How to Purchase Discounted Products Directly From the Manufacturer

Purchasing seconds and blemished, refurbished, or discontinued items directly from the manufacturer is often a great way to get deep discounts on products that are perfectly functional, but never make it to retail stores because of minor imperfections.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Internet Access
• Notebooks
• Pens
• Personal Organizers

Research

1. Know exactly what you are looking for.
2. Get as many details about the product as you can. For example, if you are looking to buy snowshoes directly from Tubbs, know the make, model, ID number and color.
3. Know what the product costs at a retail or discount online store and compare prices. It makes no sense to buy a blemished or discontinued product directly from the factory if you can get the same product down the street in perfect condition for the same price.
4. Know the terms that companies use to describe defective or blemished products. (The next section contains a list of words that companies often use to describe seconds, defective merchandise and cosmetic blemishes.)
5. Know what sort of defects you are willing to tolerate.
6. Visit factory outlets. Many larger manufacturers have affiliated outlets where they send all their discontinued or imperfect items. Often the problems with these items are invisible to the consumer except in the discounted price tags.
7. Contact the factory directly. Many companies are not large enough to have an affiliated warehouse. In these cases, the best way to find a great deal is to contact the factory directly.
8. Have all your detailed information on hand when you call or visit the outlet store or the factory itself.

Common Terms

9. Find merchandise with "cosmetic blems;" these generally don't affect the quality, specifications or functionality of the merchandise.
10. Look for the cosmetic blem - crooked seams, mismatched colors, small stains or anything that makes the appearance slightly less than perfect.
11. Look for a defect that will usually affect the product's performance in a "structural blem."
12. Determine how aggressively you plan to use the product. Because many products are designed to a standard that significantly exceeds normal use, you may get away with a structural blem.
13. Try "seconds" - products with irregularities or minor cosmetic or structural flaws. Labels are usually marked in some way so that consumers can identify flaws, such as "odd-sized."
14. Get a bargain with "overstocks." These products are almost always first-quality items. Often manufacturers will overproduce and then need to dramatically reduce prices in order to deplete excess inventory.
15. Be a little behind-the-times - but richer - with "closeouts." These are products that are usually first-quality items, but no longer included in the manufacturer's product line.

Tips & Warnings

• Seconds are not good enough for the retail shelves, but are in generally good condition. A second can have a structural or cosmetic blem. Many companies will still guarantee satisfaction on a second.
• Often you will not be able to return products purchased directly from a factory.