CowBoom is offering the 'Samsung Galaxy S III 16GB 4G Verizon Smartphone White' today. The condition is Grade 4, which are 'significant scratches'. This almost certainly does not include the Gorilla Glass II screen, but they have a good return policy and buyer beware anyway. I've bought grade 5 stuff and not been dissatisfied. The price is $299 + $5 shipping. I saw another post today with the no-contract T-Mobile version for $549, so so buying used means cosmetic scratches, which can be fixed easily if they are on the back side and different warranty for essentially the same flagship phone of the Samsung line.
I believe the S IV was just announced this past week, not made available. I don't think any carrier will have it for a few months. So, not quite the same. And, as I indicated above, a current special in another FW post has the same model (different carrier) new for $250 more.
Samsung phones are very high specced, and people are still happily using 'S I' phones. This is a good deal for many, however.
KayK said: wow.. just get the damn nexus 4 for $300. Brand new and a newer OS than even the S4!
This deal is for the Verizon version of the GS3 so the Nexus 4 won't work on Big Red. Also, the upcoming GS4 will come with Android 4.2.2, which is currently the latest version of Jelly Bean. Even still, I agree that it's not worth buying a GS3 until the GS4 hits the street in about a month's time.
CowBoom inventory with change constantly. If there is a grade 4 now, it may be grade 5 later. This is a pretty good price for this phone from a major retailer. I think they have a 30 day return policy, so if the condition is worse than expected, you can return it.
Based on a thread over at XDA, the Verizon model has a SIM slot and some folks have been able to hack it to run on GSM providers in the US, but only at 2G speeds.
just as a point of reference, mint condition Verizon S3's can be had on eBay for around $375. I just picked up a white one last month, flawless condition, the seller claimed it was only 2 weeks old and only activated briefly and hardly used. It was perfect. I would pay the extra $80 or so for one in perfect condition over one with even the tiniest screen scratch.
These deals are important to those of us still on Verizon's unlimited data plans where we can't get discounted handsets without signing a new contract and losing unlimited data.
Samsung Galaxy S IV comes out in April. Brand new S II can be had for $299 at WalMart for T-Mobile (or AT&T if you unlock it) which is getting old but still a good phone and has a replaceable battery and SD card slot for expanded memory, something Goggles phone foolishly decided not to have.
chefchu said: Based on a thread over at XDA, the Verizon model has a SIM slot and some folks have been able to hack it to run on GSM providers in the US, but only at 2G speeds.
I can confirm as a verizon GS3 owner that I've experienced HSPA+ data overseas (in the philippines). Not a difficult thing to do, but you have to be rooted, and will have to manually input the APN using an app called (APN Manager Pro) from the service provider abroad. They should do this for you at the service providers store.
ViperSSD said: These deals are important to those of us still on Verizon's unlimited data plans where we can't get discounted handsets without signing a new contract and losing unlimited data.
There are better places to get used devices in better condition, eg swappa.com
I fail to see the fascination with CowBoom, having to pay for devices which may arrive in worse than expected condition, and which may not work, all the while which you do not have a new device to use.
ViperSSD said: I fail to see the fascination with CowBoom, having to pay for devices which may arrive in worse than expected condition, and which may not work, all the while which you do not have a new device to use.
JMO.
I agree. Refurbished means used and nothing else. It's not like a starter or alternator for a car that gets rebuilt by having the worn parts replaced, tested, and then sold as rebuilt.
Refurb means the product was returned and 99.999% of the time because there was something wrong with it. At most the product is turned on and if it comes on it is then sold as a refurb. There is no testing done to see if it freezes or reboots all the time.
Whether refurbished goods or used/returned are for an individual, or whether people are best advised to only buy everything new, from phones to cars and houses, is certainly a worthy topic for the deal discussion forum. This is the hot deal forum, however, and many do see value in items, particularly electronics, which have cosmetic signs of use, but which are otherwise fully operational.
And if you do decide to take that topic to the board where it belongs, please try not to mix up your item conditions.
Refurbished - these items generally have been returned because of some defect. They are then reconditioned and offered with warranty (which credit cards usually also extend). Studies of refurbished items have generally shown they are more reliable than new items since their defect has been found and the component replaced while new items may harbor undiscovered defects. When refurbished, they are usually returned to new appearance and any defective part completely replaced. Refurbished is exactly like a starter or alternator that gets rebuilt. That is the definition of refurbished. Used/Returned - While items may have been returned because of a defect to the store, those items are almost 100% returned to the mfg to become refurbished items as described above. Used items that are returned with no complaint of defect are usually returned during trial/return periods. Many items such as cell phones which have a significant grace period are returned because a user may simply prefer another phone due to size or color or features. If there are signs of use in the returned item, they are sold as used. Some stores like Fry's just pop them back on the floor with a sad 5% discount. Best Buy sells their returned electronics through CowBoom. Used items are therefore rarely suspect. Buyers are protected in cases where the item is received and found to be defective.
Either category will have some appeal to people who are not as concerned with the cosmetic appearance of a device. For example, the Samsung Galaxy III has Gorilla Glass II which means there are unlikely to be any scratches on the screen. If there were, return it. The back cover covers about 90% of the remainder and can be replaced very cheaply. The chrome trim is really the only thing on that device which might have scratches you would have to live with. And, again, if they were excessive, you could return it. So for many, the 'fascination' with refurbished items, or in this case used items is that some buyers find value in them. For those who do not, great, more for us.
Your message is more off topic since you aren't a moderator. We are discussing refurbed items because the deal is about a refurbed item, which by it's nature is not a deal. You are posting definitions.
You are totally wrong with your definitions. That is what they are supposed to mean, but in reality, nothing could be further from the truth.
You tell me how an auction company or liquidator can test a precision electronic instrument better than a manufacture who has engineers, technicians, and millions of dollars of the proper test equipment. A new product is tested at the manufacturer to make sure it meets specs. It is called quality control. Refurbs are the ones that have hidden defects because they are the ones with things such as random reboots or freezing up that aren't found by powering them up and changing the scratched case. Alternators and starters have a handful of parts that normally wear out and are replaced and easily tested with cheap equipment. Electronics such as cell phones do not. Saying a product is a refurb does nothing but give the company the legal right to sell used junk.
As for a warranty, there is no such thing for most companies. Go read some reviews on Amazon where people foolishly sent products back to the manufacturer, at their own expense for warranty service, waited six weeks, and got the product back unrepaired. You see, the manufacturer already has your money. They have nothing to gain by providing warranty service. They don't care if you never buy a product of theirs again and tell ten people not too. They know a billion other people will. That's why they put notes in products telling you to contact them rather than taking it back to the place of purchase.
Why wouldn't you take the product back to the place of purchase, if within the return period, for an instant refund or replacement? The reason the manufacturer doesn't want you to is because they are then forced to issue a credit to the retailer or lose many future sales. The retailer has buying power that you don't. The manufacturer doesn't care if you never buy another product of theirs again, but if a retailer like WalMart doesn't, that's a lot of lost sales.
The usual method a manufacturer uses to avoid warranty service is to have you send the product back at your expense. they then send it back unrepaired. If you send it back again, at your own expense, they will send it back to you unrepaired again. They know you will soon tire of spending your own money, only to have the product come back as you sent it, unrepaired.
A manufacturer is not required to provide warranty service. They are only required to appear to do so.
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