Yes it means second hand,
I'll have to check the inner cup joints, there's a different between manual and dsg, and also differs between years as to which cups are used.
I've heard stories about J&R coming up short but I had no issues when I had a new shaft for my import Mazda.
I have found new Golf r32 shafts, both manual and dsg so may end up getting them.
I did have one found in Germany, but let it go on eBay.