Purchasing used electronics

[sunflower.mama]

I am thinking of getting my kids used i-touch devices for christmas.  Anyone have any tips on buying them?  They seem to be $80-100 (and up) on craigslist.  I have yet to look on ebay.  Are these apple products bug free?  Ie if there are no surface defects should I be reasonably confident that it will work fine for a while?

[mylilmonkeys]

My ds was recently looking for an ipod that he had earned the money for.  I thought about getting a used product, or a refurbished one, but the more I thought about it, the more I worried that getting a used product with no warranty was a bad idea for a child (or teen in my case).  The savings wasn't enough off the new price.  I think we ended up with a refurb from Apple which has a full waranty.  A refurb from a non-Apple source was usually limited to 3- or 6-months.  Just something to think about.

[Wolfcat]

Get refurbished. If you get used and privately sold, there is a very good chance that you will inherit problems that will cost more than you'd saved to get fixed. There are several reputable places to get refurbished electronics at a fraction of the original cost. TigerDirect.com is one. The manufacturer may also offer refurbished pieces.

Trust me, you don't want someone else's crap on your stuff. It tends to get messy and it could even pose a security issue.

[zebra15]

Refurbished from Apple is the way to go.