Ever heard the saying, “You get what you pay for?” This is true in countless scenarios and industries. Vendors will try to undercut other vendors or prices will be far less from another vendor for a like product. Be aware that in the refurbished medical equipment industry this may ring more true than in any other.
What we are discussing here is equipment marketed as “refurbished”, not “used”. This would include pre-owned equipment that has been inspected, repaired, cosmetically overhauled and tested to be in good working order. Individuals and companies that market their items as “refurbished” do not have an industry standard procedurally for how to refurbish an item, so each is left on their own to formulate a refurbishing procedure that is adequate. This is where the “you get what you pay for” comes into play.
The level of refurbishment, parts replaced, quality procedures, etc, which goes into each product can vary; therefore the price of the item will vary from vendor to vendor. If medical equipment company X only replaces one minor part and cleans the item up and tests it, then their price is obviously going to be significantly different that company Z who disassembles the entire item, tests and inspects each component, replaces multiple parts as a standard protocol, has trained biomedical technicians performing QA and final testing, etc . You need to know what level of service your item is receiving, at least to the point where you feel comfortable. Numbers do not tell the whole story, because the true test of the value in an item also entails peace of mind, warranty, and cost of ownership after a number of years.
If a vendor is miles lower than their competitors in pricing, beware. There may be unanticipated costs or lack of support down the road that will make that huge cost savings disappear. You need to consider all of the factors involved to get a true grip on overall value: Cost – procedures – experience – warranty – after sales support – references. Without a healthy combination of all of these necessary ingredients, you will likely have less money in your wallet and more aspirin in your stomach in the end.
Thanks for reading,
