Is refurbished something of low quality?  Is it something you should always avoid? Do you think it is true? Let me tell you that REFURBISHED is NOT BAD at all.  It is something which can save you good money without any noticeable difference in the quality.

 

What is Refurbished?

Refurbish : To make clean, bright, or fresh again; renovate (Dictionary meaning)

Refurbished in terms of electronics is something which was rectified, replaced or returned to the manufacturer because either it had some problem usually due to a faulty part, was returned by the customer without opening or may be because they didn’t like it.

Refurbished

Once these items are returned to the manufacturer, they do the repair, reconditioning and required stringent testing.  The testing is done in the same way as it was done on the original part.

All major manufacturer offer refurbished products whether it is Apple, Dell, HP or Sony.  So you can get pretty much everything refurbished.  Please note that you won’t get the latest products as refurbished but if it has been over 2-3 months, you are very likely to get it refurbished somewhere.

 

Tips to buy refurbished products:

  • Understand who refurbished the item – Manufacturer or a third party.  You may want to go with Manufacturer refurbished items.
  • Check if the accessories (if any) are new or refurbished.  You may want to stick with new accessories.
  • Check if you are going to get Manufacturer warranty and how long is that warranty.  You want to be safe with refurbished products.
  • Find out the return policy of defected items and where it has to be returned.
  • Are any software, manual etc. which comes with original item included in this refurbished item?
  • Try to find out if possible, what was rectified or reconditioned in that item.  Was there anything defected, or was it simply returned by a user.  If it was returned, then why?
  • Finally, try to find out how much will it cost to buy the same item if you buy it new.  If there is not a substantial difference, I would recommend staying with Brand New item.

Why you should not buy Refurbished?

 

  • If you are a gadget freak who wants to own the latest and greatest electronics models.
  • If you will never get satisfactions after buying refurbished. Your mind will always be suspicious about something being wrong.
  • If the item you are planning to buy is obsolete in the market.  You may not return it if you find something wrong with it.
  • If the cost of a new and a refurbished item is almost the same or doesn’t provide you a significant saving.
  • If the reseller is a third party vendor who you never heard about.  Try to buy the refurbished from original manufacturer.

So with these tips, I hope you should now be comfortable buying refurbished items and save yourself good money.  But as I said, you may want to find out the details first before making a decision.

Buying refurbished generally involves a little bit of common sense.

Let us know in comments your experience buying refurbished items and how much did you save.  Did you see any difference in quality and what things did you consider before buying it?

Have a great Labor Day weekend!


Suggested Posts…