There is the obvious compulsion behind choosing refurbished, reconditioned or used phone systems – these are cheaper and you will be able to save money. Even though you can make some savings up-front, there are some risks that come piggybacking with used business phone systems. Wear and tear of the used phone systems is a common thing and you will also be missing out on the technical support and warranty.
Are used business phone systems a good deal?
As a result of carrying out a small survey among the vendors and users of both new as well as used business phone systems, given below are the findings that would help you to decide whether to put your money on used phone systems or not:
History of the used phone systems
It is very difficult to track the original owner of the used phone systems because often the phone systems reach you after they have been passed from several owners. You should consider yourself lucky, if you get the opportunity to buy the phone systems from their first owner. History of the phone system is an important fact to know because no one will be able to tell you about the exact problems with the phone system. You will never come to know whether the used phone systems will function smoothly or you will experience frequent dropped calls or complaints about poor call quality.
A poor quality used business phone will directly impact the productivity of your employees as they will experience frequent disruptions in their daily work. The most frustrating thing about buying a used phone system is that you will never come to know about the problems until and unless you have installed and started using it. In case you have made up your mind to buy used phones, it is wise to make the purchase from trusted distributor or manufacturer. Get the feedback of other customers as that would help you decide whether the distributor or manufacturer is trusted in the market or not.
Do used phone come with warranty support and replacement parts?
Used phone usually do not come with warranty and you might face a lot of hassles trying to replace the parts. The primary motto behind buying used sets is to save money but when you start to face problems with the business phone system, you might be compelled to buy a new one once again. Thus, it is important to buy from distributors or manufacturers who provide minimum warranty of six months, which includes replacement of parts too.
Tech support for used phone systems
Tech support is often ignored by many buyers but when it comes to used business phone systems, you need to ensure that you have the necessary tech support. You are going to face some technical snag or the other when you buy used phone systems – it is better to have tech support behind you because you never know when the phone system malfunctions. You cannot lose business just because your phone system has stopped working or you are experiencing problems during the calls.
Functionality and features of used phone
The functionalities and features of a used business phone systems might not be as robust as the new ones. However, prior to finalizing your purchase, it is imperative that you answer a few basic questions. What features do your need in your business phone? Can you or your employees manage to work without some of the features? Do you intend to use your phone beyond just making or receiving calls? Once you are ready with all the answers, you need to compare the features and functionalities being offered with the used business phone you are buying.
Is the used phone system easy to configure?
You must ask the dealer manufacturer whether the phone system is easy to configure and use. There are instances where the owners of used phones keep receiving calls from the old customers of original owners. Now, this is really frustrating and if you do not want to see yourself in such an odd scenario, you need to choose a phone system that is easy to configure.
Article Source: Software Advice
Image credit: Gizmodo Australia