Has anyone ever told you NOT to buy used?… because if you do… you’ll get burned? Let’s be honest, we’ve all met someone like that. They come up with the worst stories about why you shouldn’t buy secondhand.

To some people (maybe you, too) it was enough to stay away from buying used altogether.

Bad things happen. Maybe a bad thing happened to you in the past and you don’t want to go through it again.

I understand.

But just because it happened once doesn’t mean it will happen again! And just because a stranger told you not to buy used doesn’t mean you should follow that advice.

So, join me on a quest to see if what we’ve been told is true or not.

Let’s Talk About the Benefits of Buying Used

Who doesn’t like to unbox a product for the first time… the smell of new things? We all want to be the first to break the package’s protective seal and have our hands on the item’s inside.

No one’s ever touched it, except you — it’s like having a prize in your hands. But, that prize comes with a price, however.

PRICE – Did you know?… you can find lightly used items up to 50% cheaper than you could if you were buying new. People are virtually “throwing” away stuff they no longer need. And they couldn’t care less about getting back what they invested in the first place.

There are several reasons for that.

Number one, they need money — NOW! Number two, their business has gone bankrupt, and they need to get rid of the inventory. And thirdly, they’re trying to part ways with their “old” equipment because… well… they have made an upgrade recently.

How wonderful! Isn’t that exactly what one could ask for to get a lower price?

SUPPLY – At the time of writing, January 2022, the demand for goods is greater than supply. Many things are out of stock — even if you have cash — you can’t buy them from a store.

And that makes people look in a different direction like thrift stores, flea markets, or online marketplaces that sell used stuff. It’s a hope for many to find what they need.

And I’m willing to bet there is someone somewhere selling what YOU need, too. So, next time you see your item displayed as “out of stock”, try your luck in the secondhand marketplaces.

SPEED – If you REALLY want something, you don’t have patience for the queue — any queue for that matter — the time you wanted your new stuff was yesterday, not tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.

Believe it or not, there are “digital” queues these days. If you want something bad enough, guess what… there’s someone who wants it more! Merchants know this all too well, so they put you on a waiting list. When an item hits the shelves again, they send “back in stock” notifications to that waiting list. The first one to order gets the product.

Now, if that’s not your thing… the secondhand market can come to the rescue.

Nothing’s changed there, so you can search for the product in need and see it anytime you like.

Sellers of used goods are desperately waiting for your call… and can’t wait for you to come and collect their items.

Why?

Because the sooner you come, the sooner they get the money.

How About The Disadvantages?
Are there any of those?

The good news is, there are no shortages of stories about buying used — while some are true, some are lies and half-truths. So, for example, don’t be surprised when someone tells you: “You’re buying someone else’s problems.”

But what could those problems be and how bad? We need answers.

DEFECTS – If you’ve ever bought something faulty… you know how it feels. You had gone through a lot physically (and in your head) to get what you were looking for. To begin with, you had to find it first. Next, you had to pick it up from the owner… or… have it delivered to you.

If you’re anything like me, you’re probably thinking about those things too. You see yourself driving to that location. Every little detail has been thought out already… from how you meet with the owner to what questions you ask and then how you bring the stuff back home.

It’s all perfect until you realize it’s NOT. It turns out the product is defective.

“How could it be?!” You’re in disbelief. “Did I get ripped off?”, you wonder.

And maybe you did — maybe you did get ripped off — and all you got is a product that doesn’t work. The worst part about it is it’s not uncommon for it to happen. In fact, some sellers knowingly sell defective items without ever mentioning the issues.

Therefore, you NEED to be very careful. Please read this article to avoid getting scammed.

WEAR & TEAR – Items bought from the store are unused, unopened, and in their original packaging. Where’s secondhand comes with a story. But the question is whether the owner wants to tell you that story.

What I mean is, used items have a history of ownership. The person you’re buying from has used the product in ways you’ll never really know. It could be that the item was carefully looked after and loved. Just as well, it could be the total opposite.

UPFRONT PAYMENTS – If you’ve wanted to buy something from a seller… have you ever been asked to pay first? Especially when you can’t collect the item yourself and need it shipped?

Another way to look at it is this: you need to send money to a person you don’t know for an item you haven’t seen.

What are the odds of it arriving? Well, you have a 50-50 chance of receiving the item if you buy it from regular marketplaces. 

Your chances double or triple if you use Quipdealio for your purchases.

The secret, the solution lies in the seller’s rating system — on our platform — each seller has a rating associated with its profile. Naturally, if the seller is honest and delivers what was promised, you’ll see a higher rating. If someone had a bad experience with a seller, the profile will be rated worse.

So, look at people’s profiles before you send them money.

Conclusion

Both good and bad qualities can be seen in used items. You can find a seller who sells the product in excellent condition. Just as well you can bump into a seller that sells scam.

The risk is always there whenever you buy from strangers online. But in today’s market, the reward of taking it is getting the product faster and at a better price.

What will be your choice?