"Used - Like New" are Amazon returns. "Used - Acceptable" means that the item and it accessories was used, requiring new packaging. Hence read the description; the item and its accessories are damaged. There's a huge difference between the two definitions.
Not really. I just checked and I've placed 401 orders on amazon. In the last 6 months. And a lot of that is AWD stuff. Don't care to check the actual percentage, but a lot. So I have a little experience with this... It's way more complicated than that.
"Used" in AWD is a rather meaningless term. Legally, they can't sell anything as "new" that has had its ownership transferred by them before - like a car broker can't sell a car as new since they're not an actual dealer. Used can be anything really, from something that someone bought, didn't like and returned because the color was wrong; to it broke and they returned it; to they needed it for one job and used it and returned it, etc... Used (legal term) doesn't mean used (as in actually used). Just ignore the word used.
And just like all cocker spaniels are dogs, not all dogs are cocker spaniels; all used stuff from amazon comes from AWD but not all of AWD merchandise is actually used. AWD is also their clearance department, like the old baked good trolley at the grocery store. And it's where they try to dump damaged goods. Stuff falls off the forklifts, run over things in forklifts, people drop boxes, etc... They're not going to sell that stuff as new, it gets "graded" and goes into the AWD bucket.
Now, as to condition... Let's just say they don't spend a lot of time examining things before listing them. It's hundreds/thousands of people of varying abilities doing the job. I've bought stuff listed as "acceptable" that was new inside bad packaging. Or in different packaging. New as in the tires were never mounted and still had "hair", new as in when I turned the computer on it had the "first boot" config screen still there that only shows up the first time it's powered on. And I've have "like new" stuff that was obviously used but the packaging was sure pretty looking.
And I've had old dead incandescent light bulbs in a box of LED bulbs. Or electronics where all the smoke has been let out. But it's worth it to me since the deals are good and amazon is super easy about returns - takes maybe 2 minutes to click a few buttons, print a label and tape it to the box that is sitting right there already. And I go to the UPS dropoff place a couple times a week already so no special trip required.
If you think of AWD as a combination of actually used and new but dropped, scuffed, kicked, maybe broken, with a small scattering of previous customer scam returns ala light fixtures at HD, then your expectations will be calibrated properly.
But, good point about the saw going on sale for a comparable price. That was a good and appreciated piece of fact-checking info.
Now, all hail Duker and his prodigious talents.
