New or Refurbished DVD Burner
Those of us that repair laptops or would like to do so, at one point of time or another, will be faced with the question: Replacement part – new or refurbished? When replacing memory (RAM), CPU or plastic components, it is a simple process that anyone can perform, however when we get into more sophisticated parts such as Hard drive, LCD screen, motherboard or DVD drive, we are wading into a higher risk territory. These sensitive and fragile parts require very delicate handling during removal, packing and the actual Refurbishment process.
What is the process of Refurbishment? Refurbishment is the process of maintenance or minor repairs of an item, either aesthetically or mechanically. Dust and vibration are the most common enemies to a Laptop DVD burner or reader. The most important part of an optical drive is an optical path, placed in a pickup head, and it is impossible to guarantee the condition of this expensive part without replacing it. Even testing will not guarantee whether it will continue to work for years to come or if it will break down tomorrow.
As you know, most refurbished parts come from the laptops that have defects and will not be placed for sale. Since the process of identifying the problem and actually solving it requires a lot of time, and the time of the certified technician costs a pretty penny, 99.9% of the sellers will simply take the item apart, clean it and put it back together in hopes that it will work.
Today, the price of a new Laptop DVD burner on eBay can be anywhere between $50 and $140, depending on the brand. The price of the refurbished unit is about $30-$40 less. So why buy refurbished unit and gamble whether it will work or not. If it breaks down a week later, you will spend an additional $15 to send it back to the seller, who will probably charge you restocking fee on top of that. And now, all of a sudden, you have spent the same amount of money that you would have if you bought a new item, wasted your time and efforts, became aggravated, and are still at square 1 and still need a replacement part. So is this gamble and the headache afterwards worth it?
