Before You Buy
Used Tanning Bed Inspection by Video
A used commercial tanning bed can be the smartest purchase a salon or a homeowner makes, or a $2,000 crate of problems. The difference is whether someone who knows the equipment looks at it first. Sun Systems and Service has repaired tanning beds since 1990. Stan Pope inspects the bed with you over video, anywhere in the US, before you hand over the money. Call (248) 545-5577 or request a session below.
What we check
- Hours and lamp age. The meter against the story you were told, and whether the lamps are near the end of their life. A relamp is a real cost.
- Lamp output. Dark sections, flickering, uneven color. Points at lamps, starters or a ballast.
- Acrylics. Cracks, haze, yellowing. Replacement acrylics are not cheap, and some models are hard to source.
- Ballasts and electrical. Hum, smell, heat. The plug type and the circuit the bed actually needs, which the listing usually gets wrong.
- Canopy shocks and hinges. A lid that will not stay up is a safety issue and a parts cost.
- Timer and controls. Does it start, run the full session and stop.
- Parts availability. Whether that make and model can still be kept running. Some cannot.
- What it is worth. A fair number for that bed in that condition, so you can negotiate with something behind you.
Then we get it home
In Michigan we pick it up, deliver it into your salon or home, assemble it, coordinate the dedicated circuit and start it up tested. See tanning bed installation and moving a tanning bed. Outside Michigan, you get a written electrical spec for your electrician and a discounted follow-up video session for assembly.
Request an inspection
Send the listing. Stan confirms a time that works with the seller and sends a payment link.
Frequently asked questions
How does a video inspection of a used tanning bed work?
You book a 30 minute session and schedule it for when you can be with the bed, at the seller's salon or home. On the call, Stan has you power it up, point the camera at the hour meter, the lamps, the acrylics, the canopy shocks, the serial plate and the plug, and run it. You get a straight answer before you pay: buy it, negotiate, or walk.
What does the inspection check?
Hours on the meter against the lamp age, lamp output and any dark or flickering sections, acrylic condition (cracks, haze, yellowing), ballast hum and any burning smell, canopy shocks and hinges, timer and controls, the electrical plug and circuit it needs (120 or 220 volt), cosmetic condition, and whether parts for that model are still available.
How much does it cost and where do you do it?
From $99 for a 30 minute video inspection, anywhere in the United States. The exact fee is confirmed when you book. If you are in Michigan and want us to go look in person, we quote that separately.
Can you also move and install the bed I buy?
In Michigan, yes: pickup, delivery into your salon or home, assembly, the dedicated circuit and startup. Elsewhere, we give you the written spec for a local electrician and walk you through assembly on a follow-up video session.
What are the red flags on a used tanning bed?
A seller who will not power it up. Hours that do not match the story. Yellowed or cracked acrylics on a bed described as lightly used. A burning smell or a loud ballast hum. A discontinued model with no parts supply. Any 220 volt bed being sold as plug-and-play. We catch all of these on video in a few minutes.