Community discussions

[carpentermate]

Hi Gang

Would like to go over the 'Do's and  Don'ts' of buying a USED roku Ultra:

From my understanding, the first basic requirement (or Necessity) before buying USED roku players is that the previous owner needs to understand how to REMOVE or deactivate the unit from his own roku profile. Correct?

Anything else?

Thank You! 😃

[Iona-D]

Of course deactivating the previous owner's account is not only a good idea, you never know who is operating the Ultra after it leaves your presence.  And will have access to your personal information like credit/debit card number, your name & address, etc.  Very easy to impersonate you.

Still, I prefer to buy a completely new Ultra from a reputable store recognized as a Roku dealer.  Why?  For the simple reasons that YOU are covered completely  by the warranty, not the previous owner.  Plus if there is a recall, you will be notified directly. The product should be cleaned of all inputs, except for the ones you install yourself or Roku does.   And you will have all the features and upgrades within your new Ultra until it becomes ancient (in which the used one will be much sooner than a new one.)

Need I say more?

[AvsGunnar · Accepted solution]

@carpentermate 

The previous owner should deactivate the Roku to prevent the new user from using the previous owner's subscriptions or other account related matters. (If the device has not been Factory Reset, a new user would have access to previous owners settings and subscriptions).

The new owner can simply Factory Reset the used Roku device and start using once setting up a Roku account.  Any previous account info will be wiped from the device upon the Factory Reset so the new owner is good to go. (The device is now Factory Reset and registered to the new account.  No need for previous owner to do anything.)

If you are going to sell or give a Roku device to someone, best practice is to remove it from your Roku account (login to the online dashboard at roku.com) and then Factory Reset the device.

[Iona-D]

Glad you pointed the proper steps safeguarding the sensitive information stored on one's account.  Although My own Ultra will be soon up to being upgraded when it's ability to update it's OS finally stops.  By then, at that point in time, I will saved up the money and buy new, continuing the unit's useful life as long as possible.

To each-his or her's-own and choices.

[AvsGunnar]

@Iona-D 

New is certainly the preferred method, but we have quite a few users that have been gifted used devices by family or friends or picked up at a yard sale.

As with most technology, though, newer not always better.  Sometimes older devices (Roku and non-Roku) can be made to do things their newer counterparts cannot, or be excluded from issues that affect some of the newer devices.

For ease of use and peace of mind, yes, a new device would be the preferred method.

[carpentermate]

Thanx Gunnar:

"Sometimes older devices (Roku and non-Roku) can be made to do things their newer counterparts cannot"

Absolutely agree!

As for Factory 'Re-Sets' I can do them in my sleep. And yes, as Gunnar also pointed out: "The device is now Factory Reset and registered to the new account"

Thanx EVERYONE! 😃

[Iona-D]

I unexpectectly had to shell out over $100.00 US dollars for a new Moto 5g smartphone when the old one stopped working after a major fall on my part.  I chose to go brand new as smartphones are becoming so needed to do anything from boarding trains to ordering/picking up dinner at the local Denny's.  Then it goes back in the dresser drawer.  Too delicate for heavy daily use (dumbphones here I come for calls/texts).  Too much sensitive personal information inside it as it could fall in the wrong hands if I take it out of of the house.  Then I keep it until it falls apart.  The unit itself new or used is not valuable.  It's whatever inside it is.  The same goes with any Roku, new or used. Purging is not good enough for me and some others.  Not in this phishing or trickery world.  Physically destroying hard drives or wherever the data is stored is.

The choice is in your hands.  I like to sleep well at night not worrying about data theft.