Sage Coffee Machine PSA

@oceanskipper – I’d have been returning that – as you say, it’s anything but refurbished :O

The grinder is very noisy….

I’d dismantle/remove the top burr and check it and the fixed burr in the machine for damage and give it a good clean through as the grinders in these are prone to clogging (as you’ve found). I’d also remove the shower screen and soak in cleaning solution or use espresso cleaning tablets (check Amazon)

You may be able to check in the settings to see how many espressos it has made in its life.

They do make decent espresso once set up correctly though so don’t be discouraged

Ive given it a thorough clean and it’s in a far better condition now than it was when it arrived with me. I’ve cleaned the burrs  – top one out and washed, bottom one brushed and de-clogged. I’ve also cleaned the portafilter and group head screen by back flushing as per the instructions.

I’d be interested to see how many espressos it has made but there’s no info in the standard settings page – there might be an engineers mode or something but no mention of it in the manual…

EDIT – found the service menu. 1780 coffees made.

EDIT – found the service menu. 1780 coffees made.

That’s nothing, my sage duo temp is around 13000 without issue

Don’t get the love for Sage stuff.

It’s expensive junk. I’m on my 3rd machine and 4th repair. That said the warranty has been maxed out. Fair play there.

The consistency of my oracle is appalling.  Dose is all over the shop.

Separate grinder has made a better job of it all though but I’d have just bought a decent simple espresso machine had I known better at the time.

Having said all that I got the itch with that new Jet machine.

@oceanskipper … you’ve got unlucky there. Mine turned up today too, looked almost perfect although not in the original box, missing the filter etc as the others. Anyway, prompted by you my service menu says 28 coffees made, 3 of which are mine. Pretty sure they’re all ex-demo/shop floor machines, reconditioned is a stretch – I have a ‘reconditioned’ Barista Pro from the same source which was a tiny bit scuffed and had obviously made a few already (I’d guess a 100 or so). Tricky in your position…I’d be erring on returning it I think based on the fact that I’ve had two really good ones, but they’re big aren’t they…

I’ve had two Sages previously (Duo Temp and Barista Pro) which had both been spot on – no issues with either which have both made 1000s of coffees.

Mine is most definitely second hand and Ebay’s video explaining what refurbished means says, and I quote, “every inch of every item, yep every single inch, is refurbished to a set standard”. Doesn’t say exactly what that set standard is mind you and the description does say it may contain coffee and have water marks from the refurbishment process…

Still, I was expecting a nearly new item TBH. The PAT test sticker (assuming it wasn’t PAT tested by the seller) is a bit disappointing as it means it wasn’t a personal machine so potentially not looked after as well as it might have been. But as you say, very big to return – I do still have all the packing it came in though…. I have emailed them so I will see what they say.

It was listed as “Refurbished – Good” as opposed to Excellent or Certified which are the top ones so perhaps I was expecting too much.

I’ll compare it to mine when it comes @oceanskipper as I too bought one that said Refurbished – Good.

tbh, if mine is the condition yours is, with the 1000+ on the service menu, I’ll be looking to return it as for me that use is 8 months to a year old for an 2 person house. Granted yours may have been in an office but that is arguably even worse.

It’s going back – it won’t grind this morning. Motor just whirrs and then times out. Sounds like the burr is not turning so a stripped gear or something. Probably has something to do with the compacted coffee I found in the grind chute. I expect it was blocked and they carried on trying to use it until it failed and then  sent it back. It did grind once yesterday so I’m imagining only a partly stripped gear. Anyway it’s in very very poor condition and I’m not convinced I even want another from them if their QC is so shocking.

Yeah that’s terrible. If you assume it was returned as it was faulty, how could they possibly have ‘refurbished’ anything with it in a dirty state.

The cynic in me wonders whether they just punt all the returns through the eBay shop without looking as it’s cheaper. The majority of returns are intact, customer just changed their mind so they get resold without issue. Any complaints and they just take the machine back no quibbles. So basically it’s a lottery.

EDIT – found the service menu. 1780 coffees made.

I’m not sure what the definition of an item for as refurbished is, but how dirty it was and how much use it’s had is definitely 2nd hand IMO

Refurbished should at least be clean

Personally I’d be sending back and buying a bettter 2nd hand  ?

EDIT – found the service menu. 1780 coffees made.

I’m not sure what the definition of an item for as refurbished is, but how dirty it was and how much use it’s had is definitely 2nd hand IMO

Refurbished should at least be clean

Personally I’d be sending back and buying a bettter 2nd hand  ?

EDIT – found the service menu. 1780 coffees made.

I’m not sure what the definition of an item for as refurbished is, but how dirty it was and how much use it’s had is definitely 2nd hand IMO

Refurbished should at least be clean

Personally I’d be sending back and buying a bettter 2nd hand  ?

Ediit: sorry not my fault for x3 post only done once with some weird WordPress error message

Seems that way, I’m going to call them as there is a number on their Ebay outlet. I’ve just taken out the bottom burr and refitted giving the motor a turn while I tightened up the nut and it did then grind although it was far too coarse. I tried again and it just whirred once more so it’s definitely not a one off clutch issue. Absolutely no refurbishment done whatsoever and I can’t believe this one just slipped through. I suspect as above, they just ship and hope, which is a bit off as they claim to refurbish every inch and also to be authorised by Sage.

It’s going back – it won’t grind this morning. Motor just whirrs and then times out.

That, and the fact that it’s still dirty, sounds like it’s not been touched at all!

Mine had all been cleaned and the grinder looks new.

Personally, I wouldn’t be contacting them directly, only through ebay messaging, so there’s a record. Put down the fact that it’s not as described. If they don’t offer to take it back, open an ebay case, if ebay agree they have to take it back for a refund. You should not have to pay for the return.

Not sure on mine now.

It landed this morning and has certainly been used. The front plate has wear to the chrome plating and it is not clean.

According to the service menu there are not that many operations but as others I’d expected a new returned unit, not clearly second hand. Maybe that says I should read more before buying but, the tarnish of my purchase has been taken off a bit.

That said, £570 for a s/hand £2000 machine with relatively low use and not bad cosmetics isn’t bad if it all works as intended.

Hmm, do I send it back?

I was tempted by a Sage Precision Brewer for around £120, but a new one is *only* £100 more.

695 espressos is virtually a third of what mine had done…

I rang them and they are sending ParcelForce to collect on Monday and then will refund/replace once they have it. They’ve sent an email to confirm so any nonsense and I can show to Ebay. I’m not sure I want a replacement unless they are going to give me a top notch one but I suspect they’ll simply ship another lottery one and hope for the best. They offered to repair it but I declined…

My Barita Express turned up quicker than expected and with/without all the parts as advertised. I found one that was in “very good” condition and it’s practically new. Just a little coffee residue in the grinder.

I’ve needed to order a couple of parts (dosing funnel, water filter) and cleaning bits but it looks mint perched in the kitchen, replacing a basket of baby bottles and other kitchen detritus that was sat next to the sink

The plot thickens with mine as it is faulty.

It won’t recognise the hopper lock, so refuses to do anything.

Have tried manually pressing the switch in and nothing, so I guess it is either a damaged switch or circuit board.

Not really impressed with this and others in the thread unfortunately.

Shame as it could have been good.

Message sent through ebay and will no doubt have to wait until Monday now.

That’s a bit rubbish, well very rubbish really. They’re not at all good are they. Doesn’t bode well for the new ones either…

If you want a new machine then buy a new machine? Id rather have a new Barista Express than a second hand Pro – Ive owned both, not sure the more expensive machine makes coffee any better tbh, although I didnt mind paying extra for the higher spec machine. There’s always the January sales.

If you want a new machine then buy a new machine?

If I wanted new I would have bought new. What I wanted, and Twonks also I presume, was a working refurbished one as advertised.

If I wanted new I would have bought new

Exactly, and oceanskipper got unlucky. Mine had made 25 coffees, looked perfect, 1yr warranty, for 1/4 the price of a box fresh one. Not sure why you’d buy ‘new’ in that case.

I’ve had mine since maybe February, bought from ebay as used but “only done a few coffees” 0ne, but not via the refurb shop.  Mine now has 468 coffees on it.  11 months at around 45 coffees per month sounds about right.  Mine was £400 for a Barista Touch.  I used the IDOO place discounts to get the seller to better them.  Maybe try this?

I don’t have that information access as to how many shots my Gaggia classic has poured since 2004 but it still works great with the Rancilio steam wand a must on these things

I swop between the Rancilio Silva I have just like sorn a car every few months when you fancy a change

Just bought a baby class Gaggia hardly used for £40 just to rob for bits for my Classic as I’m sure it has much the same bits underneath

What puts me off the Sage stuff is maybe too much that can go wrong and having to send off to get repaired, that’s what put me off de longhi all in one machine twice broke down

Yes, I expected a refurb as I spent what I thought was a good amount for a refurbished £2000 machine. I’d have no problem with it being refurbished and working, but appearing to be just plain second hand with no remedial work or refurbishment what so ever is a little bit too much. (or little) imho.

Agreed looks like they are just getting returned items, and sending them straight back out.

Refurbished should be like new.

How long is the guarantee? I’d expect it to be at least 1 year too

It’s 12 months but obv a right PITA to keep all the packaging in the likely event it will need sending back for repair.

Given that two of the four bought by posters on this thread are faulty it does seem like they do nothing other than perhaps turn them on and any intermittent faults or issues with pressure/temp etc are not picked up.

Im not sure what’s best, I mean it was a bargain but still a lot of money and no good if it’s faulty.

Im not happy about the fact they claim to refurbish them and be authorised by Sage when that appears to be untrue.

I mean even if they send me a much less used one like some others have had, who’s to say it wasn’t returned as faulty and still has that fault which might not be immediately apparent… I would say that anything with more than 10/20 coffees on the counter was retuned as faulty rather than a change of mind.

I might cut my losses and just get a refund…

I’d query if it’s even a fully legit part of Sage?

When our brand new one was faulty Sage instructed a 3rd party company in Birmingham to collect it and ‘repair’ it. They advised it wasn’t repairable and Sage sent us another brand new one direct

Maybe the 3rd party company is fleecing Sage and customers ?

I would be contacting Sage directly to see what they say as well as the eBay company

I think for the price difference I’d rather just have brand new, someone could have stuck their balls in the portafilter or anything and doesn’t even sound like they clean these things properly.

they claim to refurbish them and be authorised by Sage

Are they actually authorised by Sage? They appear “authorised” by eBay to do refurbishment of items in general.

I’ve looked into it more

If a seller is associated with the original manufacturer I believe we’d see items graded as “certified” (more on that later…)

https://www.ebay.com/sellercenter/ebay-for-business/ebay-refurbished-program

I think what’s happened is eBay has done away with the “manufacturer refurbished” and “seller refurbished” titles, so now:

“manufacturer refurbished” = Certified

“seller refurbished” = Excellent, Very Good, Good

To be part of the refurbished program they have to meet certain seller metrics, feedback, items not as described etc. Additionally, to use the Certified term they have to be authorised by the manufacturer.

As an example from idoodirect, I see they have “Certified” Sage items, e.g. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/335634715421 So they must be associated with Sage (according to eBay’s rules) These items will meet the manufacturer’s standards for refurbishment. Idoodirect also has refurbished Sage items graded “Excellent, Very Good, Good”, technically these are seller refurbished, and to what standard is unclear.

I have sent Sage an email and link to this thread. Appreciate it might appear petty and tbh doubt they’ll comment or do much but, we’ll see.

Will also update with what the seller says when they reply to my ebay ‘not happy’ message.

Im not happy about the fact they claim to refurbish them and be authorised by Sage when that appears to be untrue.

They`re not authorised by sage and sage want nothing to do with them, a mate bought a refurb toaster from them a few years ago and it needed the handle repaired but sage said they are not authorised resellers and they will not repair any unit from them

What dmorts says is correct as far as I understand it also – Certified Refurbished is (or should be) basically a new machine refurbished by someone authorised by the manufacturer. Other gradings, excellent, very good etc are (should be) in full working order but with signs of use commensurate with the grade. Idoo use the Sage logo as well.

I’m not taking a replacement off them even if they offer a Certified Refurbished in its place and will buy new if necessary.

Out of interest when I queried the PAT test sticker they said it was done by them as part of their QC. Anyone else’s machines have a PAT test sticker on?

sage said they are not authorised resellers and they will not repair any unit from them

Authorised reseller is different to authorised refurbisher I would have thought. John Lewis/Lakeland etc are authorised resellers  I would imagine and get their stock straight from Sage’s distribution channels. That’s going to be different to what Idoo, err, do. I would imagine that if I went to Sage with a unit from Idoo and said this unit I bought from an authorised reseller is faulty can you fix it they would tell me to do one. That said, as above they are claiming to be authorised by Sage so Sage must at least of heard of them…. Perhaps not as Idoo but as xsitems.

Anyone else’s machines have a PAT test sticker on?

Mine has.

Out of interest when I queried the PAT test sticker they said it was done by them as part of their QC.

Kinda makes sense.

No PAT test sticker on mine