10 Things to Know Before You Buy Refurbished Electronics

There’s a simple reason to buy refurbished tech instead of a brand-new device—to save money. It’s also nice to avoid sending another gadget to the landfill. An added bonus: If you go for a refurbished product, it won’t be subject to shipping delays, whereas a brand-new device might.

The problem is that refurbished products had a life before. Maybe it was a short existence with a careful original owner, but maybe not. What you do know is that the product was sent back, and it was given an overhaul to make it workable again or at least checked to make sure it operated correctly.

That all happened under the original product warranty—a warranty you may not inherit. You might also have to forego the device’s original accessories and deal with physical imperfections.

Here’s a quick rundown of what you should know before you click the buy button on a renewed or revamped piece of hardware. If you can’t get these questions answered to your satisfaction, stick with purchasing brand-new products, if possible.

1. Is It a Refurb or Open-Box Return?

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A typical open-box product was purchased and opened but returned before it was used. Maybe the buyer or recipient decided they didn’t want it, or perhaps the packaging was damaged, so it was sent back unused as a precaution.

I’d argue that to be a true refurb, a device should require some kind of repair, cleaning, or sprucing up. Legally, though, there’s no real definition of “refurbished.” It can signify whatever a vendor or seller wants it to mean. You may also see terms like “pre-owned” and “reconditioned,” which are synonyms—until they’re not. All returned products that are resold tend to be lumped together, no matter the condition.

Thankfully, US laws prevent companies from selling returned products as though they’re brand-new. You benefit from that, because once the refurbished label is on a product, the price should go way down. Ask the seller about a product’s origin, and hope for an open-box product; you may not be the first owner, but you could be the first user.

2. Who Did the Refurbishing?

Not all restorations are alike. It’s possible a third party did the work and is reselling the product. In general, sticking with the original company handling the work is the smarter move. It will have the right packaging and parts to make the product as close to new as possible. Look for “factory-certified” or similar nomenclature.

That said, you can see real savings from a third-party refurbish. That said, it’s an arena described by some as the Wild West, as there’s no real way to determine a product’s quality until you’ve already bought it. Buyer beware.

3. Does It Come With All the Stuff?

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Opening an iPhone box and not finding a charger is a sad experience (especially if the item is brand-new, but that’s a different problem).

Refurbished products often come without the accessories included with a new-product purchase. That’s another reason to try to find refurbs offered by the manufacturer; you’re more likely to get all the accessories. You might get the product in something close to the original packaging as well, if that’s important to you.

4. Does the Product Still Have a Warranty?

Don’t buy any product that is marked “as-is,” because that removes any implied warranty the product might carry. The buyer risks getting hardware that may not even work properly. Simply because a device can turn on doesn’t mean it can go online, get a signal, and so on.

Used products in many states do have an implied warranty, by law. A device has to be able to do what it was designed to do, even if sold used. A phone has to make calls (phones still do that, so I’m told). A laptop must boot up and connect to the internet. A webcam had better make you look good in that Zoom meeting.

Your best bet is to ask the seller directly whether a warranty or guarantee is in place. It’s more likely if the device was refurbed by the original manufacturer. Without a warranty, the price discount may not be worth the risk.

Also, confirm the length of the warranty. Six months for a device that originally had one year’s protection is risky.

5. What Does ‘Like New’ Mean?

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There are no rules on how to grade a refurbished product, beyond the fact that the seller can’t say it’s brand-new. It can, however, say it’s “like new.”

That might mean the item was never used. It could also mean that the product was refurbished to that state after a hard life. Maybe a scratched or cracked screen was replaced, for example. It’s worth knowing exactly what “like new” means, if you can find out.

After “like new,” the options are all “used” in some form, from “gently” on down. You’ll find variations on those listings from site to site and from vendor to vendor.

6. What’s the Return Policy?

It takes a while to notice problems in some products. You want at least a month’s window for returns (not much to ask for, when companies selling giant mattresses give you 100 days). That should go for refurbished products as well. If you can’t get at least two weeks to futz with a product with the option to return it at no cost, don’t bother. Many will say “sale final,” and you don’t want that (unless the savings are truly astronomical).

Buying refurbished goods is exactly the kind of transaction in which you should read the fine print. When you receive the product, do a thorough inspection the minute you open it. You might want to take advantage of that return policy right away.

7. What Should I Not Buy Refurbished?

That’s ultimately up to you, but we recommend avoiding the following:

• Items that touch your skin a lot (headphones and earbuds)

• Mechanical items (keyboards)

• Hard drives or solid-state drives (They can’t really be reset to factory settings.)

• TVs (It’s hard to tell how old and used a TV might be.)

Some of those purchases might be OK if you trust the company behind the renewal of the product. Conversely, you should only buy refurbished products from select companies because their products are too expensive when new (cough, Apple, cough).

8. Does My Credit Card Offer Protection?

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Probably. Many credit cards extend warranty coverage, assuming a warranty came with the product. This includes refurbs—in most cases. Wallethub says 87% of all cards cover refurbished products with pre-existing warranties (up from 66% in 2017), while 42% will extend a separately purchased warranty (down from 47%).

Extended warranties are a perk on many cards, but not all. You need to use that card to make the purchase. Look for it on cards from Citi, Chase, Capital One, American Express, and quite a few others. (Discover and Wells Fargo do not offer it.) Even several no-fee cards offer it.

Before you buy a refurbished product—especially something high-end such as a smartphone or laptop—call your credit card company to be sure it has your back. When you make a purchase, keep the receipt and a copy of the original or refurbished warranty. You may need repair estimates to fix a device in order to file a claim.

9. Are Refurbished Products Always Cheaper?

No. Do some price comparison. When you find a cheap refurbished item, go to another refurb site and see if the same or similar model is available for even less. That said, don’t let price dictate everything. Sometimes you might trust a site or vendor enough to make the extra money spent worthwhile.

10. Which Companies Do Refurbs?

Vendors

Here’s a quick list of tech vendors that offer some of the best refurbished-product programs. If your favorite vendor isn’t on this list, Google its name along with “refurbished,” and you’re likely to find the (fixed) goods.

Retailers and Carriers

Retailer stores and mobile carriers are also in the refurbishing business; many rebuild products to resell them. These sites are a good place to find an open-box returned item, as well.

Refurbishing Specialists

Then there are the refurb-specific sellers, places that do nothing but sell renewed goods at a price that you can both agree to. Usually, they even include a warranty.

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