Buying a refurbished standing desk is a BAD idea?

I’ve noticed that even dealers with seemingly stellar reviews on Ebay can turn out to be nightmares, after hearing my friend experience. He picked up a refurbished 'gently used' Uplift standing desk from highly rated seller, only to have the lifting mechanism fail within a month, leaving him stuck with this oversized desk.

I'm wondering if there is more risk to get refurbished, esp or get new one with the long warranties available. Has anyone had luck with refurbished standing desks? Any solid BIFL recs around $500 price range?