Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Used Office Furniture: The Risks

By Harry Bants

There are a lot of benefits to buying second hand office furniture. Not only can it be beneficial to your wallet, but to the environment, too. This article looks at why in more detail.

As with all products sold second hand, the first pro is obvious - and that is the difference in price between brand new items and ones sold as used. There are some sellers willing to negotiate openly to come to a reasonable price, as well as businesses dedicated to office furniture clear-outs with massive savings.

There is the chance of your items being damaged in transit. If the option is there, consider spending a small charge additionally for a courier service to transport your items for you. This could offer you piece of mind during the shipping period, and could save you money should your furniture be delivered irreparably damaged.

When browsing, you will find a variety of products on different ends of the pricing scale, which makes used office furniture a very budget-friendly market. Prices can vary dependent on the condition of the items in question. View the asking price for a product as a window to the condition of the product: paying less for something usually means the item is of a lesser quality.

Enquire as to when the seller purchased the item. It sounds like something very trivial to ask, but if the seller answers correctly, it can make a positive statement about the product. For instance, if the used office furniture in question is quite old and still looks in excellent condition, it shows that the furniture is durable and can withstand the test of time.

Check that the product is exactly what you are looking for. One of the key things when it comes to purchasing office furniture is being certain that you are making the right decision. Bear this in mind at all times, as finding a dealer who will give you a refund and take back the furniture is rare.

Always buy with the future in mind. Before you buy, consider whether the furniture is durable and will serve its purpose for a long period of time. Used office furniture does not have a warranty period.

Typically, the carbon footprint of manufacturing brand new office furniture is significant. Average travel can include wood being sourced in South American rainforests, to transportation in industrialised Asian countries before international distribution. Sourcing used furniture locally helps keep damage to the atmosphere at an optimum low.

Buying used office furniture can prove the perfect opportunity to try something new. There are a variety of modern, ergonomic and vibrant offerings available. What's more, the financial risk of experimenting with purchases is reduced greatly with second hand goods.

If an asking price seems too low, then the likelihood is that the offer is too good to be true. The asking price normally serves as a rough representation of the product being offered. However, do remember that the seller's main objective is to get as much of a profit from the furniture being sold as possible - a seller will nearly always add more price to a product than its actual value.

Like anything else, always exercise your common sense when it comes to buying used office furniture. If a seller on an auctioning website has no feedback, no photos of the product being sold and is difficult to contact, it may be best to consider purchasing from another seller. The market is a large and diverse one - alternative purchases are never hard to find.

Being so inquisitive about your purchase is not unusual. After all, you are making a significant investment worth a lot of money - so ensure that your investment is a worthwhile one. Remember: sometimes it can be a simple case of why, how, where and when.

About the Author:

No comments: