You are in the market to purchase a new electronic device, be it a laptop, tablet, or cellular phone. You know that you cannot afford to purchase the item brand-new. You have seen some individuals sell the product used for an unbelievable discount. However, since you do not know the seller, you worry that you will purchase a used product that is damaged and in the end you walk away with nothing.
There is a third option. It is purchasing a refurbished electronic device from a reputable site for three fourths of what you would pay if you purchased the item new. Should you go for it? The truth is that refurbished electronics can be a great buy if you know how to be a savvy shopper.
What’s the Difference between Refurbished and Used?
Refurbished does not mean used. A used item is something that a person bought, they used it for a time, and now they are selling it as is. A refurbished product is something that a person purchased and for one reason or another returned it to the manufacturer. Before reselling the item, either the retailer or the manufacturer reviews the product for functionality and then repairs whatever was wrong with the item, giving the product a new battery, new accessories, and new packaging.
Every refurbished electronic you purchase is used, but not all used electronics for sale have been refurbished.
Are All Refurbished Items Damaged?
When a person visits Recompute or a similar site looking for refurbished electronics, they are not only going to find electronics that were previously damaged.
It is not uncommon for a person to return a product because of a minor blemish that only impacts the appearance of the product. In other cases, buyer’s remorse kicks in as soon as they leave the store, and so they return the product. All of these products are then reviewed by the retailer or the manufacturer, repackaged, and resold as refurbished for a significant discount.
The Advantages of Purchasing Refurbished Electronics
There are a number of advantages that come from purchasing refurbished electronics. Many of them have a like new condition. During the refurbishment, all of their components are tested out, the electronic device is cleaned, and any worn-out parts are replaced, so the product looks and performs like new.
Many refurbished products come with warranties. The length of the warranty depends on who did the refurbishing. If the product was refurbished by the manufacturer, it may have a year warranty. Products refurbished by the retailer may be warrantied between 30 and 90 days. You don’t get this when you buy a product used.
A good number of refurbished products still benefit from the original manufacturer’s support, especially if the refurbishment was done by the manufacturer. This usually happens only if you are purchasing the latest models of a product.
Refurbished Versus New
The biggest advantage you get when you buy refurbished electronics as opposed to new ones is the price. Whether you are purchasing a smartphone, computer, digital camera, or television, buying refurbished means that you may spend up to 50 percent less than what you would if you purchased the item new.
Refurbished electronics have an overall good reputation. As long as you purchase from a reputable source, you may find yourself with a product that looks and works like new while only spending a fraction of the price.
