What are the chance of a reseller sending you a returned/refurbished laptop without telling you?

On May 6th I put in an order for Sager NP-8371 through a reseller (not going to name them as this is all conjectures). Payment was withdrawn from my credit card on the 7th. Aside from automated order confirmation, I didn't get any update from them (My account order stays at "processing" which is... vague as heck) so I ask them for an update the next week. May 13th I message them asking for an update. They said they're working on it and doing burn in test and should be ready by the end of the week. Cool. End of the week, no update, nothing. Okay, I guess I'll wait for another week. End of the next week. No update, nothing. Yesterday, 5/27 I emailed them asking for an update (It's memorial day so I don't expect an answer until the next day). Today they replied saying it's almost finish and will ship in the next few days. Okay, we'll see . I'm okay with the wait, I don't need the laptop urgently as my current laptop still runs fine (I am however worried about the non-communication)

Here's the thing though, Sager pulled NP-8371 from their line up about a week after I ordered through this reseller. Many resellers follow suit and pulled it from their line up about a week after (yes I checked). This particular reseller also pulled it from their list sometime last week. I am very, very worried that all this wait time isn't due to production/testing but because they're waiting for a returned one and refurbished that and send that one. The only changes I made was to put in Kryonaut on CPU/GPU, Fujipoly, and swap SSD to a 970 Pro. That's it. Even with burn-in, I don't think it should take more than 1-2 weeks. And I understand that it also depends on the volume of order that they're getting. I don't know. Between the non-communication and the timing of the product being pulled by Sager made me paranoid that I might get a troublesome piece of equipment. So I guess that's what I'm asking. What are the chance of reseller sending a returned/refurbished laptop to their customer despite them paying for a new one. (And I do understand that there's no such thing as a brand new laptop. With burn in tests that many resellers do, the laptop would've some mileage put in as that's the point of a burn in tests. But a returned item sometimes are caused by defective items, which can be overlooked during refurbishing process.

 

Stock is allocated at time if ordering and it wont be a refurbished unit.

Is it direct through us you are ordering?

 

No, it's one of the resellers. They have a rep in this forum, and have a good reputation I think

 

We/They may have just been waiting for the part, you could PM them on here.

 

Your paranoia of getting a refurbished unit is misplaced I think. I've been on a refurbished Acer for over a year now. I've bought used and refurbished in the past; no issues. The refurbished laptops even come with a manufacturer warranty albeit slightly different length and terms but at a substantial price discount to compensate.

The only "wrong doing" would be that you paid for a new unit and (in theory) would be getting something else. That is indeed not right. However, I also believe there's no basis to that claim other than your admitted paranoia. Wait for the manufacturer to deliver before making any assumptions about what you have not yet received.

 

I have had a refurbished unit too in the past and bought it as so. They can be very good machines but we would never sell one as new.