Used Police Scanners

If you have been following my previous posts, then you know that my opinion is that the best way to get the most out of listening to a police scanner is by owning your very own police scanner. You see, the biggest drawback of listening to an online police scanner is that you are at the mercy of whatever the online scanner happens to be receiving at any given moment. This can prevent you from monitoring the most exciting incidents going on around you. However, you may be thinking, I would love to own my own police scanner but the price of a brand new police scanner is what is holding me back from getting the most out of this hobby. Well hear me out, as you do have some options. One option is that you could wait to buy a brand new police scanner on sale. Another and perhaps better option is that you could explore the option of used police scanners and refurbished police scanners.

 

“Not new but new to you”

 

If you have read or watched the news lately, you have probably gathered that we are not living in the strongest economy. I know that discretionary funds in my situation are limited. However, one of the few hobbies I am dedicated to is listening to police scanners. With that said, if you are looking to get into this activity and want the biggest bang for your buck, then I would consider a used or refurbished police scanner. Now you may be thinking, won’t purchasing used or refurbished equipment come with risks? Well, sure, even a new product is risky. You could on a fluke, buy a new car that turns out to be a lemon from the start. However, with quality control and warranties, the risk of this is lower than you may think. As an example, my wife and I both recently purchased iPhones. I bought a new phone, and she purchased a refurbished model. A year later, the button on the top of my new iPhone is broken, while her refurbished iPhone works just fine. With that said, I really would not worry about the terms used or refurbished. If you do your research before buying, you reduce the risk of things going wrong.

 

“You have got to do your homework!”

 

I think it goes without saying that before you buy anything with a relatively high price tag, you should always do your research first. This is especially true with used or refurbished equipment. The following should serve as a checklist of items you should ask when you are buying used police scanners and refurbished police scanners. This will give you an idea of how “used” the equipment actually is.

 

Used Police Scanner Checklist of Questions:

 

• Ask the previous owner if he or she purchased the unit new. This will give you the true age of the product. Without asking this question how would you know if the equipment had more than one original owner?

 

• Ask the owner of the equipment how often the unit was used. If the owner used the unit once or twice a week, this is obviously better than someone who left the unit on 24 hours a day non-stop.

 

• Ask the owner where the scanner was stored. If the unit was stored in a living space, this is far better than if the previous owner stored the equipment in the garage or out in a shed.

 

• You should ask the previous owner if the scanner has ever malfunctioned for them, or if they have ever had to have the unit repaired. This could uncover potential problems that could become worse over time. This could also potentially void any warranty if the item is still under warranty.

 

• Another good question to ask is whether or not the previous owner had ever opened the casing of the scanner or tampered with anything. This could also potentially void any warranty if the item happens to still be under warranty.

 

• It also best to ask the previous owner if the scanner has any signs of wear and tear.

 

• Another good question to ask is if the unit was ever dropped in the previous owners possession.

 

• Always make sure the equipment being offered is complete. Make sure the unit comes with the proper battery casings, AC power cables, antennas, cigarette lighter attachments, mounting equipment, software, owners manuals etc. are included if applicable.

 

• Another important question to ask is whether the previous owner will honor a refund or exchange if there are issues with the scanner, or if you are unhappy with the quality of the equipment or transaction.

 

• If the seller is selling from a website that offers customer reviews of the sellers previous transactions, be sure to read these so that you get a feeling for the sellers trustworthiness.

 

However, do not let any of this dissuade you from purchasing a used scanner if this is what you are in the market for. Now, granted much of this will have to be accepted at face value when purchasing from a previous owner. You definitely need to buy from a reputable source. Ask the previous owner plenty of questions and if anything at all seems fishy, you should walk away from the offer.

 

Refurbished Police Scanner Checklist of Questions:

 

• Ask the reseller where they source their refurbished equipment. You are looking for an answer that indicates they receive certified refurbished equipment from the original manufacturer.

 

• A reseller should also be selling certified refurbished equipment from the manufacturer that had not had a lengthy previous owner. Make sure you ask if the refurbished equipment originated from manufacturing error, or if the equipment had been returned from a previous sale.

 

• It is also a good idea to ask the reseller if they have possession of the items they are reselling, or if the items are being drop shipped to customers from a third party. This should give you an idea of the trustworthiness of the reseller and the originating source of the items.

 

• You should ask the reseller if the items they sell come with any warranty. Also, ask specifically what is covered under the warranty. You want to make sure the important parts (internal components and display) of the scanner are covered under a reasonable warranty.

 

• It would also be a great idea to ask the reseller if you can exchange the scanner for another identical unit if there are issues with the device.

 

• Another important question to ask is whether the reseller will guarantee a refund if you are unhappy with the quality of the equipment or the transaction.

 

• If the reseller is selling from a website that offers customer reviews of the resellers previous transactions, be sure to read these so that you get a feeling for the resellers trustworthiness.

 

• Always make sure the equipment being offered is complete. Make sure the unit comes with the proper battery casings, AC power cables, antennas, cigarette lighter attachments, mounting equipment, software, owners manuals etc. are included if applicable.

 

A note of caution when dealing with resellers of used and refurbished equipment. In my opinion, a reseller of refurbished equipment may be a better source for a used scanner than an individual reseller. I say this because there is sometimes an actual company behind the reseller that you can contact in case you experience problems with the equipment or the transaction. When you buy from an individual, it may be difficult to contact that person after the transaction takes place.

 

“Where to get that used scanner smell”

 

When you are shopping for a used or refurbished scanner, the following are some good places to begin your search.

 

Used Scanner:

 

radioreference.com – Sometimes Radio Reference users have equipment they want to sell listed in the classifieds section on their site. This is a good community to shop for a piece of used equipment as these are folks that are often dedicated to the hobby and know a lot about the product they are selling.

 

ebay.com – This is a good source for used scanner equipment as there are tons of sellers on this platform. While not every seller here will be an expert on the equipment it is a good idea to check the sellers ratings to note their trustworthiness for both items and transactions.

craigslist.com – This is another source containing many sellers of used items. Personally, I tend to shy away from this as a source to buy from as there have been a number of scams and robberies that have occurred as a result of transactions through this site. However, you may have a different opinion and if you are comfortable with this format, then this can be a great source for equipment.

 

Refurbished Scanner:

 

amazon.com – I have bought several scanners from retailers through Amazon and I personally have never had any problems. This is not to say that you should blindly trust this source. You should always make an effort to do your research thoroughly before any transaction.

 

google.com – A Google search will uncover a plethora of other online scanner retailers. Again, you should always do your research thoroughly before any online transaction.

 

I hope you find this information helpful. If you have any questions or if I can be of any assistance in any way, please feel free to leave a comment below. As always, until next time, Happy Listening!