Everybody likes the excitement of ripping open a package that has never been opened before; the thrill of handling a brand new, exorbitantly expensive piece of technology that has never been touched by another consumer’s hands — but is it really worth the cost? With refurbished electronics sometimes costing as much as 50% less than their untouched counterparts, why do people not consider them as a viable option?
Refurbished Does Not Always Mean “Broken Then Repaired”
Many people are hesitant to purchase any kind of technology with the word “refurbished” in its title due to the word’s inherent connection with “broken but fixed”. However, this simply isn’t the case with all products. Only 5% of returned electronics are broken or inoperable, so even if your device was one of those few, the label “refurbished” still means that the company has rectified the issue and the item has met factory standards (provided you’re purchasing it from the original company to begin with, which is always a more trustworthy plan as their standards are higher than offsite re-sellers).
Many refurbished items are open box electronics, meaning that someone opened the box and decided they didn’t want it anymore. Companies are REQUIRED to let the public know that it was opened, even if there wasn’t a single thing wrong with it, which is how the word refurbished gets on there in the first place. Electronic stores have to follow this procedure as well, so buying refurbished is almost always safe if the seller is reliable. These “open box” deals are the best kept secret in the consumer electronics industry.
Going Green
The act of buying refurbished is also an act of recycling. It’s like eating someone else’s order at a restaurant after they skip out on their reservation — you benefit from a delicious meal and don’t contribute to the already overwhelming waste problem this world has. Even better, buying a used product from a refurbished electronic store can save you green by giving you a markedly discounted price. Do what’s right for the environment (and your wallet) by buying a refurbished product.
The most important thing to take away from this learning experience is not to assume you know the history of the item you’re buying; the odds are (literally, statistically supported) in your favor for the product being perfectly functional and satisfactory.
