Why I Love Visiting CeX as a Tech Enthusiast
In today’s blog post, I want to talk about something a little different.
I would like to talk about CeX stores, CeX stands for Complete Entertainment Exchange, and it’s possibly one of my favourite stores to visit when I have time to kill.
But I’ll discuss that later in this article.
CeX is a retailer that mainly deals with pre-owned games, DVDs as well as consumer electronics, you can see where I’m going with this.
As a tech enthusiast, I feel that the brand doesn’t get enough praise, I mean sometimes, you can pick up some pretty good deals!
That is why I decided to dedicate an article and share my experience of visiting these stores.
On a side note, this article is not sponsored by CeX, nor do they know I’m writing it. I just wanted to share my own genuine opinion about visiting their stores and buying from them.
But, without any further ado, here are the reasons I love visiting CeX…
You can find some great deals!
As it goes with retail and shopping in general, you’re not always going to find the best deal, especially when it comes to second-hand tech.
However, there are times when you will! As an example, a few years ago I purchased the Microsoft Surface Headphones 2 second-hand from CeX and from what I remember I paid around £95 for them in condition B.
I purchased these online, so I didn’t know the condition they were in, but to my surprise, they were like new. I used them as my go-to work headphones for a long time.
Brand new, these cost £239.99 and considering the fact that I got them for under £100 is just phenomenal!
Recently, I decided to purchase the Apple Watch SE 44 mm from CeX and I paid £120 for it, which, looking at the second-hand market, it was a deal at the time. Looking at other second-hand stores and eBay, these range anywhere between £130 and £219.99 online.
The only disadvantage was that it didn’t come with the straps, but it did come with a charger and a box.
I’ve now been using this watch as my daily driver for just over 2-months, and I’ve really been enjoying it. The battery’s maximum capacity is at 90%, and it’s in excellent condition.
Those were just some examples of great deals that I managed to pick up when visiting CeX stores around the country.
24-Month Warranty
Luckily, this is a service I haven’t had to use as of yet, but the fact that you get a free 24-month warranty gives you peace of mind that the product you’re buying will last you for at least 2 years.
Back to the Apple Watch SE example, I only purchased it to see if it works well for my needs, and it has honestly exceeded my expectations.
I can see that in around a years time, I will replace it with a more up-to-date model or even an Apple Watch Ultra with a sim as it suits my lifestyle better.
It brings back memories!
Having grown up with tech, visiting CeX stores brings back many memories from my childhood. Whether it’s seeing a game I played, a games console I once had or just tech that I used to own.
This is actually one of the main reasons why I love visiting stores like CeX, and in all fairness, it’s not only CeX!
I tend to visit a CeX store a few times a month, I am lucky to have one with a large range of tech not far away from the office at work, so when I walk past it at break, I will sometimes have a look to see what they have available.
In recent months, I’ve been seeing plenty of retro games and game consoles, which is nice to see, but they aren’t that cheap. I guess the fact that there are fewer available on the market has something to do with it.
I am very tempted to buy an original Xbox console for the nostalgia, but I can’t justify spending money on it as I have an Xbox 360. But I may see if I can trade it in.
It has environmental benefits
Recycling your unwanted tech helps reduce e-waste, and it also helps people save money in many cases when they don’t want to buy new products.
I have sold and traded many tech products to CeX over the years, and in many cases, I tend to opt-in for the voucher, as you tend to get more than if you go with the cash option and it means I can dedicate that money to buying more tech.
I know that in many cases you can get more for your unwanted tech online, but sometimes, your product just doesn’t sell easily, and it takes ages to get rid of. That is why I tend to just take a lot of tech products into my local CeX store.
Speaking about environmental benefits, as someone who reviews tech, I find it a great place to buy review units.
One can argue that reviewing second-hand tech isn’t the same as reviewing new tech. I get where you’re coming from, but I always mention whether a tech item is new or used.
Final Thoughts
To summarise this blog post, the main reason I like visiting these types of stores is the thrill of discovering tech items that I forgot about or items I used when I was growing up.
It’s remarkable what you can find in shops like CeX and others of a similar nature. I guess the main reason I’m talking about CeX is that they are absolutely everywhere in the UK.
These types of stores aren’t necessarily cheap, but as it goes with retail, you can always pick up a bargain.
But as a whole, I genuinely think that these stores are worth a visit if you have time to kill or if you are in the area.