Birdman, I've dealt with both A4L and ShopOnkyo, and my experience with their factory refurbished units has been entirely satisfactory. ShopOnkyo is, of course, their in-house outlet. A4L I'd think would be especially careful in handling those sales so as not to lose their status as a factory authorized refurb dealer. It's been said that the return rate on factory refurbs is lower than on brand-new units. While I haven't seen any statistics on this, I'd be inclined to think it has merit, since the refurb process should include a thorough check.
