To Buy Refurbished?
Technologies are changing and evolving and the price tag to keep up with the latest gadgets and best tech can be staggering or out of budget.
So, when shopping around you may see the same for example the same Apple watch series 6 being sold second-hand for a fraction of the price. This sounds fantastic, but it makes you think twice and question why it is being sold so cheaply and will it work or break in the short term.
Fortunately, this is where refurbished technologies are an option.
What Does Refurbished Mean
Refurbished still refers to a ‘used’ or returned item, however, it has been reconditioned or remanufactured. In short, the item was bought, then for some reason returned. Prior to the item being resold, it has then been checked by the retailer or manufacturer to ensure it is functional, any adjustments or repairs are made, and is then usually resold with a new warranty attached to the product.
Being sold as refurbished, does not necessarily mean the item had any faults, to begin with. It could have been returned for many other reasons, such as damaged packaging, then buying changing their mind, or minor cosmetic blemishes. Or course, in some cases the item may have had faults or either a major or minor nature. There is no way to tell the reason for the refurbished title. Although, as it has been returned to manufacturing standards the previous reasons should not matter anymore.
Benefits Of Buying Refurbished
Buying refurbished as opposed to second-hand or used, comes with additional perks.
- The item is generally sold in ‘nearly-new condition’. When an item gets refurbished any damaged parts or items will be completely repaired or replaced, to ensure the item is back to its full functionality. It also getting fully cleaned and exteriors parts that are worn get replaced, such as keypads. This means in essence it should run and look new.
- You benefit from the item being under warranty. The majority of refurbished items being sold will come with a warranty to reinforce the quality of the refurbishment. Depending on who carried this out can impact the length of the warranty. The majority of manufactured refurbished items will offer a warranty of one year, whilst an instore refurbishment is likely to offer a shorter warranty of 30-90 days.
- You’ll have access to additional tech support. If you buy directly from the manufacturer you will likely benefit from receiving access to the same additional supports available to those who bought new.
- Refurbished items are sold at a reduced price to their new counterparts.
Best And Worst Items You Can Buy Refurbished
There are many items available and resold as refurbished, however, some offer better reductions than others. For example, refurbished iphones can be beneficial due to the nature of them being so readily available, along with other smart technologies. However, items such as hard drives aren’t always seen to be as beneficial, due to the unknown nature of how the signs of wear can be returned to nearly new.
