There are two benefits of buying something used: you receive a lower price, and you often receive a product that works like new. But the more a used product costs, the more important it is to assess whether its used status could indicate reliability issues, part of which deals with assessing the quality of the seller; a fact that experienced buyers of used woodworking machinery know well. If you need top grade woodworking machines, buying them used could save you thousands of dollars. But to make those savings mean something, you need machines that work like new. Below, we offer some tips for evaluating used woodworking machinery dealers, the first step in ensuring the quality of a used woodworking machine.
How to Determine the Quality of a Used Woodworking Machinery Dealer
Some sellers used industrial woodworking machines offer perfectly assessed, well priced machines, while others live up to the stereotype about used car salesmen. To separate the good from the bad, it helps to employ some sensible approaches that will tell you whether a seller is interested in pleasing its customers or just taking their money, beginning with investigating a seller’s reputation at the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
1. Investigate a Seller’s Reputation at The BBB
Most companies experience their fair share of customer complaints at the BBB. But, if they care about their customers, they resolve the complaints. Sure, unresolved complaints could be the result of irate customers who made unfair demands. But then you have to ask: what made them so irate? Because there are plenty of sellers that don’t have unresolved customer complaints on their record, avoid those that do.
2. Request an Extended Set of References
A seller will always have a list of references to give you, ones that reflect its successes and don’t reveal anything about its failures. That’s why it’s important to ask for a second set of at least six references. While it may sound over the top, asking for more references has saved woodworkers from giving thousands of dollars to sellers whose customer satisfaction record beyond its initial references is mediocre at best.
3. Ask to Conduct a Firsthand Inspection of a Machine
In the age of Internet shopping, transactions for used machinery commonly take place online, with the buyer and seller often being separated by hundreds of miles, or more. Even so, it’s best to make an effort to inspect a machine firsthand to assess its general state of wear, or have an expert third party perform the inspection for you as most online sellers of used industrial woodworking machines present photos that show their machines’ best angles. If you ask for a firsthand inspection prior to purchase and the dealer turns you down, take it as an indication that there’s more to see than meets the camera eye, and look for a different machine.
