When it comes to tech and consumer goods, I've generally only focused on two channels: in-person buying where I can try things hands-on, or using Amazon. Generally, the first option addresses my concern of knowing what I'm buying, having a tangible product that I could work with, see how it performs, and if I'm personally comfortable with what I'm looking at. The second, of course, was the convenient speed and variety of goods available, especially with price competition. In fact, in many cases, I combined both; I would go to the store to see in-person what I liked, and then I would order it on Amazon to score the savings.

Unfortunately, neither of the above channels is perfect. In-person options are limited to what the store sells a lot of in terms of tech, or what think appeals the most general consumers. As my tech skills advanced and became more specific, much of what I wanted to buy wasn't available. Or I would have to pay extra to order it through the retail store (which I could do the same with Amazon for less). On the other hand, buying through Amazon fundamentally is still guessing, and when I get the product I've found things have been hit and miss. Sometimes what I get online works great, and sometimes it's poor quality and I have to return it.

So, last summer I need an Apple computer for an admin class that was specific to Apple iOS environments. Since I normally work in PC or Linux, this was a bit of a shift. That triggered a need to get a Mac computer, but I didn't want to dump a lot of money on it just for a class. So, I started looking around and found BackMarket as an option.

BackMarket works as a product consolidator at least from what I can tell in the details provided. They generally represent the goods and options from a number of different "recyclers" who refurbish tech, mainly Apple items, and resells them. The savings are considerable, but there is still the concern of buying a "used" item and getting your money's worth. In my case, I focused on a Mac Air for about $250. It was a good price, a viable laptop, and it was going to work fine for what I needed for my class. So, with some trepidation, I put the order in.

What I got was definitely a refurbished Mac Air, but everything worked correctly. The laptop was fully cleaned, functional, and turned on quickly without issue. More importantly, everything was complete, no missing wires, and the quality of the goods was on par. Now, in all fairness, what I bought was identified in "fair" condition. BackMarket gives a user different options from "good" to "excellent" with associated price differences. Here's more detail from them:

I had one small dent on the cover for a "fair" choice, but again for what I needed for a class, it didn't matter much. I did like the fact that I could pay with Paypal, which gave me some extra comfort versus passing my credit card along to multiple parties via an unknown consolidator at the time. I also got a discount for trying the company, which was some additional savings too. So we got a pass on that order.

Last week, my kid thought up a great idea for a Christmas present for my wife and wanted to go in 50/50 on a new iPad for her. My wife had been using a very old first generation mini-iPad for years as a digital reading book tool with library books, and it was high time to replace it. So, we started looking for a newish one. Thinking about BackMarket again, I went online and looked at their inventory. Sure enough, they had plenty of Wi-Fi models with recent generations at significant savings. I narrowed down on a larger, 10 inch model with a much better screen and capabilities. Total cost out the door: $233, incl shipping. Once the package arrived, again everything was complete, clean, and turned on instantly without issue. The shipping was quick, BackMarket tracked the shipping and sent me notices on status every step of the way, and the produce was top notch, more than exceeding the "Excellent" status I chose this time.

Shipping was a hitch more on the UPS side than anything. Given the fact that I have porch pirates in my neighborhood, I wanted UPS to hold the delivery at their hub. I literally had to go through the website, their chat system, and then was referred to the direct contact support, who dropped the ticket and never called me. Luckily, the UPS driver showed up at my door when I was home, and it became a non-issue. If BackMarket had a clear option that allowed a customer to specify the shipping was held or went to a secure place versus just dumped on the doorstep, that would be awesome. This is where Amazon still wins points with their Amazon locker service. It's totally doable, but BackMarket has to do a bit of work with UPS as the carrier isn't getting off their own rear end to be helpful despite knowing darn well how back package theft has gotten in residential areas.

So, between two purchases, BackMarket has won me over on Apple tech. Granted, it's refurbished, but the quality is high, the items works as expected, and the savings are significant. It's a serious competitor for folks who want the advantage of good gear without paying through the nose for it, especially when trying out new tech for the first time not used before. You'll have to try it yourself, but I suspect BackMarket's approach to quality and customer service is going to win over a lot of folks.