When buying second-hand is not being a wise consumer (INQ7.net)

 showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view_article.php?
article_idc790

MANILA, Philippines -- You may think you are a wise and frugal shopper
by getting used items instead of brand-new products.

===
Just one of Today's Top 10 Frugal Lifestyle Consumer News Stories:
http://www.ng2000.com/fw.php?tp=frugal;lifestyle

  On May 12, 7:48 am, headli...@ng2000.com wrote:

Stories:http://www.ng2000.com/fw.php?tp=frugal;lifestyle


Seems like a useless article for the most part except for pointing out
that certain items tend to be worn more than others. Beyond that,
everything comes down to price and the person's needs. If you could
purchase a laptop for $5, for example, would you be that concerned
that it might fail early? Being frugal involves getting the most for
your money and considering the risks involved. A person that has no
sense of risk and thinks a used product is as good as new is bound to
be stabbed.

 

Depends also on how costly the failure is. How much time/money does it take
to transfer your OS and apps (and data) from the dead laptop to a new one?
If that laptop fails just before you need give a dealbreaker presentation to
a major customer, how much money do you stand to lose?

The blank DVD media I buy to make my long-term backups costs way less than
$5 per disc, but I'm damned well concerned about "early failure."

 
Stories:http://www.ng2000.com/fw.php?tp=frugal;lifestyle

    I see you've met my former S-I-L. :)  His latest used car always
had fabulous handling, a wonderful engine, excellent transmission,
unparalleled safety features, blah blah blah.  That is, he would read
ten-y.o. car mag articles and the manufacturer's specs for a new car,
and that always convinced him his latest clapped-out bargain was
exactly like same as a new car.  At one point he had a beat-up 18-year-
old Mercedes that he bought third-hand from a guy who weighed 450
pounds - the driver's seat springs and the seat itself were mashed
completely flat, and the whole car leaned permanently to the left.
Plus the guy had never ever cleaned it and it smelled like dirty socks
on a wet dog.  But as he explained to us, he was real lucky to find a
*Mercedes*.