What does Refurbished mean? Features and reviews of the owners

Customers often receive advice on the purchase of refurbished-Apple products and electronics of other brands. In this regard, they are interested in what it means to refurbished the iPhone, is it safe to buy, for example, a repaired TV or just a TV from another source? The desire to save is combined with the fear of becoming a victim of deception.

And it can be understood. In the minds of some people, recovered goods are defective or defective products, which they want to sell quickly to the next consumer. But in many cases, such electronics is a very profitable acquisition - "almost new" computers, televisions, music centers, mobile devices, etc. are much cheaper, and they work no less than their new counterparts. The secret of buying repaired equipment, which in the future will not cause problems, is knowing the places where it should be sought and conducting a preliminary consumer investigation. Let's see what it means to be refurbished. Is it worth buying goods with such a sticker, and if so, where?

What does "refurbished" mean?

Although the word refurbished, which in English means "restored" or "renewed", can conjure up the not-so-hopeful pictures of retailers and manufacturers resurrecting defective products in the imagination of the buyer, this term encompasses a variety of products. Sometimes a client gives up a purchase in order to get money without even opening the box or having never used the purchase. Although nothing bad happened to the equipment, it can not be sold as new and should be offered as a repaired one, often with a big discount (15% or more).

Other reasons why goods are marked are refurbished, include:

• Damage on delivery or external defects: small scratches or dents on delivery will force return of the purchase to the manufacturer.
• Demo-samples. Demonstration products used in exhibitions, in retail stores or reviewers can be re-packed as recovered.
• Open box. Opened packaging can mean anything. From a technical point of view, this should not be a problem, and the goods are no different from the new, just the box was opened.
• Production defects. If a defect was found, the manufacturer could replace defective parts and sell the device or send it to retail as a repaired one.

What is refurbished on the goods, in most cases is unknown. If the buyer just changed his mind and returned it, then in fact it is new and will save the new owner a considerable amount. But in the case of an open package, the employee of the return department could simply paste such a marking on the equipment, which was returned for the reason that it did not work or had a big defect. And then the new buyer was not very lucky.

So what do you do to someone who wants to save money, but is frightened of the repaired products? It is best to purchase goods from an authoritative seller who provides a generous guarantee.

Where to buy refurbished electronics?

According to buyers' feedback, it is desirable to purchase such goods directly from the manufacturer (manufacturer refurbished), thus insuring themselves that he thoroughly tested and configured the device, or from an authorized dealer receiving the products directly from the factory, for example, from Amazon or Newegg (seller refurbished , Which means "restored by the seller").

Apple Policy

What is a refurbished iPhone? According to customers, Apple has created an excellent system and policy for the sale of returned goods, which consists in the fact that the restored devices are delivered in a new housing, with a new battery and the same one-year warranty from which new products are sold. Therefore, there can not be a loss here.

And the savings when buying a restored product is significant. The repaired 13-inch Macbook Air, for example, costs $ 899, which is 300 less than the new one. Buyers of the updated 15-inch Macbook Pro say it saved $ 540. That's what refurbished Apple means.

However, the buyer must also sacrifice something. According to the owners of refurbished-technology from Apple, the only thing they had to sacrifice - it's packaging. Restored devices are packed in plain-looking cardboard boxes. Compared to other manufacturers, this is not so much. For example, buying repaired personal computers usually reduces the warranty to 90 days - it's not quite enough to not miss hidden defects.

Apple's policy and system means that those who want to watch out for the best deals from the iPhone, iPad and other devices must deal with the manufacturer.

Policies from other manufacturers

Of course, the buyer is not limited to only Apple. Dell Outlet, for example, also offers excellent options - there can be completely new devices (canceled orders) and refurbished, but Dell confirms that the product is as good as the new one, and with scratches and dents that are cosmetic defects that do not affect On performance. Buyers confirm that the warranty and support of the restored equipment is the same as if they bought a new product, similar to Apple's policy.

What does factory refurbished mean other major manufacturers? According to buyers, they also offer great discounts on returned goods. At Hewlett-Packard, the warranty and support for them is the same as for the new equipment. In Sony, this period is limited to 90 days. Epson also offers discounts, but the products are sold without a guarantee - it will be impossible to return the purchased one, so you need to think carefully before buying something. Before making a seemingly lucrative acquisition, visit the manufacturer's website to see if he has a department for dealing with returned goods.

Why do you need to be cautious?

The restored technique is offered and others, but in this case it is necessary to show great caution. Buyers share their sad personal experience of buying repaired gadgets. For example, a phone from an "open box", bought at a discount home appliances store, was never able to receive a signal. The naive buyer was convinced by the seller that the device was just opened to look and immediately returned. When switched on in the store, the phone worked, but after the transportation stopped functioning. That's what it means to refurbished the phone, bought with the reservation "without quality assurance".

In another case, a repaired laptop was purchased from a respectable seller on the Internet. After several months, the computer began to disconnect randomly during the day. It turned out that this is a hardware problem with the connectors. Unfortunately, by the time the buyer realized what the problem is, the warranty period is over. What is it - an unfit thing, a bad seller or an incorrectly chosen model? Each of these reasons could lead to a similar result. This is part of the risk of buying refurbished-things. It can be minimized by dealing with a trusted vendor - directly with the manufacturer or a trustworthy reseller, and following some more recommendations.

What should I pay attention to when buying the returned equipment?

Not all refurbished-goods are the same. On sale there is a technique restored by third parties, but it is worth looking for electronics, which the manufacturer itself was repairing (manufacturer refurbished), which means extending the producer's warranty to it. The technique is carefully checked and brought to the original standards.

Guarantee

Many retailers and manufacturers of refurbished products offer a 90-day warranty. As mentioned earlier, for peace of mind it is better to look for a complete one (for example, for a period of one year), if, of course, one can find one. Unfortunately, the extension of the guarantee for such goods usually does not extend, but it is necessary to ask the seller whether it is possible to increase its term, not to buy it, but for the reason that this is a sure sign of the seller's confidence in the quality of the equipment sold by him .

Return policy

According to the buyers' feedback, it's a great luck to support the seller with a liberal return policy, which means that a refurbished technique can be returned if early detection of hidden defects (for this, it is necessary to stress the device, if possible) or if the buyer is dissatisfied with its work or appearance . For example, Target provides an opportunity to return the hardware within 90 days, Amazon and Sony - for a month, and Apple does everything for two weeks. Before buying, be sure to make sure that there is at least some opportunity to return the goods.

Accessories and other components

It is necessary to make sure that you have all the chargers, cables, cords, manuals, software, drivers and everything else that is included in the kit of the device you are purchasing. Also, you should check the full description and the list of specifications of the equipment you buy and make sure that this is exactly the thing the buyer is counting on - a simple substitution of the model number, for example, can mean that it is a completely different product.

Goods are refurbished: is it worth buying them?

Although the acquisition of recovered electronics and carries a lot of risks, according to happy owners, there is no reason to refuse it only because of the presence of a refurbished sticker. The purchase of such equipment offers incredible opportunities. Simply, you should confine yourself to the options offered by manufacturers and reputable dealers in the presence of a long warranty, extending to any malfunctions, and ultimately enjoying the saved money.