On a Tight Budget? Maybe You Should Consider a Used Business Phone System

Purchasing a used business phone system can be risky but it doesn't have to be. Customers often ask me to present them with both a new and a used option. I can't begin to guess how many used Nortel phones we've installed over the years. My husband's worked on countless Nortel systems and the Nortel Norstar does seem to be bullet proof.

But, like any digital phone system (PBX, Key System) of this era, it is old technology. Nothing new is planned for it, no software being written for you to upgrade most used phone systems. Plus, we can often help a customer migrate to brand new equipment with the latest technological advancements, and a longer warranty period, for less than many quality used business phone systems would cost them.

So, as always, it's important to figure out what a company really needs, and what they want:

I have one customer who has purchased four Norstar systems for his offices across Texas because he likes the lighter grey color of the phones (called Platinum) while other manufacturers may now only offer the darker charcoal or black color. In his business, he wants a solid, reliable system and aesthetically, he prefers the light colored sets.

A non-profit organization recently purchased a used business phone system from us because their mission is related to protecting the environment, so they wanted to 'recycle' a used system (even if it cost a bit more).

Whether you have an existing business or a new startup or you're opening a branch office, if you suspect that your business would gain little from advanced functionality, then it may make sense for you to consider a used phone system while you evaluate new technology.

If you decide to buy a used telephone system, make sure you are buying from an established, reputable company that can back the sale with a minimum one-year (or even two-year) equipment warranty. If you are not very knowledgeable about phone systems, buying off Craigs List or Ebay may not be such a great idea. Several years ago, we took a work order to go to an office and install customer-provided-equipment (CPE). It turned out the customer had purchased a package online and the 'brain' of the system and the phones were completely different manufacturers and incompatible. If you think you've found a bargain, you're welcome to check with us before you buy it.

Nortel isn't the only option for used business phone systems either. Other 'brand names' include Avaya (spun off of Lucent that was spun off of AT&T . . . now owns Nortel), Panasonic, Toshiba, NEC and Samsung. Of course, there are many, many others, but having been a Comdial dealer for years, it was interesting how many people had never heard of Comdial, though at one time the company was the second largest manufacturer of business telephones in the United States. So we'll provide information on as many as we can!

Paying for a single phone repair or having existing system components repaired or refurbished is also a much cheaper option if something breaks and you're not prepared to buy a new replacement right away. Lightning is a frequent culprit, taking out phones, circuit cards, power supplies, CPU's and voicemail systems.

Another customer of ours with offices on acreage outside the city took a lightning hit last year that destroyed their system. Fortunately,their insurance carrier actually footed the bill for a brand new system. On the other hand, a few weeks ago, a voicemail system wouldn't boot up at all after another of our customer's building experienced power fluctuation. Rather than purchase a whole new system for thousands of dollars, we were able to repair their old voicemail for less than $1,000.00.

Have a used phone system you want to sell? Just recently I was complaining about a bid I obtained for a customer who had two large used phone systems to sell. The supplier offered about $10 per phone, when they'd charge us over $150 for the same phone. I'm thinking 'I'm in the wrong business!'.

But then someone reminded me (duh) that secondary market suppliers actually take a risk buying back products - they can't be sure of the condition of a used business phone system and they don't know how long it might sit on the shelf before they even have an opportunity to resell. Makes sense. If you have equipment you'd like to sell, we can help connect you with potential buyers so you can easily get multiple bids. Just give us a call (and see the trade-in information below too!).

There are lots of online resources for 'after market' or 'secondary market' used phone systems. Be mindful that due diligence is important when searching for a used business phone system. You will also want to identify a qualified, reliable installer. We can help with that too. If you can't find answers to your questions here, just contact us and we'll be happy to assist.