At Push Pedal Pull, we like recycling. It’s green-friendly, both for the environment and your wallet. But buying used fitness equipment can be a tricky task, especially if you don’t know the risks involved. If you’re not careful, you may end up spending more money and effort towards your so-called affordable refurbished option. Here are three major questions to keep in mind:
1. How knowledgeable is the seller?
When looking to buy used equipment, make sure you work with a reputable salesman. You want someone who is knowledgeable about the capabilities of the machine, how it may relate to current new models, and what warranty is or is not available. For this reason, we don’t recommend buying through individuals online.
Any fitness machine purchase is an investment. Don’t shortchange yourself before you buy the machine by not talking to a true professional.
2. Is the machine under warranty?
Here is the major money pit with used equipment. If the machine is not under warranty, you may be facing serious repair costs down the line. Most used equipment is not covered under its original manufacturer’s warranty. This speaks to tip 1 — you have to buy from someone who is knowledgeable about the warranties associated with various types of equipment.
3. If the company you’re buying through offers their own warranty, do you know who will actually service the machine when it needs repair?
We have heard complaints recently of competitors offering their version of a warranty on used equipment, promising to fix any issues that come up. What we have been hearing is that these companies actually end up farming out the repairs to another company and do not complete the repairs in-house. This is frustrating for customers who experience delays and inconvenience once things do break. Furthermore, the company who is outsourcing no longer has control over the quality of that repair or the expertise of the service technology.
At Push Pedal Pull, we do refurbish equipment and provide warranties with those machines. And if something goes wrong with any our refurbished machines, we service it ourselves. We know buying any kind of fitness equipment is an investment, and we feel privileged when someone decides to make that type of commitment with us. We honor that by providing quality, ongoing service. No outsourcing, no excuses.
What questions do you have about buying used equipment? Have you had a positive or negative experience with this in the past?