Refurbishment (electronics)


Refurbishment is the distribution of products, usually electronics and electricals, that have been previously returned to a manufacturer or vendor for various reasons, like not sold in the market or new launch of a product. Refurbished products are normally tested for functionality and defects before they are sold to the public. They are repaired by the original manufacturer and resold.

Description

The main difference between "refurbished" and "used" products is that refurbished products have been tested and verified to function properly, and are thus free of defects, while "used" products may or may not be defective. Refurbished products may be unused customer returns that are essentially "new" items, or they may be defective products that were returned under warranty, and resold by the manufacturer after repairing the defects and ensuring proper function.
Other types of products that may be sold as "refurbished" include:
However, the following types of products are considered recycled, not refurbished:

Various types

Different companies and industries may have different types of "refurbished" products. Since the electronics industry doesn't have a firm, widely accepted definition of "refurbished", its exact meaning may vary from one product to the next, or one company to the next. In various cases "refurbished" may be synonymous with "reconditioned", "refreshed", "repaired", "recertified", or "like new". Note: The term "remanufacture", however, is a distinct term used for products that are returned to the identical-to-new condition in industrial closed-loop processes, and which often possess the same warranties and guarantees as a new product.
In the refurbished mobile phone sector, it is very likely that the mobile phones have been used on a daily basis by the original user. It's very common for them to then sell their current phone when looking for upgrades. This is when refurbished phone sellers would receive them through various methods and use modern-day software to check that all hardware & software on the phone is working as intended.