Key Takeaways Refurbished items have been restored to a “new” condition. Different manufacturers and sellers may have different definitions of what “new” is. Products refurbished by their original manufacturer tend to be the best quality. Have you ever seen a “refurbished” product selling at an astronomically low price? This seems to be more and more common these days. When new technology comes out, people often find the gadgets on the refurbished market for a fraction of their total cost. The question, of course, is whether this is too good to be true. And the answer depends on factors like who’s selling the product, who manufactured it, how old the product is, and what type of product it is in the first place. As a general rule, though, there’s nothing wrong with refurbished products… as long as they come from the right sources. You want to make sure that you’re purchasing from a reputable dealer and know what went into the refurbishment process. What does refurbished mean? “Refurbished” is a basic product tag that, at its most basic level, means that a product has been returned by a buyer and then restored to mint condition. This typically happens when people return their products to the seller. The seller makes sure to reset and repair them, and then they offer the product at a discounted rate. It can also happen when a third-party seller returns a product to the original manufacturer. Maybe there was a defect in a batch that has since been repaired. Maybe there was cosmetic damage or an issue with the packaging. When you find refurbished models being sold by the original manufacturers, this is usually the case. Some people are averse to “refurbished” products because they don’t want to buy something that’s used. But there are key differences between used products and refurbished ones. Most importantly, a refurbished product has been repaired and reset prior to being sold. Used products often come with all the potential damage caused by their previous owner. But with that said, there are some caveats to keep in mind. First, you should know that there isn’t a lot of regulation regarding what must be done before a product can be labeled “refurbished.” The label is more marketing-based than regulation-based. So there’s no guarantee that every single seller has gone through all the hard work of diagnosing and repairing every potential issue with the product. Second, you should know that you’re more likely to get a high-quality refurbished product from the original manufacturer. If you’re working with a third party, they might not be as knowledgeable about the product. They might also have less motivation to take the time to properly repair the object. But if you purchase a product from a reputable dealer, you’ll often find that it has all the functionality and longevity of a brand new item. Reasons Products Are Refurbished When a product is given the “refurbished” label, it is typically sold at a discount. Sometimes the issue was just that there was a defect in the original batch. The manufacturer has repaired it and is now reselling the item. There are several other reasons that products might end up refurbished: The packaging was damaged, so the retailer or customer shipped the item back. In these cases, the product inside is fine. A customer opened the box and used the product, but then they returned it in a resellable condition. A customer returned the item completely unopened and unused, but the seller still decided to put it out as a refurbished item. A demo model is repackaged after a trade show or store display to be sold as a refurbished product. Things to Know Before Buying a Refurbished Product If you want to get a high quality refurbished product, you need to know where to look. It’s also important that you purchase the right type of product. This is similar to other types of online shopping: in order to get a quality purchase, you need to make sure you’re working with a reputable dealer. These are the three most important things to do before you ever finalize a refurbished purchase: Make sure you’re shopping with reputable retailers or the item’s original manufacturer. Make sure that the product you purchase is worth the price — just because it’s discounted, doesn’t always mean it’s worthwhile! Read all the fine print on your warranty and any other paperwork before finalizing the purchase. If you work with a reputable dealer and have a good warranty, you’re protected against most of the potential pitfalls that come with refurbished purchases. You don’t have to worry that your item will be subpar or damaged, and even if it is, you have the warranty to protect you. Manufacturers Refurbished products from the manufacturer tend to be high quality. You know that they’ve gone through a diagnostics process run by people who truly understand the ins and outs of the product. In addition, these products are less likely to have been used by individual consumers before. Another benefit of working with the manufacturer is that it’s easy to get in contact with their customer service. They have a strong stake in making sure that you have positive experiences with their brand. There are quite a few manufacturers that offer refurbished products for purchase online. Retailers Retail can be a slightly more risky bet, but not by much. That goes especially for people who buy from very large retail chains with a strong customer support team. There are many retailers that sell refurbished and returned products online for large discounts. Each of the products should go through the exact same testing, diagnostics, and repair process as the manufacturer ones. But you’ll probably want to work with a retailer that has a tech department if you’re buying refurbished electronics. That way, you can be sure that the employees have the expertise and know-how to test and fix the products. Another note is that some retail products won’t include a manufacturer’s…
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