Everything You Need to Know About Refurbished Electronics

Updated Sep. 12, 2023: These days it seems there’s an endless supply of exciting electronic devices from which to choose. But the cost of new can be prohibitive. Enter refurbished electronics.

Since most customers want to save money on electronics, as a retailer, it’s smart for you to investigate options. One is to provide them with products that have been used, refurbished, or at least opened in exchange for a significant discount.

Many consumers balk at the idea of refurbished, equating it with used. Should they be skeptical? Should you?

What Does Refurbished Mean?

Oftentimes, the word refurbished carries a stigma. But it’s simply a blanket term that covers a lot of potential circumstances on how it ended up with that moniker. A refurbished unit is one that is returned to the manufacturer or seller. They can no longer sell the unit as new, so they fix whatever was wrong (which isn’t always a defect) and sell it as refurbished.

But why was it returned initially? There are a few possible reasons.

• The item had a major or minor defect
• The item had cosmetic damage
• The package was damaged during shipping
• The initial buyer changed his or her mind
• It was a demo/floor model unit
• The item was unused but came with an open box

If a product is flagged as refurbished, reconditioned, or certified pre-owned, it has gone through an extensive process to restore it to greatness. This is very different than something marked as used, which has had no authorized vetting at all.

Here are some examples of the process in which a genuinely refurbished item by the manufacturer or authorized third-party company has gone through:

• The manufacturer will fully test the product and make any necessary repairs
• Software will be reset to factory settings
• It undergoes a complete data wipe, removing any personal information from a previous user or removing any unnecessary software or other information that had been added to the original product
• The item will be repackaged

The Benefits of Offering Refurbished Products to Your Customers

There are a variety of benefits to offering refurbished electronics, including:

• They can be significantly cheaper than their new counterparts
• Customers are often getting a “better” product, as these items have often undergone stricter testing than devices right off the production line
• Customers could be getting a device that has been returned unused. Because of that, it can’t be resold as new. But for all intents and purposes, it’s new
• Customers have better access to replacement parts because the equipment has been in circulation longer; it reduces the likelihood of waiting on a special-order replacement part
• Purchasing refurbished products makes a positive environmental impact and leaves a smaller carbon footprint

Plus, the bigger the brand, the better your chances are of getting a properly tested device with a decent warranty.

Petra has Refurbished Items!

Where can you get refurbished items to offer to your customers? Petra has you covered! From kitchen appliances to streaming players and cell signal booster kits, we have an array of refurbished items for your inventory.

Right now, for those who want a bird’s eye view of the world there’s Vivitar’s Refurbished VTI Phoenix Quadcopter Video Drone. Equipped with a camera, flying high is easy and since it’s refurbished it’s like new. If you’d rather stay on the ground for your travels there’s Hover-1’s refurbished Hoverboards and Scooters.

For great sound there’s Altec Landing’s refurbished speakers with Bluetooth® capability and stylish designs.

There are even more refurbished products available so take a look to see what fits your customers’ needs.

Get ’em While They Last!

Refurbished products fly off retail shelves. The same holds true at our warehouse. As a result, our refurbished electronics inventory is constantly changing. Plus, even the manufacturers themselves that offer us refurbished products change over time. So be sure to browse our collection frequently to scoop up these great bargains.

To see the whole line of products Petra offers, both refurbished and new, visit order.petra.com!