BUYING USED FITNESS EQUIPMENT

Like buying a used car, buying secondhand fitness equipment can save you quite a bit of money. Many individuals sell their old treadmill, elliptical, or home gym because they are moving, no longer use it, need the space or for some other valid reason. That is the type of used gym equipment that may be in good condition and you should expect to pay 30% to 40% of the original purchase price for it.

The cardinal rule is, "Do not buy used fitness equipment over the internet." Certainly there are honest refurbishes of exercise equipment to be found on the WEB, but they are far outnumbered by unscrupulous vendors, who are anxious to sell you someone else's junk and there is no reliable way to tell them apart.

There doesn't seem to be a legal definition of terms such as, refurbished, rebuilt, or the like, leaving the vendors to apply their own standards. Therefore, a refurbished elliptical could be one that had worn drive belts replaced, worn bearings or bushings replaced, pivot points lubricated, electronics tested and necessary adjustments made or an elliptical that was merely wiped off with a damp cloth. Also, some of the internet vendors of used fitness equipment remove the original manufacturer's serial numbers. This practice can make it difficult (and sometimes impossible) to obtain the correct replacement parts, should there ever be a need.

Also, many of the internet used equipment dealers either ignore their warranty obligations or drag out the process in an effort to motivate the consumer to give up the claim. When the vendor is several states away, it is virtually impossible or just not worth the time and expense for most consumers to enforce the warranty.

A better option is to purchase a piece of used gym equipment through local classified adds. This is a reasonable approach because you can see and try the equipment before you buy it. Just keep in mind that once you pay for it, it is yours without any warranty, so test it thoroughly before consummating the deal.

Occasionally, clubs sell off their older pieces to make room for new ones. For the consumer, these are often risky buys because they are usually worn out, near he end of their practical lifespan and often do or will shortly need expensive parts.

If you have a local dealer of used exercise products, who has a facility where you can go and see the items and try them to your satisfaction, then you are relatively safe to proceed with a purchase.