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