
What is refurbishment? It is a process of distribution of electronic items which were returned to a vendor or the manufacturer. Remember that the reason behind such returns can be anything from faulty hardware components to a damaged body part or the user not willing to keep the phone.
First things first.No matter how inexpensive the deal is, always check who refurbished the product. In some cases, manufacturers sell refurbished products and refurbishment is done by the manufacturer only. In other cases, vendors who sell in a marketplace also get phones repaired from a third-party supplier. Make sure that you ask about which company has restored the device and make sure you’ve checked that company’s track record.
Warranty. Check the warranty that’s offered on the repaired item. If there’s no warranty available for the product, you should prepare yourself to see the product die soon after its arrival. This is one of the biggest mistakes people make with refurbished phones.
Almost every brand new smartphone and laptop comes with a year-long warranty, but with refurbished products, the warranty can be somewhere between zero to six months. Check if the product you like has at least 3 to 6 months warranty because buying a refurbished smartphone or laptop with one week or 10-day warranty is like inviting trouble.
When to buy & when not to buy. You should look for the existence of the product in the market. Let’s say you are getting a good deal on a laptop and the seller is giving you a warranty of three months. It can be a good deal only if the manufacturer is still making the product and the components are likely to be available in the market for a long time. Don’t buy anything that is out of production, especially electronic items.
Many companies sell refurbished phones and laptops directly as a way to clear their inventory and make some money on the old stuff. Before buying anything, check the seller’s track record and make sure that you’re buying from a reliable company who takes responsibility for sale transactions.