Should You Buy Refurbished Electronics?

Not everyone defines refurbished the same way.

“Seller-refurbished is similar to the Wild West,” says Carlo Salgado, e-commerce administrator at Sims Lifecycle Services. “You have thousands of online sellers offering products they refurbish themselves. Consumers have no way to determine the quality of replaced parts.”

That said, there are ways to protect yourself. Companies that sell refurbished goods often offer warranties and money-back guarantees, for example.

And consumer protection organizations such as ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and R2 (Responsible Recycling) will certify refurbished retailers that demonstrate compliance to industry standards, Salgado says.

Certified resellers will replace defective parts with brand-new ones. Non-certified resellers might replace them with used parts instead. So it’s good to ask questions about parts and accessories before pulling out your credit card. If you’re not careful, you may get stuck with a refurbished iPhone that has a cheap third-party battery or charger.

Sims, for example, is an ISO-certified seller with a 30- to 60-day warranty.

Consider buying straight from the manufacturer, as well. If you purchase a phone directly from Samsung, for example, where they prefer the term "certified re-newed," the company promises on its website that its phones will be “thoroughly inspected and updated to like-new condition.”

Apple restores its refurbished products with the same replacement parts used in the company’s new models. They come in a brand-new box, too. And iOS devices even get a new battery and shell. (Third-party service Refurb Tracker will alert you when the Apple item you’re searching for appears on the refurbished market.)