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Refurbished Products: The Basics

So you’ve discovered a product that you need or that you’d like to have, but you can’t quite work it into the budget — what now? Perhaps it’s time to take a look at the refurbished market to find a deal at a more reasonable price. But just what does “refurbished” mean? Are these products safe to buy?

The experts here at DealNews have not only sussed out the best refurbished deals the internet has to offer, but also compiled a list of terminology and resources to help you navigate the murky waters of refurbished versus new products.

What is a Refurbished Product?

Many people often have misgivings about refurbished items, but “refurbished” is merely a blanket term that refers to an item that has been returned, checked for quality and repaired to some degree, and then offered up for sale once more. Individual retailers and manufacturers may have slightly different takes on what qualifies an item as refurbished or reconditioned,though.

Many refurbished items are as good as new, as we note in this Blog article . However, for some reason, these items can't be sold as “new” — they could've been floor models, been returned during their return window, had their packaging damaged, or they could be defective in some way.

Refurbished vs. Used or Pre-Owned

As mentioned above, some refurbished items may have been returned due to some issue with the product, while others may have been traded in or resold. So why aren’t they simply noted as being pre-owned? The two terms actually have quite different meanings.

A refurbished product may have had a previous owner, but the item has been cleaned, inspected, and given thorough testing before returning to the market.

On the other hand, used or pre-owned products fall under no such quality guarantee. Therefore, as Refurb.me notes , “This means used products can be unreliable and are not guaranteed to work as they have not been rigorously tested.”

Types of Refurbished Products

Now that we’ve explored the basics, it’s time to take a deep dive into what the different terms for or classifications of refurbished items mean.

  • Factory-Refurbished or Manufacturer-Refurbished: These items have been returned to the original manufacturer of the device and thus have been cleaned, repaired, and inspected by them (rather than a third-party seller).  These products are also sometimes called “certified refurbished”.
  • Seller-Refurbished: This includes any product that has been refurbished by someone other than the original manufacturer, including any third-party sellers, individuals, or other refurbishment companies.
  • Reconditioned or Remanufactured: As Amazon notes, these terms are "largely interchangeable" with refurbished. The use of the different terms depends largely on vendor preference.

What About Warranties?

The warranty included with a refurbished product will generally vary depending on the seller.  For example, Apple offers a full 1-year limited warranty with their Apple Certified Refurbished Products, while Dell offers a 100-day limited warranty. Asus offers a 90-day limited warranty, which is most commonplace for a refurbished or remanufactured item. Overall, a year tends to be the best warranty term you’ll find for these products, while the shortest will typically net you around 30 days.

What are the Benefits of Refurbished Products?

The biggest advantage to buying refurbished is price. Refurbished products can be as much as 50% cheaper than the original price for the new product, so they are a good option for the budget-conscious.

Not only can buying refurbished save your wallet, they may also save you time avoiding the hassles of returns or exchanges. Amazon mentions that, in their experience, “reconditioned items typically have very low return rates compared to retail goods because they've been so carefully inspected. (Quite often, manufacturers will inspect only one or two items out of every ‘lot’ of brand-new merchandise.)”

Check Out These Posts From Our Blog Team

What Does Refurbished Mean?

Everything You Need to Know About Buying Refurbished Electronics

What Is ‘Open-Box’ And Should You Buy It?


By: Brittany Buchanan, Staffwriter

Brittany has been working at DealNews since 2013. As a member of the Content team, she spends most of her time sussing out whether stores are offering a good sale, as well as being a stickler for all things grammar and formatting. She spends most of her free time at home entertaining her small shih tzu puppy, testing new recipes, and traveling other worlds via video games and novels.