Is it safe to buy used or refurbished golf balls?

Reviewers draw a sharp line here. Specialist forum and r/golf consensus is that genuinely used 'mint' or recycled balls (like graded Golf Ball Planet stock) can play close to new, but refurbished/refinished balls are widely criticized as repainted, lower-quality, and prone to peeling. Stick to mint/used grades and avoid anything labeled refurbished.