When I know the source full well, I'd choose to buy a refurbished one. I bought one for my son when I was in Thailand, an AMD and it works well until now, except that the LCD broke because of carelessness. But everything else is still working fine. I connect it to a desktop LCD and VOILA!
For me, budget is the first reason why I would resort to a refurbished laptop. But if the budget fits for a new one, I'd get the brand new in a heartbeat.😎
The brand is always to be considered as well.