Refurbished usually refers to the gamit of returned and reboxed to a damaged unit that was repaired and reboxed.
I have purchased many refurbished items over the years. I just bought a wacom refurb tablet for 1/2 the price of a new one. They are great deals as long as they come with a warranty.
Just remember, anything (new or used) can have issues. Never buy anything from a questionable retailer. Always check for a warranty (even refurbs come with a warranty of some kind). When possible, purchase items with a credit card/charge card that offers purchase protection (i.e. AMEX automatically doubles the warranty).
New or used, things break. Just use common sense and don't buy stuff that 'fell off the truck'.
