I am not pushed away by re-certified laptops. It could have just been a return because somebody did not like it. Also, maybe it wasn't fast enough for what they needed it for. Another possibility is that it was defective. Even if that was the case, they can't sell it without fixing the problem.
I ended up buying the laptop for $650. The CPU is good enough and the GTX 260M outperforms the GTS 360M. For the price, I couldn't resist. Even my current CPU (Dual Core T4400) scores a 5.5 in Windows.
Thanks for the recommendations...if money was no issue, I would buy the top of the line ASUS G Series laptop