July 26, 2010
 Consumers often group
"Refurbished" and "Open-box" products in the same category. Actually,
these are two very different animals.
"Refurbished" is typically a product that had been used for a significant period
of time (a few months to a few years) and returned to a retailer or
manufacturer (although as one of our readers pointed out, sometimes refurbished products have not been used or sold before). Return would usually be because of required repair or
because the product has been "rented" and the rental period has
expired. Refurbished goods can also be called reconditioned,
remanufactured, off-lease, pre-owned, etc. When you see a "refurbished"
product for sale, the product has usually been restored to good
condition, and comes with a limited (for electroncis and computers
typically 90 days) warranty. Becasue such products are not new and
typically somewhat dated, you can buy them much cheaper than what they
were selling at originally.
Open-box item are typically goods returned by customers during the 30-
or 45-days return period that retailers often provide. Customer decides
that they don't want it afetr all, or the product does not meet their
expectations. A product could have also been used as a display unit at
a retail location. Open-box products get inspected by the retailer,
found to be in working order, and resold. "Open-boxes" may have dents,
and scratches, or blemishes, or not have the manuals; retailer must let
you know if that's the case. Return are often allowed on the same basis
as for new goods, in addition, open-box items are usually covered by
the manufacturer’s new goods warranty.
Why buy "open-box" products? Unlike refurbished, you get a product that
is pretty much state-of-the-art, is almost new, and usually comes with
a good warranty. Unlike new products, you get them at bargain
prices. If you see an "open-box" product that meets your
requirements, compare it to a similar new one and consider buying it if
the savings are substantial, e.g., at least 20% over the same
item bought new.
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