Why second hand furniture is not a good option!

There are many drawbacks to purchasing second hand furniture. Here are 5 things to consider when buying second hand furniture. Most of the time, people choose to buy second hand furniture because of lower costs. Although you may be drawn in by the appeal of lower prices, there are many drawbacks to buying second hand office furniture. Here are 5 things to consider when looking to buy second hand furniture

1. No warranty
2. Furniture history is unknown
3. Potential for on-going repair/maintenance costs
4. Incompatibility with other furniture and office equipment
5. Missing or broken parts that are no longer manufactured

1. No Warranty

This is the most important downside to buying second hand furniture. Because warranties usually only apply to the original buyer, second hand furniture is generally purchased without a warranty. This means if the item breaks down or develops a fault, the cost of repairs is on the new owner. While buying second hand furniture can save on costs intially, there is a risk of incurring on-going repairs and maintenance costs. Office Products Online offers warranties on all of its products ranging from 12 months to lifetime. Buying new office furniture will ensure you have the 'peace of mind' of a warranty and that you are receiving quality tested products. Check out the warranties Office Products Online offer HERE  

2. Furniture history is unknown 

Purchasing second hand furniture means that you have no idea how previous owners used the product/s. That reasonable looking second hand chair might have been used correctly by the previous owner/s or could have been mis-used and it is often impossible to detect defects caused by mis-use. All office furniture when it is used suffers some wear and tear, whether it be hinges on a cupboard, a motor on a sit/stand desk or the cushioning on a chair. New furniture has no history to worry about!    

3. Potential for on-going repair costs

While the main attraction of second hand furniture is the lower cost, these early savings are only temporary. The costs of repairs, replacements and other maintenance will add up. There is no warranty to cover these costs. Buying a new, quality ergonomic chair will cost a bit more upfront but warranties on some popular new chairs mean that you will be covered for 15 years and gas-lifts (which are affected most by break-down) are covered for life. In the period your new chair is covered by warranty you could very well go through three or more second hand chairs. 

4. Incompatiblity with other furniture and office equipment

Purchasing second hand office furniture can be like buying carpet for your home. If you install carpet in your home one room (or part of a room) at a time, there is no guarantee that you will always be able to match the carpet. The same applies to second hand furniture and you could end up with a mis-match of colurs and designs. You don't have the range of options when purchasing second hand furniture so it is harder to create a consistent look for your office environment. An aesthetically pleasing office boosts employee comfort, happiness and productivity, so it is advisable to look at packages when purchasing your furniutre. Office Products Online has 22 years experience in supplying affordable office packages. Check out the range of furniture packages available HERE    

5. Missing or Broken Parts

Occasionally second hand furniture comes with missing or broken parts, some of which may no longer manufactured. For example a faulty drawer on your second hand under desk mobile that was manufactured 20 years ago could be difficult to find the right parts to fix it. It’s much more cost-efficient to purchase a new quality, under desk mobile (complete with a 10-15 year warranty). In our experience 'shoppers' looking for parts on older office furniture are invariably disappointed.

There is a wide range of options available for 'shoppers' looking for new office furniture and is often difficult to know where to start. New office furniture products are generally 'all equal' - and many of those selling office furniture will be selling the same products. The true test of a retailer/resellers reputation is how they respond to warranty issues. Office Products Online has built an enviable reputation is this area - and we leave no stone unturned when responding to a warranty inquiry. HERE is what our customers from the past 17 years have to say about dealing with us For more information on any of our products phone us on 0-800-535-029 or email your inquiry to shop@officeproductsonline.co.nz