Treasure hunt for a Nexus 7

[npark2012]

Ok so I am like 2 weeks away from saving up for a nexus 7. 3 weeks if I buy that 12 pack soda..

I am having a hard time finding a Nexus 7 16GB (why not 32gb? Money and impatience..) The office depot near me HAD 1 in stock but soon found out they are OUT of stock now. But they do still have the 32gb....yay.... >.>

And everywhere else seems out of stock. I checked gamestop for a refurbished one but it seems there isn't any in stock at the store within a 100 miles. Literally that's what it tells me.

And craigslist isn't very helpful, there's only like 6 posts about nexus 7 and they are all... yup..32GB. There is 1 in stock at another office depot the 2nd closest one but only have 1 in stock. I'm afraid by the time I get enough money for a nexus 7 that too will be sold. *sigh*

So.. with that in mind, what would you advise that I do? Shall I spend more at the play store (shipping $15, tax~$235) Or keep hunting for the precious. (+1 lotr)

And let's say I bought it from the play store, my BIGGEST concern is getting a defective unit, as I have heard many stories of it.. what would I have to do to get a replacement from google? Do I have to pay for shipping again? etc. what's the protocol?

And if I buy it from a stranger (craigslist) what are things I should reallly check for to make sure it's a good unit?

 

[zkSharks]

There is 1 in stock at another office depot the 2nd closest one but only have 1 in stock. I'm afraid by the time I get enough money for a nexus 7 that too will be sold. *sigh*

Using the same logic, by the time you have enough money to purchase one at a retail store, one of the stores near you may well have received a shipment of Nexus 7's to sell. I wouldn't count it out entirely.

And let's say I bought it from the play store, my BIGGEST concern is getting a defective unit, as I have heard many stories of it.. what would I have to do to get a replacement from google? Do I have to pay for shipping again? etc. what's the protocol?

The chances of getting a defective unit are more or less the same no matter where you purchase it from. However, I would say the risk of post-manufacturing damage is likely higher when purchasing from a third-party retailer or individual, as that's just another party whose hands the device has to pass through before reaching the customer.

Quoted from the Play Store help documents: "To talk to a member of the Google Play team, call 855-836-3987. Our support team is available 24/7."

And if I buy it from a stranger (craigslist) what are things I should reallly check for to make sure it's a good unit?

Verify that the screen works correctly (the touchscreen is responsive and accurate in all areas of the screen, indicating an intact capacitive layer, and the screen looks fine at all brightness levels, indicating a properly functioning backlight/display). Tell the user to reset the device, and charge it overnight. Show up later in the day (not in the morning), and ensure the battery was fully charged the night before (able to charge properly), and held the charge fairly well throughout the day (able to discharge and maintain charge properly). Verify it can connect to Wi-Fi, verify that NFC works (if you care about NFC as a feature), and verify the front-facing camera works (again, if you care about it).

That's what I would do. It might be overkill for some, but I'm not going to pay $200+ to someone I don't know for a device that I haven't thoroughly tested myself.

 

[B. Diddy]

Ben's Outlet has refurbished units for $179, free shipping:

Ben's Outlet - Google Asus Nexus 7" Android 4.1 LED Tablet w/ 16GB Storage, 1.2GHz Quad-Core CPU, 9 Hour Battery & Bluetooth!

 

[halimaw96]

If you were really looking to save some money and go for the "precious" one, why not go to the buy/sell forums here? Heck you could probably find a member close enough to you that would meet up with you so you could test it.

 

[npark2012]

Using the same logic, by the time you have enough money to purchase one at a retail store, one of the stores near you may well have received a shipment of Nexus 7's to sell. I wouldn't count it out entirely.



The chances of getting a defective unit are more or less the same no matter where you purchase it from. However, I would say the risk of post-manufacturing damage is likely higher when purchasing from a third-party retailer or individual, as that's just another party whose hands the device has to pass through before reaching the customer.

Quoted from the Play Store help documents: "To talk to a member of the Google Play team, call 855-836-3987. Our support team is available 24/7."



Verify that the screen works correctly (the touchscreen is responsive and accurate in all areas of the screen, indicating an intact capacitive layer, and the screen looks fine at all brightness levels, indicating a properly functioning backlight/display). Tell the user to reset the device, and charge it overnight. Show up later in the day (not in the morning), and ensure the battery was fully charged the night before (able to charge properly), and held the charge fairly well throughout the day (able to discharge and maintain charge properly). Verify it can connect to Wi-Fi, verify that NFC works (if you care about NFC as a feature), and verify the front-facing camera works (again, if you care about it).

That's what I would do. It might be overkill for some, but I'm not going to pay $200+ to someone I don't know for a device that I haven't thoroughly tested myself.

I gave gamestop a call and the rep told me that the reason they don't have a 16gb is because all the 16gb have been sent back due to the price change. So with that logic, i'm assuming that's what everyone else is doing too.

And the reason I would prefer to purchase a nexus 7 at a brick and mortar is the ability to come in and return it if there were any problems. I'm sure if I had to return a device to google I would have to send it back, wait for them to inspect it, and if they send me another one I would have to wait again for it to arrive. But if I can't find one at a store my only 3 options are to buy from craigslist or something, buy from play store, or buy the 32gb model.

Thank you for the info! it'll help if I decide to buy used from someone else.

 

[npark2012]

If you were really looking to save some money and go for the "precious" one, why not go to the buy/sell forums here? Heck you could probably find a member close enough to you that would meet up with you so you could test it.

I checked the buy/sell forum here and I found a couple but i'm not sure if it's still available. I've sent them a pm though so we will see.

 

[halimaw96]

I checked the buy/sell forum here and I found a couple but i'm not sure if it's still available. I've sent them a pm though so we will see.

Best of luck to ya, hopefully you can snag one!