Can I trust buying refurbished tech online? Understanding tech’s best kept secret!

Refurbished goods are items that have been purchased and returned to the original manufacturer or a third-party expert for professional inspection, diagnosis and repairs. The refurbishment process involves restoring the device and/or its parts to like-new condition, ready for resale. These could be anything from phones, laptops and tablets to headphones, Bluetooth speakers and more. 

It’s way better than dumping used gadgets in landfill, and a great way to pay less for gadgets by your favourite (but sometimes expensive!) technology brand.

Refurbished goods are items that have been purchased and returned to the original manufacturer or a third-party expert for professional inspection, diagnosis and repairs. The refurbishment process involves restoring the device and/or its parts to like-new condition, ready for resale. When we’re talking about refurbished tech, this could be anything including mobile phones, laptops, tablets, headphones, Bluetooth speakers and much more.

It’s way better than dumping used gadgets in landfill, and a great way to pay less for gadgets by your favourite (but sometimes expensive!) technology brand.

Refurbished products are cheaper than their brand new counterparts, but more expensive than ‘used’ models. They offer fantastic value for money, because while they’re functioning in like-new condition, they can’t technically be sold as such – hence the discount!

However, this does mean that you should expect the item to come without its original packaging, associated accessories and original warranty – unless the description says otherwise. There might be minor cosmetic imperfections, and tech support is unlikely to come with a refurb!

Nevertheless – a professionally refurbished item will be functioning as new.

Depending on whether a minor cosmetic fix, replacement parts or full-blown repairs is needed – the returned device is cleaned, repaired and rebuilt before undergoing a rigorous testing process to ensure its functioning like new.

If it fails – back to the refurbisher it goes!

Not all refurbished products will have had something wrong with them. If it’s time for an upgrade, an organisation might sell their used staff laptops to a refurbisher. Once those ‘used’ devices have been examined and repaired, the refurbished laptops get to enjoy a second life.

Repairs required could be major due to something like water damage, but they could also be minor. For example, a device may have once been used as a demonstration model in-store, or the original purchaser simply had a change of mind!

PS: You’re unlikely to know what was wrong with the refurbished product before it was fixed. However, a reputable refurbisher completes all necessary repairs before resale – so the original ‘fault’ won’t matter.

Rest assured – you’re not buying a faulty product, you’re buying a used product that’s been professionally examined and repaired to the standard it was when it was new.

Refurbished products should function like-new. We recommend buying refurbished goods that offer a warranty of more than 30 days – if not longer – for peace of mind.

Not all refurbished products are made equal, so it's best to buy from our top or professional sellers who offer a warranty and Ping or Afterpay as payment methods.

Not only will you have scored yourself a device in like-new condition for an ace price, you’ll be covered by our Buyer Protection and better positioned in case something goes wrong.

For purchases made from a professional seller, the Consumer Guarantees Act will apply to your trade – providing you with even further confidence and protection.

You might notice varying prices when it comes to refurbished products. While you need to do your due diligence on sellers and the quality of their reconditioning efforts, the variance in price will be due to the variance in what was wrong with them and therefore how long it took to repair – as well as the popularity of the particular model.

Either way – look at the value of the item in the wider marketplace and use common sense before making your purchase.

If you’re buying a relatively expensive product like a refurbished iPhone, it’s understandable that you want to know what your warranty options are.

Many refurbished goods will come with a warranty – but the warranty period may differ between sellers. Get clear about what’s covered under warranty, and for how long, by reading the product details. If a warranty is included, it should be clear in the description.

Still unsure? Ask the seller directly!

Check out Green Gadgets for a great range of refurbished Apple and Samsung products. Mobell and Mobile City specialise in smartphones. Sennheiser have some sweet deals on refurbished bluetooth headphones and Tydi offers everything from refurbished smart watches to projectors to vacuum cleaners!

As long as you purchase your goods from a reputable refurbisher, refurbished tech is awesome for you and epic for the environment. Why not explore our trusted sellers and stores today?