Refurbished Optics?

[Ray B]

I see Midway has a sale on some Swarovski and Kahles optics. additionally I get advertisements from Nikon regarding factory refurbished cameras and optics. this causes me to wonder: Where do these scopes and cameras come from to be refurbished? I don't know anyone that has had a camera or scope and sent it back to the factory, evidently as a trade-in or for some other reason that the factory would then refurbish it and offer it for re-sale. If someone did, I would question the quality of something that was broken or somehow lacking that needed to be refurbished.

Does anyone have experience with or knowledge of items that have been refurbished?

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

I see Midway has a sale on some Swarovski and Kahles optics. additionally I get advertisements from Nikon regarding factory refurbished cameras and optics. this causes me to wonder: Where do these scopes and cameras come from to be refurbished? I don't know anyone that has had a camera or scope and sent it back to the factory, evidently as a trade-in or for some other reason that the factory would then refurbish it and offer it for re-sale. If someone did, I would question the quality of something that was broken or somehow lacking that needed to be refurbished.

Does anyone have experience with or knowledge of items that have been refurbished?

@Ray B One of my close friends bought a refurbished Swarovski SLC 8x30 pair of binoculars. He has used them
for the past 10 years or so. During this time, he sent them in for a "service" to the local agents, which resulted in them coming back in pretty much brand new condition, no questions asked.
The big boys will always back their products.

 

[JakeH]

Some of these optics have been on test rifles, sent out to pro staff, or been display models. They get sent back to the factory for a once-over then sold as refurbished but my experience with a refurbished Zeiss has been a very good one.

 

[TTundra]

As long as it has the full warranty, you're good.
@JakeH is also right. I've sold scopes in my past life that were ours to demo as demo's or sometimes just marketed as 'refurb'. Sometimes we literally sent them back to be checked over and resealed in their heat sealer.

 

[Royal27]

You can get good deals, sometimes really good deals, this way. As long as the scope has a lifetime warranty why not?

 

[CAustin]

I think sometimes there are minor blemishes in the finish or packaging. I have a Bushnell outlet near my home and go there on occasion just to see what they have. It’s not one and two of an item....it’s often a couple of dozen. The manager has shared that quality control will sometimes note a problem with an item or items in a particular production run. In some cases they have been recalled from retailers and problems repaired. Then sold in the outlet for a very good price.