Sometimes, a Glowforge unit is unaccounted for. For example, a Fedex shipment may be reported stolen.
When that happens, we permanently disable the unit. Unfortunately, if someone unscrupulous gets their hands on such a unit and sells it, the buyer of stolen goods - who may not know it was stolen! - is left posessing useless stolen goods that need to be returned.
There is no way to know for certain if a machine was stolen - it sometimes takes weeks or months for the theft to be reported. To reduce, but not eliminate, the risk, you can:
However, these can only suggest that the machine has not yet been reported stolen. It may be that a police report has not yet been filed, or that an investigation by the authorities has prevented us from disabling the unit.
The only way to be certain a unit is not stolen is to only buy from someone who you know personally.
Some units may appear perfect, but have hidden and expensive defects. For example, if someone spilled a liquid inside their Glowforge printer, it might appear fine but be nonfunctional or even unsafe. Such a unit might cost more to repair than it would cost to replace.
In other cases, it might work well when printing in one area but not another, or be able to engrave but not cut.
Unfortunately there’s no perfect way to ensure a used machine is without problems. To reduce the risk, buy only from someone who you know personally, and verify that the current owner can print on their Glowforge before they sell it to you.
Glowforge accounts cannot be transferred or shared between people. If the seller promises you credits or designs, they may not be able to fulfill that promise without sharing their username and password. Doing so violates the terms of service and could lead to the account being closed, leaving you without a way to access your Glowforge. It may also allow you to charge their credit card, which is bad for everyone.
To avoid this, do not use anyone else’s username or password. Instead, contact support with the serial number on the back of your Glowforge printer. They will create a new account for you personally, which you can use with your printer.
Some original buyers received extras, like warranty extensions or catalog credits, that are no longer available and cannot be transferred. You will not receive any digital goods with your used unit, and the warranty that applies is at glowforge.com/warranty. Please also review the technical specifications at glowforge.com/tech-specs, rather than counting on the seller’s description.
Ultimately what matters to us is that you get to experience the magic that Glowforge has to offer. Whether you buy from us or secondhand, we hope you have a wonderful experience!