It seems there are a bunch of refurbished Nikon scopes on the market the past year or so. Where do these scopes come from? I have a few nikon scopes and binos and have never had a problem with any of them. If these were actually consumer scopes that were damaged why weren't they repaired and returned to the consumer under the 25 year warranty?

I bought two of them about a month ago.I could find nothing wrong with them at all.They work as they should.I have a feeling that these are probably production over runs and sold as refurbs to justify the lower price.

Doug or John can probably chime in with better information, but I understand that Nikon's policy is that anything once opened cannot be sold as new regardless. So they are sold as refurbs even if they are effectively new. You'll find a lot of deals on Nikon Refurbs, and I wouldn't hesitate to buy one.

LWD

To be honest, I have never delt with Nikon on their refurbished scopes. The thing that worries me about them is Nikon only offers a 90 days warranty on a refurbished scope. If they are opened new scopes, than why not the full lifetime warranty?

I have bought a couple of refurb's from Natchez. They just fine in every way.

It may be all BS, but I was told by the salesman there that they were sold new but sent back for whatever reason and completely gone over and repaired by ONE person. The salesman claimed that a refurb was actually a better scope than one that came off an assembly line and having been built by more that one person.

I bought a silver one that did have very slight ring marks on it if you looked hard. It was just fine on a Browning Stainless Stalker but I sold rifle and scope at a decent profit and the new owner is very happy with it so far. Merg

LWD is right: A Nikon returned for ANY reason must go back for a complete check-up to make sure that all is well, even if nothing was wrong with it in the first place. Their policy is that the product, once returned, may not be sold as "new" again.

As to the paperwork stating a 90 day warranty, I am not certain why they still include this. Speak with a Nikon rep and they'll tell you they'll honor the same lifetime warranty on a "refurb" as on a factory-fresh "new" product.

A fellow from near San Antonio bought a refurb off e-bay several years ago and damaged it somehow while it was on his 4-wheeler. He knew my affection for Nikon glass and asked me what to do. I advised him to send it in with a note explaining it all, including the fact it was a refub and that the damage was of his own doing. He did so -- and in a couple of weeks, he had a brand new scope at no charge.

Years ago, a 6.5-06 rifle took a fall during a photo shoot, and the Monarch 4-12x40 AO took the brunt of the impact onto the hard floor. Nikon also took care of this at no charge, and from the time I sent it in to the time I had it back was something like 9 total days if I remember correctly.

Back to the original question: Don't shy away from a Nikon refurb. They can be an excellent bargain. Pine Mountain Archery generally has a few on e-bay, and you can pick up a 3-12x42 SF or 2.5-10x42 for around 269 shipped.

quote:

Originally posted by LWD:
I understand that Nikon's policy is that anything once opened cannot be sold as new regardless. So they are sold as refurbs even if they are effectively new. You'll find a lot of deals on Nikon Refurbs, and I wouldn't hesitate to buy one.

LWD

Yes, this pretty much is the case. They do only come with a 90 day warranty, however, Nikon's policy for out of warranty goods is still the no fault but if you ever need work they charge you $20.00 to cover the paperwork/processing/return shipping. It is an excellent way to purchase a Nikon product at a significant savings

I have 2 4.5-14x40 Buckmasters that were bought new and to me they are a lot of scope for the money. They get the job done, just fine and no problems at all.
Yesterday I bought the same(refurb) from Natchez for $210.73 shipped.
I see some of the high end scopes for $2,000 and above, they don't fit my budget. YMMV.

Stepchild

People rave about Leupold refurbs all the time. Nikon should be as good or better.
I own only Nikon and Burris.