How are Renewed and Refurbished Products Different?

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Your guide to renewed, refurbished, pre-owned, and used products (and what to look for when buying second-hand)

Co-authored by Spike Baron and Devin McSween

Last Updated: August 11, 2024 Fact Checked

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What’s the difference between renewed and refurbished?

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What’s the difference between used, pre-owned, and open-box?

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What to Look for When Buying Second-hand Products

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Which type of second-hand product is the best to buy?

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Expert Interview

You’re deciding between two products that look pretty much the same: one is labeled refurbished and the other is renewed. But…what does that mean exactly? And is one better than the other? If trying to figure out the difference between renewed and refurbished products has you scratching your head, we’ve got you covered! We’ll tell you all about what renewed, refurbished, pre-owned, and used products mean. Then, to help you make a well-informed decision, we’ll also tell you what you should look out for when buying a second-hand product and which type might be the best to buy.

Things You Should Know

Generally, both renewed and refurbished refers to a used product that is repaired and restored to like-new condition.
Pre-owned and used products are not restored before being resold. Open-box products were opened by the buyer but returned before the product was used.
When buying a second-hand product, make sure it has a warranty, a return policy, and is sold by a well-reviewed seller.
Certified renewed or refurbished products are typically the best products to buy because they usually have a greater like-new guarantee.

Section 1 of 4:

What’s the difference between renewed and refurbished?

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Renewed products might be less used than refurbished products. It might come as a surprise that renewed and refurbished mean about the same thing! Both terms usually mean that a product was used and returned to the original seller who repaired and replaced any damaged parts. However, renewed products might be less used and be in a more “like-new” condition.^{[1]
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- Phones are a great example of a renewed or refurbished product. Apple is well known for selling their old phones that they’ve repaired to a like-new status.^{[2]
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- Amazon sells refurbished products on Amazon Renewed. Their refurbished items are inspected and restored to their original state. However, they’re not all in the same condition. Amazon labels products as being in either premium, excellent, good, or acceptable condition.^{[3]
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Renewed and refurbished products can be sold by a retailer or 3rd party. While renewed and refurbished products mean almost the same thing, who sells them can determine their quality. Certified products are restored by the manufacturer, like Apple or Microsoft, and usually have a greater guarantee that they work like-new.^{[4]
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- Lots of 3rd party sellers fix up a used product themselves and sell it on eBay and Craigslist. The products are usually cheaper, but you also might know less about how the seller inspected and fixed up the product.

Section 2 of 4:

What’s the difference between used, pre-owned, and open-box?

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Open-box is an unused product while used and pre-owned have been used. In general, pre-owned is just a nicer way of saying that a product is used.^{[5]
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Research source} Unlike renewed and refurbished products, used and pre-owned items are not restored before being sold.^{[6]
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Research source} On the other hand, open-box products were simply opened by the buyer and returned back to the retailer without ever being used.^{[7]
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- Like with renewed and refurbished products, certified used and pre-owned products sold directly by the retailer or manufacturer have clearer information about how the product looks and works.

Section 3 of 4:

What to Look for When Buying Second-hand Products

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A warranty When you’re looking at a second-hand product, check that the seller offers a warranty, or a guarantee to fix or replace the product if it stops working. This can ease your mind and reduce the risk of buying a potentially faulty product. If you buy something without a warranty, you might be stuck with a product that breaks a week after you buy it!^{[8]
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- Look at how long the warranty is for, too. Certified products from companies like Apple and Samsung often offer warranties for a year, while other warranties might only be for several months. If you’re buying a pricier item, look for a longer warranty.
- Also check what the warranty covers. For example, a phone retailer might replace your battery if it stops working, but not your screen if you crack it.
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A return policy Along with a warranty, look for products that have at least a 1 month return policy. It might take a few weeks of you using your product to notice if there are any problems or defects, so give yourself ample time to check that the product works. If you do find any problems, you’ll be able to trade your product for a different one at no cost to you.^{[9]
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- When you get your product, test it out to see if you’ll need to return it or not. With a phone, check the battery life and camera, look for any cracks and bumps, and see if you can send and receive calls and texts.
- Sellers might list their product as “final sale,” which means that you can’t return it once you buy it. Unless the price is cheap enough that you don’t mind having to buy another one if this one breaks, be wary of these products.
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Included accessories If you’re buying a refurbished phone, you probably want the charging cable to come with it too. So when you’re looking at second-hand products, see if all the necessary components and extras are included with it. If not, you might end up spending extra by buying the accessories you need separately.^{[10]
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- You’re usually more likely to get the extra accessories and components that come with the product when you buy from the retailer or manufacturer.
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Who performed the refurbishment When you’re buying a renewed or refurbished product, check whether the retailer or a 3rd party seller restored the product. There is usually a safer guarantee that the retailer truly restored the product back to a like-new condition, as they have all the parts and technology to properly repair the product. A 3rd party seller might use off-brand parts to fix your product, which can make it cheaper but not work as well.^{[11]
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- When you buy a device like a phone, computer, or tablet from a 3rd party seller, do a factory reset. This erases the previous users’ data from the device and resets it as if it is brand new.
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The seller's reviews Check reviews for the second-hand product, especially if you’re looking on Amazon or a 3rd party website like eBay or Craigslist. Reviews can tell you if customers are satisfied with their product, meaning that it looks and works like the seller advertised. If buyers are unhappy with their purchases, that likely means that the products are badly used or faulty.^{[12]
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- A good rule of thumb is to look for sellers who have at least 200 reviews and a 4.5 star or 90% rating. This shows you that this is most likely a reputable seller whose customers are consistently happy and satisfied with the products they bought.

Section 4 of 4:

Which type of second-hand product is the best to buy?

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Certified renewed or refurbished products are generally the best to buy. Certified products are often your safest bet because they were repaired by the retailer or manufacturer, are trusted to work, and usually come with a product warranty. While they are typically more expensive than renewed and refurbished products sold by a 3rd party, as well as pre-owned and used products, there is less risk that you’re buying a faulty product.^{[13]
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- However, the right product for you really comes down to your needs and budget. Asking the right questions and knowing what to look out for can help you find a great, quality product.
- Phones, tablets, and computers are all great items to buy renewed or refurbished. Companies like Apple and Samsung restore older models to a like-new condition and usually sell them at a great discount.^{[14]
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Skip out on renewed, refurbished, or used printers, TVs, and keyboards. It can be hard to tell how used these products are until you have them. Used hard-drives also aren’t a great idea because it's hard to complete a real factory reset. This means that the old owner’s data might still be on the hard-drive.^{[15]
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- Products that make a lot of contact with your skin, like headphones, might not be the best to buy second-hand either. It’s hard to tell how sanitary these products are, as well as how they work until you buy them.