Refurbished or recertified products are often on sale and they look like bargains. The question is, how good are the refurbished or recertified products? Are refurbished or recertified products as good as new? Aren’t we better off paying a little more for a new product than a refurbished one? How confident are we buying a refurbished or recertified item?

To answer these questions we need to understand, what is a refurbished product? What is the definition of a refurbished or recertified product?

What is a refurbished or recertified product?

There is no difference between a refurbished or recertified product. Both are used interchangeably at retailers. Recertified is becoming increasingly popular as it conveys a “certification” process whereas refurbished sounds more like a rework has been done.

A product is labeled as refurbished or recertified for the following reasons:

The product has a manufacturing defect and is returned to the company. The company fixes the problem, tests it and ships it back as a refurbished or recertified product.

A consumer buys a product and returns it to the retailer within the return time frame. The retailer may return the product to the manufacturer, where it is inspected and repacked for sale as a refurbished or recertified item.

During shipping the box gets damaged and although the product is in perfect condition it is sent back to the manufacturer for inspection and repacking. It will come back as a refurbished or recertified product.

A product may suffer minor external damage, like a dent or scratch. It can be sold as a refurbished or recertified product if it is repacked by the manufacturer.

Some retailers would return their demo units to the manufacturers. These products will be rechecked, have some parts changed and sent back as refurbished or recertified to the retailers.

In all cases the manufacturer has the responsibility to ensure that the returned item is checked for defects and fixed before it is shipped back as a refurbished or recertified product.

Consequently a refurbished or recertified product should be in good working condition.

But the fact is that it is not always the case. It all depends on the manufacturer’s control procedures. Some manufacturers might have a quick quality check, whereas others have the products undergo a complete evaluation just as it was a newly manufactured product. So in some cases all the defects might not be localized and the product might still be defective when it is reshipped as refurbished or recertified.

What should we do as consumers?

The first thing is to inquire about the return policy for refurbished or recertified product. If there is none, it is better not to take the risk of buying a refurbished product.

If there is a return policy and it is the same as for a new product, then you can buy it with confidence, especially if it is a period of 90 days.

Find out if it has a warranty and how long it is. A warranty is like an insurance. Should the refurbished item break down during the warranty period it will get fixed or you will get a new one.

Also inquire about extended warranty for a refurbished or recertified product. If it is available and the added cost is still way under the price for a new product, it might not be a bad idea to get one. However if the cost of the extended warranty is relatively high and bring your total cost almost up to par with that of a new one, then it is not worth getting one.

But the fact that the retailer is willing to offer it, is an indication that it is confident that the refurbished item is going to work properly. It is not in its interest to incur repair fees or to provide you a new replacement.

Some retailers are specialized on refurbished products and their return policy applies only to defective products and is of very short period. Chances that you get a defective refurbished product there is higher. Should you decide to make the purchase, it is advisable to use and test it intensively during the return period time frame and to immediately return it if there is something wrong.

Should we buy a refurbished or recertified product or not?

Yes if you follow the above advices carefully there is not much that can go wrong. You will get a good deal and you will have a product that is as good as new.

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