It is a classic warning: Caveat Emptor — "Let the buyer beware". In this era of e-commerce and sky-high prices, many users look for a discount, and the category of "refurbished" or "reconditioned" products has gained traction.
In fact, some companies already sell products under that label, but a question hangs in the air: How good is their attention to detail? Steve Porter from the channel TronicsFix often studies refurbished deals closely, and in many cases, the "refurbishment" is virtual…
In general, a reconditioned or "refurbished" product has been declared free of defects and is ready to work. That detail allows the creation of a parallel category to the "used" product, which may be sold for parts or repair.
However, the micro-universe of "refurbished" also includes samples, demos, display units, returns of all kinds, donations, and excess inventory.
Many users have reported buying virtually new products as "refurbished," since they received minimal modifications (say, a replacement of the original box that was damaged), or were returned still with their security seal… but there is a dark side full of products that are nothing like "refurbished."
Wiping down the casing is not enough; inside there may be horrors about to cause a failure. Why?
The economy of refurbished electronics
Steve from the channel TronicsFix has explored refurbished deals from many companies and independent online sellers, and his conclusion is that it is very hard to make money if someone invests their full time in the cleaning and restoration process each product needs.
For example, the PlayStation 4 is a much more complex console than it appears. Besides the general cleaning it requires (if we think about it, even the PS4 Slim is already seven years old), we must also check the condition of the fan, the power supply, the optical drive rollers, and the thermal paste.
On average, TronicsFix needed about an hour to refurbish a PlayStation 4, without including subsequent tests. That is simply too much time focused on one console, and that is why most "refurbished" sellers will try to take every shortcut available.
Of course, it all depends on the user's final opinion about reconditioned products… and on the price. If the number is good enough, I imagine there are people out there ready to travel that "last mile," but the risk of a fake "refurbished" is not zero… which brings us back to the beginning of this article: Caveat Emptor, "Let the buyer beware".
