brbeard said:
What I received was a very worn metric version that was manufactured in 2010.
Definitely an unfortunate experience.
My understanding of the Recon is that the tools are "reconditioned". Sometimes, this means a tool that was tried out and returned during the 30-day trial period, which may be used or may appear brand new. Other times, this may mean a tool that was sent in for repair during the 3-year warranty and potentially deemed "not fiscally advantageous to repair" and subsequently replaced by FUSA. Also possible are tools sent in for repair and then either abandoned by the owner or the owner deemed the repair cost not financially feasible and decided to get a new tool instead.
The first scenario (especially if the tool is lightly or never used) are the "dream" scenario for a hobbyist, in my estimation. A good tool, brand new condition, and at a discounted price. From FUSA's standpoint, the lost retail sale price is made up for by a smaller balance on the actuarial balance sheet for warranty repairs after Year 1.
It's the two latter scenarios that are the worrisome scenarios for sight-unseen buyers. Something like a 10-year-old router being sold above its 10-year-old retail price, without any prior notice that it was that old? The 1-year warranty may not be worth the price difference between that item and the one that you might stumble across on eBay, Facebook, Craigslist, Offerup, etc.
Toyota-esque resale prices notwithstanding (depending on the tool), it's probably not what people are thinking of or looking for when purchasing direct from the manufacturer on a "factory reconditioned" tool.
The packing quality (or lack thereof) certainly doesn't help matters. That's another place where some of our online retailers tend to shine: the extra care they take to add internal packing to the systainer to ensure a tool arrives in good shape.
I get the feeling that there are some pros who buy from Recon, possibly to supplement their stock, but I have a feeling that if I ever make the turn from "hobbyist" to "making a living with my tools", my cost-benefit will likely drive me to retail purchases for the extra warranty (and because I can depreciate a small percentage of the cost over time).
