If you give it to her in a gift bag, she'll think you spent $50 on her and might feel awkward...or you just had it laying around. If you give it to her in the box, she might think that you don't want to spend $50 on her for a "new" frame. (I wouldn't want someone to gift me a refurbished anything.) Give it to her in a gift bag and don't offer any explanations. Now you have your UPC code, too.

I would give it outside of the box, in a bag.
Nicely wrapped, of course. Whatever she thinks, when you have it loaded with all her pictures, she'll love it.

I've never bought refurbished electronics. There's a store just down the street called XS Cargo, and everything is refurbished. I just don't trust it, but I might be wrong in my thinking.
The offer a 30-day warranty through them.

Personally, for *me*, I wouldn't give a used item that was once returned for reasons unknown as a gift to anyone. I don't buy refurbished for myself either.

That said, take it out of the box and put it in a nice gift bag.

Usually a reburbished item has a short warranty. What happens if it quits working after a short time?

I wasn't against this until I worked for a magazine order place in customer service that sold some refurbished items. They didn't do the refurbishing, an outside source did. Every so often I would get a call that purchased a refurbished bread maker and there was old bread in it. When I brought this up to other people they had received calls like this too. Just how well are things tested that are refurbished?
I would test the thing for at least a week with pictures loaded before giving it as a gift. If they don't get around to using it for a while then when they do it stops working and looses pictures after a few days or more then what?

Fear of refurbs is unwarranted. (slight pun intended) Geez people, they (usually) don't contain diseases that you could catch. They're items that have been checked out, found to be right and sold. No need for paranoia. They're not necessarily "used". Refurbs come under that heading for a variety of reasons. If someone is so pompous they wouldn't want a gift if it was refurbished, they don't deserve a gift. Buy your own and pay more for the same thing. Retailers love people like that! I would be appalled if someone would go "I like that picture frame that came from ____ but if you got it from somewhere else, I don't like it." Sheesh! Some people! LOL

I'm curious if people would be offended receiving something that the giver bought on clearance? On sale?

I buy refurbs often. Great deals at times. Would you buy a scratch and dent? That's technically a refurb. As far as warranty, warranty doesn't mean much these days and really, are you going to go through the hoops to claim warranty on a picture frame? I doubt I would.

From my experience, with a lot of electronics if they work from the start they'll work through the warranty period. Beyond that who knows, and let me tell you I've had fewer things break down on refurb than with other stuff, of course I've had more stuff that is not refurb so take that into account. Refurbs are tested. Many "new" items are not.

Personally I'd look for a comparable box. Just a generic white one with some cotton or tissue in it. Put the frame in a plastic bag if not already in there. Or use a gift bag. And I'd say nothing. If they don't like it they don't like it. If they like it, they like it and a true friend wouldn't care from where it came or if it was a refurb or not and if they do care, it's not your problem. Don't fret over someone's weirdness. This person is a sister of a friend. She probably has the highest respect for you and won't care from where it came or its history. I'm sure she will appreciate your thoughtfulness of the gift.

And definitely, get the $10 rebate. And have a great Christmas!

I would give anything for a frame with pictures of my family. What a thoughtful lovely idea. I wouldn't care whether the frame was refurbished or not, I would be so thrilled. That saying, you had to take it out of the box to put the pictures on it, and gee you threw out the box by mistake, but you found a lovely box or gift bag to put the frame in. Definitely use the rebate UPC code....why not?

Okay, out of the box it is. (I'll put it in a comparable box, if I can find one, as Cynic suggested.)

I'm with Cynic on this - I buy refurbished stuff all the time, including a couple computers, a television, and two expensive cell phones. (I buy used computers, too.) I don't worry about the warranty - if I want a warranty, I buy one on SquareTrade. Usually less expensive, and they've been a dream to work with the two times I needed them - I had cash in hand within two weeks.

I've been using the frame for several days now, getting to know how it works so I can teach the intended recipient. (I'm the resident electronics "guru" in my group of friends.) It works fine. Could it stop working? Sure, but unlikely. And it's a brand-new photo frame, not a mark or scratch on it, not something that could have used food in it! (Though I have to admit that if I'd gotten a really good deal on the bread machine, I would have cleaned it and counted myself lucky! And I buy scratch-and-dent stuff, too.)

Thanks for the input!

I vote for keeping it in the box. At least refurbished things have been tested. I have never had a problem with refurbished things - sometimes they are just over stocked. Taking something like a digital frame out of the speaks Garage Sale item to me as you would expect one to have a box if store bought. I would offer her the rebate form if giving it in the box but then, my family and friends are the type that appreciate a bargain..

If you do decide to take it out of the box, I would pre-load it with lots of photos and then it would be more the photos and less about the frame that you were giving.

Good for you, for deciding to give it without the original box.

Personally I think she will LOVE the frame with the pictures.

Merry Christmas.

Moni

For those of you that carry on about how great refurbished items are and how pompous someone must be if they don't appreciate a refurbished gift....why are you all then saying to put it in another box?
There's a big difference between buying for yourself and gifting someone else.

Well, I wasn't saying to put it in another box. I have no problem giving something refurbished or even used, if it's in great condition and I think the recipient will love it. (I gave a gorgeous used Orrefors vase to a friend for his wedding a couple years ago. Filled it with flowers and he and his wife loved it - I know that because they have very few items on display in their home, but the vase is one of them. I never could have afforded something that nice otherwise!)

As I said, I wanted to leave the frame in the box that said "refurbished," but my sister wanted to put it in a gift bag.

But, Joan, a vase couldn't possibly be refurbished, so no comparison. And since you are giving the gift, not your sister, I think you should decide how to give it.

If it were me, my conscience would tell me to give it in the original box. I bet your's does too.

Sue

I've purchased several refurbished items from Sharper Image....really enjoyed saving 50% and never had any problems! I'd do it....put it in a gift bag....then keep the box so you can cut the UPC code off .....

Merry Christmas!

I've never had a problem with a refurbished item... but I probably would feel uncomfortable giving one to someone I wasn't very, very close to. I would put the item in a gift bag or wrap in tissue paper and put in a Christmas box. Sometimes the boxes electronics come in look kind of tacky and cheap anyway. This way, you'll have the code from the box and no one will be the wiser.

I thought I read in many cases the percentage of refurbished items that don't work is less than the percentage of new items that have problems. They get checked over very well and quite honestly for a $25 item probably no one is going to lose any sleep if it stops working.

Joan I think you should do what you are comfortable with and that's that!

I love to recieve a gift that's given from the heart...and something as grand and exciting as a digital photo frame would thrill me to no end.

I wouldn't care where my gift was bought...store, mall, garage sale, thrift store, or curb-shopped. I wouldn't think of asking. I'd plug it in and enjoy it.

I'm always looking for "clearance," "scratch and dent," or "refurbished" items.

My "refurbished" cell phone is going on five years now...still works like a champ.

Apparently the folks here that wonder why you aren't giving it in the original box didn't get the "rebate" part..It would look funny to give her a box with the "corner" cut out. So that's my justification right there.

I say a few photos pre-loaded on it, and wrap it in some lovely tissue or a square of pretty fabric and real ribbon, then into a gift bag.

I've bought at LEAST eight different refurbished iPods right from the Apple online store. (I have 6 grandkids and have bought a couple for myself) They each carry the exact same warranty as one bought NEW at a retail store. (and Ipods aren't discounted much at retail) NONE of these has ever been a dud and are all still working. My oldest one is at least 6 years old and going strong. Did you know that if I bought an iPod at a retail store and took it back because I wanted a different color or perhaps more megabytes, it could no longer be sold as new...it would be checked out by Apple to see if it was perfect and sold as "refurbished". I have no hesitation about buying refurbished items which still carry a warranty AND if the reduction in price is substantial. (I have bought my DH an iPad for Christmas - refurbished..from the Apple Store online.) Refurbished doesn't mean "used" like something you'd buy at a thrift store.

I've never bought refurbished items, but have been tempted to do so. Let me put it this way: What she doesn't know, won't hurt. And even if she finds out (somehow), who cares. By then she'll be enjoying the thoughtfulness of the gift.

However, I would not put it in a gift bag, but rather a nice, sturdy box that fits the size of the frame with layers of tissue paper for a better presentation than a bag. That way you won't have to worry about a bag falling over due to weight on one side (if she doesn't open it immediately), because those frames don't stand up well if the easel isn't open (if you get my drift). In addition, I always feel a gift bag is a cop out from wrapping a gift and decorating the box with ribbon curls and a nice bow. I'd much rather open a wrapped box then take something out of a gift bag. It's the unwrapping and anticipation, I guess. Though I have been guilty of using bags if it's an awkward shaped gift to wrap.

I would want the $10 rebate if I were you. 'nough said.

Simply do what you feel comfortable doing.

As for me- I have nothing against refurbished. Most of them work well. If I were buying something from Apple and it came with a good warranty then I'd be thrilled.

I wouldn't give a refurbished gift without a warranty to someone who meant something to me. What would you do if the picture frame broke within a few days and the recipient asked you for the paperwork so that she could get it fixed or replaced? Just my thoughts.