With a starting price of $599, Starlink dishes are a big investment. However, SpaceX is now offering a deep discount on its hardware—if you’re willing to accept a refurbished unit.
In Australia, pre-owned Starlink dishes for residential users are now just $299, a 50% discount. “Our refurbished equipment is thoroughly cleaned and inspected,” Starlink says on its website. “Other than being refurbished, the order will have the same devices and function the same as a standard order.”
For now, the company is only selling the refurbished units until Sept. 26 while supplies last, according to Starlink Insider, which first reported on the sales.
The promotion comes as some consumers have claimed SpaceX is already selling refurbished units to Starlink subscribers without telling them. “Yes, we just got one that still had the previous owner's naming and had to reset it to factory settings in order to pair to it,” one user alleged.
SpaceX didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But in an FAQ on the Starlink website, the company denies selling refurbished units to subscribers, unless it's explicitly stated.
“We can assure you all Starlinks are shipped brand new, unless specifically stated in a support ticket interaction with Starlink Customer Support, that you have been sent a refurbished dish,” the company said in the post, which added: “Your dish uses packaging that may shed during shipping, resulting in dust...We are aware that minor scuffing or dust may appear while in transit.”
It’s also unclear if the company plans on expanding sales of the refurbished hardware to other markets. But last week, the FCC approved SpaceX to sell two next-generation dishes for consumers, including one that’s significantly smaller.
Hence, it’s possible SpaceX is preparing to clear out inventory of the older dishes to promote the new hardware. Selling refurbished units could also help it attract more customers.
This past weekend, SpaceX reported that Starlink has reached over 2 million “active customers,” up from more than 1 million active subscribers back in December. That said, the company originally aimed to have 20 million Starlink customers by now, according to an 2015 internal presentation obtained by The Wall Street Journal.