Are used appliances worth it or a waste of money?

Are used appliances a money saver or just too much trouble?

With rising gas prices and the cost of new appliances seeming more and more like an “arm and a leg”, used appliances may seem like a good way to save money for some Vancouverites.

But there’s a lot to think about before you buy cheap and end up with a few large unforeseen expenses.

Today, we’ve decided to tackle an age-old question – is it worth considering buying a used appliance instead of a new one or repairing your broken appliance?

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What’s The Problem With Buying Used Appliances?

One of the biggest advantages of buying a new appliance is the fact that it’s coming right from the manufacturer, and there’s certain product standards that the unit has to meet before it even arrives in store. And if there’s problems? Well, you’d typically be covered by the manufacturer for a period of time.

On the other hand, if you decide to buy a used appliance on Facebook Marketplace or Vanvouver’s thriving Craigslist scene – you’d essentially be buying “a cat in a bag”

This means you have no idea what this appliance has been through – and more often than not, it would have seen better days.

One of the situations we see very often is where unsuspecting money savers end up buying an appliance that’s outright broken, just not very obviously so, or is on its way out. This is especially common with washing machines, refrigerators, and dishwashers.

Is There A Way To Check A Used Appliance Before You Buy?

Sure enough, you can run the appliance, see if it does anything obviously out of tune. 

But at the end of the day, there’s almost no way to ascertain whether or not the appliance is functioning within norm. That is unless you either have extensive knowledge of appliances and manufacturer standards, or unless you simply take it apart and check each major system individually.

And if that sounds like quite the task, you’d be entirely right. It is!

Therefore, there’s very little checking over that you can do to make sure the used appliance you’re thinking of buying will actually last you more than a few days. Not to mention – you may even run into pest infested appliances on the used market.

So Are Used Appliances A Bad Investment?

While buying a used appliance may seem like an affordable option to keep your home running smoothly, it can often end up costing you much more than a prospective repair, or even the purchase of a new appliance.

So, to answer the question definitely – yes, used appliances are usually a waste of money!

Of course, context also matters here. For example, if you’ve already put in a deposit for a new fridge and just need something that will get you from now to then – a used appliance will definitely be the way to go.

But for most people trying to save a dime, our advice is to be careful so that it doesn’t end up costing you a dollar instead.

And remember, if you’re ever trying to weigh repairing your appliance versus buying a new or a used one – feel free to call us anytime for an expert opinion from one of our Vancouver local appliance repair technicians.

As always, we’d love to hear from you! Please share your thoughts by email or in the comments below, and we’ll see you in the next installment of Appliance Tips & Tricks by Vancouver Appliance Service Pros.

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