There are many good deals on police/fire scanners on eBay, and lots of dogs too. There is a growing trend of less than honest people who are buying up customer returned refurbished scanners from the manufacturers, also referred to as refurbs, and reselling them on eBay as NEW. This is of course WRONG and DISHONEST, but in todays world of making a buck it is happening all to often. A returned scanner is just that, it HAD a problem, was supposedly fixed, it might come back AGAIN if the repair was shoddy, but once you buy it "as-is" that becomes YOUR problem! How do you know it's been refurbished? You DON'T, you have to take the word of the seller, and there in lays the root of the problem. Hey, you might buy it and it might work GREAT, no trouble! Then again, it might die a week later and you have no recourse, lesson learned. I see many scanners listed as "just bought last week and I decided I don't want it" or "grandma doesn't want it and it's NEW", I'm sorry, I smell a scam... If you want a deal go ahead, but if you want a worry-free auction buy new, and demand to know IF it is indeed NEW! I do think most refurbs will have a sticker on the box and on the scanner stating it is a refurbished unit, but sellers might be tempted to just peel them off and sell the scanner as new, who is to know, you? Bet not! AN EXCELLENT CLUE IS THEIR OFFER TO PROVIDE AN AFTER MARKET WARRENTY! If it's new it has the manufacturers warrenty, if it doesn't it's used! Ask questions, read the sellers feedback, use your head. Remember what P.T. Barnum once said, "there is a sucker born every minute", don't let it be YOU!!! Good luck and happy scanning! Tim