Garmin Nüvi 750

Refurbished Garmin Nüvi 750

Price: $167.90

Buy the Garmin Nüvi 750

Product Reviews
GPS Magazine 4 out of 5
ZDnet 7.4 out of 10
Amazon.com 4 out of 5
CNet 3 out of 5
alaScore 89 out of 100

The refurbished Garmin Nüvi750 is a solid navigation system that provides Garmin’s superior routing and mapping system at a significantly reduced price when compared to the refurbished Garmin Nüvi 760.  The reduced price does come at the expense of some features, such as bluetooth and various traffic features – but those are only going to be utilized by a small subset of the GPS using public anyway.  For the price, this device is going to offer you a higher end navigation experience at a reasonable price; and the reasonableness of the price increases when you go refurbished!

Like almost all portable navigation systems these days, the refurbished Garmin Nüvi 750 is going to have text-to-speech functionality that is going to help you keep your eyes off your GPS and on the road in front of you.  This feature is useful on roads that you know, but extremely useful when traveling in regions that you are not familiar with.  While Garmin does not support as many languages as TomTom does, they still offer a wide selection of languages and voices for this functionality.

Other important features on the Nüvi 750 include a built-in transmitter, millions of POIs (Points of Interest), and a wide screen for easy viewing.  It also comes with an FM transmitter, but these are notoriously underpowered and need to be constantly tweaked in order to get the text-to-speech instructions blasting out of your car speakers.  This is a great feature in principal, since navigation GPS devices generally have underpowered speakers as well, but in practice it falls short of its potential.

The Nüvi 750’s routing engine is exactly the same as some of the more expensive Nüvi models (760 and 780), giving it the ability to choose the same routs as these more expensive models.  It also shares the ability to have multi-destination routing with these higher end automotive units.  This means that a user can optimize (sort) their stops by distance, making their driving more efficient and saving money on fuel expenses.  The Nüvi 750 will also display known speed limits on the map screen, provide tracklog support, and contains the awesome “Where Am I?” and “Where did I park?” feature.   While it doesn’t have everything these higher end models do, it still is a very full featured GPS unit.

There are a few points for improvement with this and other GPS units in the Nüvi  series.  We have already mentioned the woefully inadequate FM transmitter, but there is more.  POI searching can be slow, especially slow for those of us accustom to the lighting fast searching of Google.  Another problem is that you cannot exclude a specific road from a planned route.  This can make avoiding trouble spots in the height of traffic impossible with your GPS.  Also, there is something to be desire in the look and feel of the case design.  The plastic seems a little light weight compared to the more expensive 760 and 780 and the designers traded in convenience of mounting the device for signal sensitivity by removing the fold-out style antenna.*

* Garmin has compensated for this by issuing a free firmware update that brings SiRF’s InstantFixII to the Nüvi 750, which actually improves reception beyond the nuvi 650’s capability.

When you get down to it, the refurbished Garmin Nüvi 750 provides a great GPS experience in the long tradition of Garmin GPSs.  The navigation is of the highest quality, the user interface smooth and intuitive, and the maps as accurate as they come.  While this device isn’t going to meet the needs of everyone, it does provide a solid GPS experience for users of all levels.

Buy the Garmin Nüvi 750

Product Features

  • Touchscreen Auto Navigation System
  • Sleek Uiltra Slim Design/Easy To Use Touchscreen Interface
  • Bright 4.3 Inch Diagonal Color Display/480 x 272 Pixels/WQVGA Display
  • Integrated FM Wireless Transmitter Sends Audio Through Vehicle Stereo
  • High Sensitivity GPS Receiver for Improved Performance and Reception

Technical Details

  • Condition: New
  • Type: Automotive
  • Waypoints: 500
  • Route Capacity: 10
  • Display: Color
  • Display: TFT
  • Screen Size: 4.3″
  • Touch Screen: Yes
  • Voice: Yes
  • Expansion Slots: SD Card
  • Battery Type: Rechargeable Lithium Ion Battery
  • Battery Life: 5 hours
  • Special Features: MP3 Music Player
  • Special Features: FM Transmitter
  • Special Features: Traffic Ready
  • Special Features: MSN Direct Receiver
  • Maps Included: United States
  • Maps Included: Canada

Buy the Garmin Nüvi 750

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GPS For Under $100

This is a list of GPS than can be had for under $100. We created a similar list of of GPS units that can be found for under $50 here:

Refurbished GPS Under $50

Refurbished Garmin StreetPilot c330

Price: $74.99 | Buy it now!

 The refurbished Garmin StreetPilot c330 is an oldy, but a goody – and priced at $99.99 it is a very solid GPS at a very good price. The Garmin StreetPilot c330 was first introduced in January of 2005 and has been one of the best selling GPS navigation devices ever since. It completely revolutionized the GPS industry with its small size, high quality routing engine, easy to use and understand interface, and a clear display. It is also featured as one of our top rated refurbished GPS units.

Refurbished TomTom One

Price: $79.99 | Buy it now!

 The refurbished TomTom One is a high quality refurbished GPS automotive navigation unit.  It come ready to go right out of the box, and its 3.5″ display offers clear 3D maps.  The TomTom One is also small, but powerful enough to provide clear and accurate turn-by-turn voice instructions in a stunning 36 different languages.  The refurbished TomTom One device also allows features TomTom’s MapShare, allowing users to edit and update the map information on their own GPS.

Magellan Maestro 3100

Price: $83.99 | Buy it now!

 The refurbished text Magellan Maestro 3100 offers simple GPS navigation for the novice GPS user.  An intuitive interface is one of the Magellan Maestro 3100’s most important features and when combined with ease of turn-by turn voice guidance, this refurbished GPS is a quality purchase for first time GPS buyers looking to get an affordable navigation assistant.

Magellan Maestro 3200

Price: $81.80 | Buy it now!

 The refurbished Magellan Maestro 3200 offers worry-free navigation by offering a voiced turn-by-turn directions and a clear, bright 3.5″ touch screen.  The screen allows easy access to the Magellan Maestro 3200 interactive maps while at the same time displaying turn information, distance left, estimate time to arrival, and street names.  With the powerful SiRFstarIII GPS receiver, the Magellan Maestro 3200 offers you a reliable GPS signal through all terrain types.

Magellan Maestro 3225

Price: $76.24 | Buy it now!

 The refurbished Magellan Maestro 3225 has 1.3 million Points of Interest and offers text-to-speech so that your driving directs are spoken to you as your drive.  The touch screen and menu buttons are designed to allow you to get what you need quickly.  The screen is 3.5″ QVGA is sufficient for both day and night.  The Magellan Maestro 3225 is thin and sleek, making it easy to carry on your person and mount in the car.

Magellan Maestro 3250

Price: $89.99 | Buy it now!

 The refurbished Magellan Maestro 3250 comes with an integrated AAA TourBook Guide, text-to-speech directions delivery, traffic update capability, and BlueTooth connectivity.  The Magellan Maestro 3250 also has voice recognition software that allows you to navigate some of the menu options and access popular destinations with the sound of your voice.  You can even ask for your exact geographical location or how much longer to your destination with the refurbished Magellan Maestro 3250.

Garmin Quest Deluxe GPS Navigator

Price: $88.50 | Buy it now!

 The refurbished Garmin Quest Deluxe GPS Navigator is a portable and pocket-sized automotive GPS. Designed with ease of use in mind, the Garmin Quest Deluxe GPS Navigator is powerful enough for use in your car but small enough to slip into your pocket for use on foot.  The antenna on the back folds flush with the unit, making it extremely easy to store compactly.  The Garmin Quest Deluxe GPS Navigator is perfect for those constantly on the go.

Navigon 2100

Price: $79.99 | Buy it now!

 The refurbished Navigon 2100 delivers accurate door-to-door directions, 2D and 3D map views, and a touchscreen menu in a slender portable design. The Navigon 2100 contains text-to-speech feature which enables drivers to listen to directions, improving overall safety.  It also offer 3D images (Reality View™) of complex interchanges so you can familiarize yourself with these difficult navigation situations before you get there – increasing safety once again. For the price, the Navigon 2100 offers a lot features.
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TomTom Go 910

Refurbished TomTom Go 910

Price: $399.00

Buy the TomTom Go 910

Product Reviews
GPS Magazine 2 out of 5
Amazon.com 4 out of 4
CNet 3.5 out of 5
PCmag 3.5 out of 5

The refurbished TomTom Go 910 is an automotive GPS set to compete with the Magellan’s RoadMate 860T and Garmin’s StreetPilot c550 in quality and price point. This GPS offers some very nice features including a 4-inch touch screen display, text-to-speech in 36 languages and 50 voices, the ultra-sensitive SiRF Star III receiver, and Bluetooth compatibility.

When considering the TomTom Go 910 one of the things that is going to help explain the best and worst in this device is that TomTom is a Dutch company. As a European GPS manufacturer trying to break into the American market, TomTom is going to lag behind a little in some areas compared to Garmin and Magellan while it vastly exceeds these companies in other areas.

One of the areas where the refurbished TomTom Go 910 excels is in its language support. As I mentioned earlier, it supports 36 different languages, as well as having 50 different voices.  Below is a chart outlining all the different languages available on this particular refurbished GPS.  As you can see, the list is quiet impressive (and a little Eurocentric).

User

Interface/Applications
  • Czech
  • Danish
  • German
  • Estonian
  • UK English
  • US
  • English
  • French
  • Italian
  • Spanish
  • Latvian
  • Lithuanian
  • Dutch
  • Norwegian
  • Polish
  • Portuguese
  • Finnish
  • Swedish
  • Turkish
  • Flemish
  • Slovakian
  • Catalan
  • Hungarian
Spoken

Navigation Instructions
  • Flemish
  • Bulgarian
  • Czech
  • Chinese Mandarin
  • Chinese Cantonese
  • Danish
  • German
  • Estonian
  • UK English
  • US English
  • Australian
  • English
  • Spanish
  • Latin American Spanish
  • French
  • Greek
  • Hungarian
  • Italian
  • Japanese
  • Latvian
  • Lithuanian
  • Malay
  • Dutch
  • Norwegian
  • Polish
  • Portuguese
  • Romanian
  • Russian
  • Serbian
  • Finnish
  • Swedish
  • Thai
  • Catalan
  • Croatian
  • Brazilian Portuguese
  • Turkish
Text-to-speech

Languages
  • German
  • UK English
  • US English
  • Spanish
  • French
  • Italian
  • Dutch
  • Portuguese

If you are an international traveler, live in Europe, or have trouble with English as your primary language than the TomTom Go 910 might be the refurbished navigation GPS of choice simply because it is very likely that your language (or one that you know fairly well) is going to be supported. Translating driving instructions can be a real hassle, especially when things are moving quickly or you need to make quick decisions because of traffic, so having a GPS that will speak to you in your native tongue can be very useful.

Alternatively, if you are an American and are going to be abroad in Europe the TomTom Go 910 might be something that you can use to help you prepare your language skills before the journey.

The languages represent one of the benefits afforded to user of the TomTom Go 910 because of TomTom’s European origins. One of the downsides to the fact that TomTom is based in Europe is the maps set that they use. TomTom uses Tele Atlas maps in their navigation units. Tele Atlas, like TomTom, is based in Europe. This means that their maps are excellent for European countries, but it does mean that they are a little behind American based companies when it comes to mapping the United States.

Some users will find this frustrating, especially if they are already used to the consistency with which NAVTEQ maps (the maps found in Garmin, Magellan, Alpine, etc. GPS systems) find addresses. While the map selection in the TomTom Go 910 is again a very important feature when used by those traveling Europe extensively, it does serve as a drawback for mainly American users.

Overall, the TomTom Go 910 is a solidly built and full featured GPS. If you travel Europe regularly than this device will serve you extraordinarily well. On American roads it will also meet your needs, but perhaps not to the degree that some more advanced users would want. The refurbished version is should definitely be one to consider for your GPS navigation needs.

Buy the TomTom Go 910

Product Features

  • 4-inch, wide-screen WQVGA touch-screen display with 480 x 272 pixels of resolution
  • Clear, accurate, turn-by-turn voice instructions in more than 36 languages with more than 50 voices
  • Bluetooth wireless technology for hands-free calling, iPod compatibility, and MP3 player
  • 20 GB hard drive pre-loaded with complete maps of the US, Canada, and Europe
  • Weighs 12 ounces, and measures 4.2 x 3.1 x 2.5 inches (W x H x D)

Technical Details

  • Model Number: RF GO 910
  • Display: 4.0-inch WQVGA touch screen, 64k colors, 480 x 272 pixels
  • Map: Pre-loaded maps of US, Canada and Europe
  • Map data storage: 20 GB hard drive
  • Data storage: 16 GB for MP3s and photographs
  • GPS receiver: SiRF Star III
  • CPU: 400 MHz ARM920T processor
  • Memory: 64 MB RAM
  • Interface: Built-in Bluetooth connection, USB
  • Battery: Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery, 12-volt cigarette lighter adapter, AC adapter
  • Battery life: Up to 4 hours
  • Turn-by-turn directions: Yes
  • Re-routing: Yes
  • iPod control: Yes, 3rd generation or later (except iPod shuffle)
  • Built-in speaker: Yes
  • TomTom Plus ready: Yes
  • Hands-free cell phone calling: Yes
  • Dimensions: 4.2 x 3.1 x 2.5 inches (WxHxD)
  • Weight: 12 ounces
  • What’s in the Box: TomTom Go 910 GPS navigator, remote control, carrying case, home dock, car charger, windshield dock, external microphone, audio cable, product code card, documentation pack (with quick-start guide, accessory leaflet, and CD), user’s manual

Buy the TomTom Go 910

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Garmin StreetPilot c330

Refurbished Garmin StreetPilot c330

Price: $79.99

Buy the Refurbished Garmin StreetPilot c330

Product Reviews
PC World 4 out of 5
Amazon.com 4.5 out of 5
CNet 3.5 out of 5
PCmag 3.5 out of 5

The Garmin StreetPilot c330 is an oldy, but a goody – and priced at $79.99 it is a very solid GPS at a very good price. The Garmin StreetPilot c330 was first introduced in January of 2005 and has been one of the best selling GPS navigation devices ever since.  It completely revolutionized the GPS industry with its small size, high quality routing engine, easy to use and understand interface, and a clear display.

The Garmin StreetPilot c330 is simple to use and understand with an intuitive touch screen interface.  This makes this GPS perfect for those new to automotive navigation units and simply seeking to get their feet wet with these consumer electronics.

It has very few frills, which is a sort of double edge sword for refurbished GPS consumers.  On the one hand this is useful for those new to GPS or who just need the “simple” information such as directions from point A to point B.  On the other hand, more experienced users may find the Garmin StreetPilot c330 a little lacking in configurability and customization.  For example, you won’t be able to list display the Global Positioning Satellites that your device is receiving signals from with the Garmin StreetPilot c330.

There is one downside to the Garmin StreetPilot c330 – it 4 years old.  GPS technology has grown significantly in those 4 years with the addition of more features (like voice recognition) and more powerful GPS receivers.  The biggest drawback that age gives this refurbished GPS is that the Garmin StreetPilot c330 still requires a line of sight to the sky while most modern GPS devices have SiRF’s high performance indoor receiver.  This receiver allows the GPS device to receive signals in heavily wooded areas, parking structures, tunnels (to a certain extent), covered bridges, and sky-scrappered city streets – all places where the Garmin StreetPilot c330 could not be able to receive signals.

In the end, it will be hard to find a GPS device for less than the $79.99 currently offered on the Garmin StreetPilot c330.  Its no frills approach to GPS navigation is sure to be the right thing for those seeking to get their feet wet but might be a little frustrating for those who already know how to operate the more up-to-date devices.  This refurbished GPS is definitely one to consider.

Buy the Refurbished Garmin StreetPilot c330

Product Features

  • WAAS Enabled 12 Parallel Channel GPS
  • Fingertip Touchscreen interface and Preloaded Maps for all of North America
  • Display 2.8 in W x 2.1in H 3.5 in diag 320 x 240 Pixels QVGA
  • Choose 2D or 3D Map Perspective/SD Memory Card Expansion Slot
  • 2.1 Lbs (WxLxH) 4.4″ x 2.8″ x 3.2″

Technical Details

  • Remanufactured: Yes; remanufactured to like-new condition
  • Warranty: 90-day manufacturer’s warranty
  • Channels: 12 parallel
  • WAAS enabled: Yes
  • Antenna: Built-in patch; MCX-type connector for optional external antenna
  • Warm acquisition time: Approximately 15 seconds
  • Cold acquisition time: Approximate 45 seconds
  • AutoLocate: Approximately 2 minutes
  • Update rate: Once per second, continuous
  • GPS accuracy: Position – Less than 15 meters (49 feet), 95 percent typical; velocity – 0.05 meters per second steady state
  • WAAS accuracy: Position – less than 3 meters, 95 percent typical; velocity – 0.05 meters per second steady state
  • Map storage: Built-in City Select NT U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico maps
  • Map scale: 640 feet to 4,000 miles
  • Routes: Automatically calculated with turn-by-turn instructions
  • Voice navigation: Yes
  • Waypoints: 500, with name and graphic symbol
  • Trip computer: Resettable odometer, timers, average and maximum speeds
  • Points of interest: More than 5 million
  • Display: 16-bit LCD touchscreen with white backlight
  • Display size: 2.8 x 2.1 inches (3.5 inches diagonal)
  • Display resolution: 320 x 240 pixels
  • Temperature range: 32 to 140 degrees F
  • Platform: PC
  • Interface: USB
  • Case: Consumer grade, not waterproof
  • Data storage: Indefinite (no memory battery required)
  • Power supply: Built-in rechargeable lithium ion battery
  • Battery life: Up to 8 hours
  • Item width: 4.4 inches
  • Item height: 3.2 inches
  • Item depth: 2.8 inches
  • Item weight: 0.59 pounds
  • What’s in the Box: Remanufactured StreetPilot c330 receiver, vehicle suction cup mount w/12-volt adapter, PC/USB interface cable, A/C power adapter, and quick-reference guide and owner’s manual. Also includes a factory pre-loaded version of Americas Recreational Basemap and MapSource City Select North America CD with full unlock (for sale in North America)

Buy the Refurbished Garmin StreetPilot c330

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Magellan Maestro 4250

Refurbished Magellan Maestro 4250

Price: $119.99

Buy the Refurbished Magellan Maestro 4250

Product Reviews
GPS Magazine 3.5 out of 5
About.com 4 out of 5
Amazon.com 4 out of 5
CNet 3.5 out of 5
PCmag 4 out of 5

The refurbished Magellan Maestro 4250 is a sleek automotive GPS unit that received very favorable reviews when it was initially released by Magellan at the very end of 2007. The Magellan Maestro 4250 has a 4.3-inch widescreen WQVGA Color Touch Screen, a traffic receiver for live traffic updates built into the device, and can support an astronomical six million POI. This automotive GPS also features text-to-speech functionality, a Bluetooth phone interface, and an operable voice command system – enabling you to use many of its features hands free.  At a price tag of $119.99 this is a lot of bang for your buck.

The Magellan Masetro 425 will come in handy since you can access the AAA TourBook with it.  The AAA TourBook lists thousands of POIs that can be extremely helpful in navigating a new region, going on a long road trip, or in finding a good mechanic. Restaurants, hotels, local attractions, AAA approved repair shops, and even AAA office locations are available on this device with little more than a few words spoken.

Then there is the unbelievable price that this device is going for right now. At $119.99, it is currently selling at a 42% discount from its non-refurbished counterpart (which is priced at $209.99). Refurbished GPS units generally offer significant savings and this is instance is certainly no exception to the rule. At a 42% discount it is certain that a refurbished device is right up the deal seeking consumers alley!

To sum up, here are several of the consumer friendly features on the refurbished Magellan Masetro 4250 mentioned so far:

  • Good price for the value provided
  • 4.5-inch display
  • Voice recognition
  • Bluetooth Integration
  • Traffic Updates
  • AAA TourBook guides
  • 6 million POIs
  • Text-to-Voice (the GPS will read addresses to you)

With all consumer electronic devices, the Magellan Masetro 4250 is far from perfect. It has it foibles and problems just like any other man made technology. Here are some of the more blaring downsides associated with this GPS:

  • Bulky windshield mount
  • Speakers are a little underpowered, requiring a “quiet ride” to be heard properly
  • Voice Recognition system is not as powerful as a normal, native speaker of English
  • Cables must be plugged into unit after the GPS is placed on its mount and unplugged if you want to stow the unit
  • Text-to-speech can be too long winded in announcing street names or intersections

Despite these problems, almost every review site recommends the Magellan Masetro 4250 – and that was when it was going for $400-$500. Now that the device is only $119.99 it is a much better value for your dollar than before and it still has all the features that endeared all the review sites to it in the first place. If you are looking for a quality refurbished GPS then the Magellan Masetro 4250 might be the device for you.

Buy the Refurbished Magellan Maestro 4250

Product Features

  • 4.5 inch WQVGA Color Touch Screen GPS
  • Bird’s-eye 3D View/ Auto Night View
  • Pre-Loaded North American Maps/ 6 Million Points of Interest
  • Interactive POI Icons/ QuickSpell/SiRFstarIII/ AAA TourBook/ SD-Card Compatibility
  • SmartDetour/ Customizable Route Method/ Address Book

Technical Details

  • Brand Name: Magellan
  • Model: Maestro 4250 Refurb
  • Connectivity Technology: USB
  • Display Size: 4.3 inches
  • Native Resolution: 480 x 272
  • Battery Average Life: 4 Hours
  • MP3 player: Y

Buy the Refurbished Magellan Maestro 4250

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Where To Buy A Refurbished GPS

Buying a refurbished GPS is obviously the right idea. We have shown why that is so in posts about how a refurbished GPS saves money and buying refurbished is a good idea. Now we want to show where a person might buy one of these devices.

The most obvious place for people to look will be the internet. There are certainly many different possibilities out there for those looking to buy online, and one of them is Amazon. They literally have tons and tons of products to offer, including many factory refurbished products in their electronics section. If you are looking to find what Amazon might have to offer then feel free to check out this store dedicated to refurb’ed GPS (store). Amazon is a very large company and has grown in trust in the online market for years and years, so if you are new to buying products online you can trust Amazon.

Another popular option is eBay. This online auction retailer is also home to regular merchants who sell their wares on the website for a fixed price. If you want to buy a used device or you want to find a retailer offering a lower price than you could find on another site or in a store then eBay might be the source for you.

Buy.com is another online retailer that has some clout in the online purchasing world. However, a quick search of their site for “refurbished GPS” returns very few actual results. Not only do you get a GPS or two, but you also get mp3 players, computers, external hard drives, and digital cameras. Nobody wants to have to sift through 25 thumbnails to try and find the device you are looking for. Just because of this I would stick to the Amazon store I mentioned above.

After these online retailers you still have all the local retailers that your community offers. Best Buy, Circuit City, Fry’s, Radio Shack, and even Staples offer some type of electronic navigation units. Of these choices though, it will be difficult to find one that carries a refurbished item. This is especially true of Radio Shack. Since these stores are locally owned but buy into the Radio Shack franchise they have less access to the factory manufacturers and don’t have the scale necessary to make deals with the producers. They probably only stock new GPS units.

Best Buy, Circuit City, and Staples, though large national chains, probably won’t have a refurbished GPS either. They are generally trying to get products into the hands of the consumers that will generate them the most profit from the fewest number of sales, and refurbished items simply don’t do that. So they focus on new products that are significantly more expensive than their online counterparts.

Probably the best place to buy refurbished electronics is Fry’s. They often have deals on these types of items regularly, and since they are an electronics warehouse they are able to make deals with manufactures to get them regularly. They have refurbished desktops, mp3 players, xbox 360s, cell phones, and more. You might have to look around a while to find a weekend when they have what you want and to search get there pretty early to actually get the item, but these deals can be seriously worth it.

When it comes down to if, you need to be comfortable with the place you purchase your item and just how much you spend. Take your time, it will probably work to your advantage. After all, the cost of technology is generally on the downward trend.

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Refurbished GPS on Amazon

Finding the appropriate retailer for your refurbished GPS device is important. Many times we can find refurbished items in the stores where we normally make our electronic purchases, but this is not always the case. Additionally, traveling to the store to possibly find the product you are looking for can take time that you are unwilling to spend in that way. For many, making the trip is inconvenient and the risk of not finding the product you are are trying to find makes these types of excursions rare. Luckily, there are some different options for individuals like this.

The first would be to call ahead and check to see if the store has any refurbished GPS in stock. This is not a good option. Finding the numbers for the store you are trying to get to can be a big hassle, especially if the first few stores do not have the item you are looking for. Phone books can be a hassle. Alternatively, you could check the stores contact information on the internet. This is faster than using the phone book to find your GPS distributer, but it really isn’t much different than the second option: check on Amazon.

Amazon is a great way find products for prices that are comparable or even cheaper than going out to traditional stores. Also, since GPS units are traditionally expensive, you will most likely be eligible for the free shipping option that is available on many Amazon products. This beats having to get in your car and burn gas (which means burning money), a savings that not only affects your pocket book but also could contribute to less green house emissions.

What follows is a smattering of the refurbished GPS devices as available on Amazon. If you can’t find what you are looking for, you can always follow this link (Amazon: refurbished GPS) and search yourself.

Garmin

TomTom

Magellan

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Save Money With a Refurbished GPS

The reason you are looking for a refurbished GPS is because you are in the market to save some of your hard earned money. You know that your dollars just don’t go as far as they used to and you don’t want the rising cos of gas, food, and housing to eat into your ability to buy an unnecessary gadget or two. By going the refurbished route you are choosing to forgo the comfort of buying a ‘new’ device and instead choosing the wiser, more cost effective route.

We have already gone into detail concerning why buying a refurbished GPS is good, but in that discussion we did not go into detail concerning the financial benefits. Here is an example of the financial impact a refurbished GPS can have over the lifetime of a twenty-five year old.

Before we get into it, let’s make a few basic assumptions for out thought experiment. Right now on Amazon.com there is a TomTom One Third Edition Vehicle Navigation GPS with a regular price of $195.95. The refurbished versions of TomTom One Third Edition Vehicle Navigation GPS (Refurbished) is also being sold on Amazon.com for $149.99 regularly. That represents a savings of 23.45%. This will be the baseline savings we will use to calculate all future GPS purchases.

Another assumption we will be making is that a new GPS unit will be bought every 3 years. The price of each new purchase will increase 3% to simulate inflation and to mimic the price of the same grade device purchased throughout the years. Though the cost of technology is decreasing in relative terms, the latest and greatest is usually accompanied by stable or increasing prices.

In the first year of purchase the individual saves $45.96 which they invest in their high yield savings account. For the sake of the experiment let us suppose this account returns 3.75% annually and the return of the account is taxed at 5%. Over the first year the value of the money saved is $47.60. After two years it is $49.29. And after three it is $51.05. The money has grown a total of $5.09 over the first buying cycle.

At the end of the third year a new refurbished GPS is bought at $163.90 (new price for a new device after inflation adjustment is $214.12 without the 23.45% discount of refurbishment). The savings of $50.22 are added to the $51.05 already in the account, brining the new total to $101.27. The fourth year grows the pot to $104.88, the fifth to $108.61, and the sixth to $112.48. Already the savings from buying the refurbished GPS device is significant.

If we continue this pattern over the course of 10 buying cycles the total amount of money saved on the purchase price of the GPS units will be $704.42. With the power of compounding interest minus taxes this will have grown to $1221.81 – a 72.71% growth. When adjusted for inflation this has the purchasing power to buy an additional 3 refurbished GPS devices. Our twenty-five year old individual (now fifty-five) will have a new device every three years until the age of sixty-four.

The scenario gets even better if the money saved were to be invested in stocks that returned 9% a year. If this were the case, the value of the money saved would be $704.42 (the same as before) but now the interest would have compounded to $2224.09, pushing the total to $2931.51 – a very significant difference. The overall gain would be 314.39%! This money would last indefinitely, supplying a similar caliber GPS debice for the twenty-five year old’s children’s children’s children.

Or, this twenty-five year old could, at age 55, turn this into a 177.79 yearly contribution (interest at 7% a year minus a 3% inflation hedge) and provide anti-viral drugs to 177 individuals in a Malawi village struck by the AIDS pandemic in the first year alone. Just imagine, 177 lives impacted every year forever because you decided to buy a refurbished product to save some money.

This article was included in The Carnival of Personal Finance: American Flag Edition over at Mighty Bargain Hunter

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Why Buy A Refurbished GPS

The most important benefit of buying a refurbished GPS is its price. Often times, a refurbished item is offered at a significant discount due to some previously fixed internal defect or an aesthetic flaw. This item is therefore essentially the same as a new item with two major differences: a history of problems and a cheaper price.

Neither of these differences is a good reason to not buy a refurbished GPS device. Let us examine both of them in order, starting with the objection that says that a device with a history of problems will continue to have problems. This is a notion that appears to have a lot of evidence in real life situations. Once our cars begin to have problems, it is often the case that the car appears to always be having some problem or another. The tires go flat; then the radiator leaks; then a belt breaks, then new brakes are needed. All of these problems really are not related to each other, but we attribute the problem to the car being somehow deficient.

In reality, there is very little corelation between any of these problems. Instead, the reason that the unit is malfunctioning is because of the wear and tear that use and poor maintenance has created on your vehicle. The human mind, however, places the blame on the device rather than on the person operating and maintaining it.

With a refurbished GPS, the device has been found deficient in the early stages of its use and has been rectified by the manufacturer. Maybe a certain component had something wrong with it or there was user error in putting together the device. These are often problems that only require a small fix in order to get the unit up to production standards. Once these fixes have been made, the device should be working as it normally does just as if it were new. If there is a problem at some future point with the device then it much more likely that the problem will be a result of user error than it will be a manufacturing malfunction. Therefore you can assume that any problem you face with your refurbished device would have been the exact same problem you would have run into with a item that you bought as new.

Up to now we have only examined the mechanical reasons for refurbishment, but if the GPS device is being sold under the refurbished label only because it has a small cosmetic defect most of the perceived problems associated with buying a refurbished item should quickly be dissolved. Not buying it because its looks are not perfect is simply paying to be vain. The functionality of the refurbished GPS is exactly the same as a new one, but instead of paying full price for the exact same function you get to buy it at a significantly reduced price. Not to take advantage of this deal is simply vanity.

For both reasons why items are refurbished, either because the item had a mechanical defect or cosmetic defect, there is simply no reason to not buy a refurbished item. The main reason for this is the excellent price reduction you receive because of the perception that these items will somehow be worse than ‘new’ items has already been debunked .

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Refurbished GPS – What Does It Mean?

If you traffic the world of consumer electronics, you have probably heard the tag ‘refurbished’ attached to some product. This is particularly common in the arena of MP3 players, but it is also a label attached to many different types of devices. Everything from GPS units to cell phones to XBox 360s can be sold under the adjective ‘refurbished.’ But what does this little word mean?

According to Wikipedia, refurbishment is

the process of major maintenance or minor repair of an item, either aesthetically or mechanically.

Simply put, a refurbished item is a fixed item.

The reason behind the fix is somewhat of a more complex story. With some electronics, such as computers, the title can denote that the item did not pass the company that manufactured the item’s quality standards. The problem in the product is found at some point before the item gets to market and is subsequently fixed. As a result, the company is legally bound not to sell the product as ‘new’ since it under went modifications post-production. The item is labeled as ‘refurbished’ and offered at a significant discount.

These quality standards do not necessarily have to be functional in nature either. A chip in the unit, a small scratch along the screen, or a minor dent some cosmetic reasons why a GPS or any other production could be classified as refurbished. Even though the cosmetic appearance of the unit is flawed, it is still fully functional and did not require any replacement of parts.

Another instance where products can be labeled in this way is way is when they are opened and return by the user because it was defective. Often times complex electronic devices (like MP3 players and GPS) have relatively high return rates, giving the store and manufacturer an incentive to patch up the unit in order to turn around and sell it to another consumer. This way both the buyer and seller can benefit from refurbishment.

The benefits of buying a refurbished GPS (or any electronic device for that matter) is significant. You can get a significant price reduction while getting the exact same functionality of its ‘new’ counterpart. Many refurbished devices also have a warranty with the store or manufacturer which can cover you in the event that the device has additional malfunctioning parts.

This is by far the biggest risk behind purchasing a refurbished item – that a history of defect is indicative of future problems. While this could be true, I do not think that a refurbished item is any more likely to have additional defects in it than the ‘new’ counterpart. As a result I find that the significant savings that you can achieve buy purchasing a refurbished GPS item is well worth it when considering the cost versus risk factors.

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