Are refurbished cameras and extended warranties a good deal?

[masp]

Are refurbished or reconditioned cameras a good deal? I'm noticing some nice discounts on refurbs, but I'm a little leary of the shorter 90 day warranty. Even with an extended warranty from Service Net though, the price is still a hundred bucks less than the new version. However, I have to wonder if Service Net's warranty is as good as a manufacturer warranty.

Also, where do refurbed cameras come from and what exactly does "refurbishing" consist of? I hear sometimes the equipment is simply put in a new box and labeled refurbished.

[Marko]

Refurbished means different things to different companies...but it often means that there may have been a slight damage and it was sent back to manufacturer. Or a customer returned the item and it was not in perfect shape so it was sent back to manufacturer to be refurbished.

If the price were right I'd consider refurbished on some but not all camera items but that's because I make money through photography...if we are talking about NON photography stuff I'm even more encouraged to buy refurbished...but for me, it would have to be at least a 30-40% discount...or else I'll buy new with a full warranty.

[Wicked Dark]

Refurbished does mean different things to different retailers, but generally it means that an item has gone back to the factory (sometimes it never left, but was kicked out and sent back for QC) for a re-work. When this happens they get tested thoroughly, sometimes moreso than regular new ones. The important thing is to buy from a reptutable dealer - B&H, Adorama, KEH are a few that come to mind. When I bought my last camera, it was used and I added a 2-year 3rd party service plan to it for piece of mind. It's from a company specializing in camera repair and can be sold with almost anything the retailer offers. I just felt better having it since the body wasn't cheap even as used.

[masp]

Hmm, 30-40% seems like a good rule of thumb. But yeah, I can also see how some retailers might simply take a returned used item and put it in a generic box and sell it as a refurb. Sounds like factory refurbs are generally a good bet. Sometimes I wonder if factory refurbs are the result of product recalls though.

Wicked Dark: Did you ever have to make use of your 2-year service plan? I did a little searching on B&H's service plan offering and it seems to be on the up and up, but it's hard to say until you actually need the service.