In your search for a massage chair, you may have come across used options—either on Facebook Marketplace or from someone you know who’s selling theirs. There are some pros and cons to buying a used massage chair, and I want to start with the cons, because they’re important.

The biggest issue is warranty. The warranty will not transfer unless you’re buying a certified pre-owned chair from an authorized dealer. When you buy from a private seller—one individual to another—there is no warranty, no matter what the ad says or what the seller believes the chair has. You will not receive warranty support. That’s a big deal.

Another thing to consider is parts availability. If you buy a chair without doing your homework and later find out that the model has been discontinued, parts may no longer be available. And if you can’t get parts, it doesn’t matter whether you’re willing to pay for repairs—you simply can’t fix the chair. So be aware of that major downside when buying a used chair privately.

Now, there are some upsides. You might get an incredible deal because someone needs to sell their chair quickly. They might have an $8,000 chair that’s only a year old, and they’re selling it for $1,000. If you’re able to try the chair—even briefly—that’s helpful, though spending an hour in a stranger’s living room isn’t always realistic.

But if you research the model and see that it’s still being sold online, and it was originally an expensive chair, then buying it for $1,000 may be a reasonable risk. If you get another year out of it—great. And honestly, plenty of people spend $5,000–$6,000 on an off-brand chair that barely lasts six months. So keep the risk in perspective.

However, if someone is selling a used chair for a price that’s close to the original retail price—maybe only $1,000 or $2,000 less—I would be extremely cautious. In that situation, it’s usually better to buy a new chair. Spend the extra money. Don’t be so focused on saving a little upfront that you give up warranty coverage, local dealer support, parts availability, and distributor support.

Some companies won’t even service a chair that was bought privately from another individual, even if you want to pay out of pocket. So understand that you’re giving up certain benefits when you buy used.

Still, sometimes the deal is so good that you just can’t pass it up—and that’s okay, as long as you know what you’re getting into.

I hope you found this video helpful.
I’m Dr. Alan Weidner from Massage Chair Relief, and I’ll see you in the next video.

Bye-bye.