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Here are four smart ways to avoid lemons and find a secondhand device that’s actually worth the price

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Buying tech secondhand can feel like a gamble. You might score a phone, laptop, game console or camera for far less than you’d pay new. Or you might end up with a device that barely works, has a dying battery, or is already on its way to becoming obsolete.

The good news is that buying used or refurbished doesn’t have to mean settling for junk. In fact, refurbished tech can be a particularly smart way to save money because the device has typically been inspected, tested, repaired when necessary and graded before it reaches you. Used tech is a different story: It’s generally sold as-is, which means more of the risk falls on you.