You know it’s supposed to mean more bang for your buck, but for some, the term “refurbished” stirs up more questions than confidence: “Am I buying someone’s used computer with a few new parts thrown in?” “Will the software on my refurbished desktop be applicable?” “Is the Laptop battery working at original backup?”
Fortunately, these and other common questions about refurbished products are easily answered, allowing you to make the smartest buy for your technology needs. In this article, we’ll discuss what refurbished products really are, where they come from, how to buy them, and why refurbished is sometimes the best choice.
What is “refurbished”?
At RSC, a refurbished solution is offered on just about all product lines like notebooks, desktops, Serversetcs. They are products that have been returned to RSC or taken from Corporate for a variety of reasons and then put through a rigorous refurbishment process.
Where do refurbished products come from?
RSC refurbished business products can originate from a variety of sources, including:
- Customer returns and cancelled orders – Fully-functional products that leave the RSC warehouse and therefore can no longer be sold as new.
- Damaged products – Products returned because of cosmetic flaws, packaging shipping damage, or a broken/missing part.
What is RSC’s refurbishment process?
Products that are refurbished by RSC are restored to their original condition and performance. Each unit is fully tested, any broken or defective parts identified in testing are replaced and unit is tested again. Units are then cleaned, re-packaged and assigned to new refurbished part number.
RSC’s engineers will validate the Operating System and firmware, and re-image PCs to the latest factory updates when re-imaging a refurbished system.
The packaging on refurbished products from RSC could be labeled either “Refurbished” or “Certified Reconditioned
Why would anyone buy refurbished electronics?
Before even getting into the details about the different elements of refurbished electronics, it is worth diving into why someone would consider purchasing a refurb unit to begin with. Given the opportunity, with an unlimited budget I have no doubt everyone would prefer to have the latest, brand-new tech as soon as it comes out each and every time.
Chances are though; most people can’t keep up with that sort of lifestyle. Refurbished PCs and electronics are a much more affordable way to get reasonably new-to-market tech, without having to pay full price. Most brand-new releases don’t have refurbished models available for a few months at least, but if you are willing to wait a little while you can save some serious cash and still snag the goods.
When is refurbished better?
If your IT budget is lean, then RSC’s selection of refurbished products offer high-quality, warrantied product at a low cost. For some applications, the latest generation of technology is better suited. In other cases, a remanufactured product may be a better fit. For example:
- Your applications don’t need the latest performance.
- If your company has standardized on a certain platform and “new” production on that platform doesn’t work.
- Refurbished equipment may offer the best price/performance ratio.
- Software testing may be performed just as effectively using refurbished products as with new.
The misunderstood “refurbished” status?
The common misconception about buying refurbished is that you are getting a used product, it is poor quality, it isn’t covered by any warranty, and you basically have a 50/50 chance it will be a dud. Do any of those sound familiar?
A couple of years ago we had the same perception of refurbished electronics, and there wasn’t a ton of information available to the contrary. The thought of buying a refurb product made us feel like someone else had their go at my gear before we did, and we didn’t like it.
So from our experience, here is the truth about the myths that surround refurbished products. When new products come off the line, they are rarely individually tested. They get packaged, go into a box, and sent out to be sold as quickly as possible. Sure, you have QA checks per batch and random sample inspections, but the potential chance for a dud is certainly present with any new electronic device.
When you purchase refurbished electronics, you are getting something that has been brought in-house, diagnosed, fixed, and tested—by our expert team. That extra assurance knowing what you are purchasing has been double-checked by our team to give you extra comfort making a purchase, especially the larger-scale ones.
What should I look for when I buy refurbished?
There are a number of things to keep in mind when you buy refurbished products. Here are a few tips:
- Ask who did the re-work – Be sure your product was refurbished and certified by the RSC team. Brokers or dealers looking to recoup losses may refurbish a product cheaply by not using genuine components, and resell it without an adequate warranty or return policy.
- Buy directly — Buying directly from RSC ensures that your product has been refurbished and tested to meet stringent RSC standards.
- Check the warranty – Does your seller guarantee the quality of its refurbished products? Products refurbished by RSC are certified and covered by a RSC limited warranty.
- Ask about return policies – If for any reason, you are unsatisfied with your refurbished product, check RSC Return policy.
- •Act quickly – RSC refurbished product inventory turns over fast and the most desirable, tried and true workhorses go first. Unlike new products, if you miss out on a product you want, re-stocking or back-ordering is not an option.