Until recently, manufacturers, retailers, and consumers, shared the opinion that refurbished products were inferior to new items, but pervasive recycling and re-purposing efforts throughout the globe have shone a new light on the sensibility of extending the lives of products, especially electronics.
These efforts are not only being lauded, but refurbished goods “represent a golden opportunity for businesses,” according to Liquidity Services. Consumers are the biggest beneficiaries of this trend, but brands are being seen in a new light too.
Even defective products are getting the attention of troubleshooters so repairs can be made, products re-warranted, and resold under the universal niche of refurbished.
The current market for refurbished electronics is estimated to be around $10 billion and consumer confidence has grown so significantly, consumers are buying refurbished products in big numbers.
“75% of survey respondents said they were likely to buy refurbished electronics and 94% stated that they have bought refurbished products in the three years prior to the survey,” according to the trend trackers at Liquidity Services, so take advantage of these “born-again” products by searching these 15 resources when you’re ready to make your next tech purchase.
In this article we have visited and researched some of the most popular and trustworthy websites that offer refurbished electronics, so you can have multiple options when looking to buy your next gadget at reduced cost.
Please note that the list below is in no particular order.
Best Buy
There are myriad deals to be had at one of the nation’s most popular electronics big box stores and they include refurbished monitors, iPads, ear buds, virtual reality headsets, accessories and phones for a fraction of their original costs.
Brands are diverse and Best Buy sweetens a purchase with offers of three free months of YouTube Premium, Apple TV+ or other introductory incentives.
You can shop online at their website. A big advantage to buying a Best Buy refurbished item is that there’s likely a store near you that can handle a return if you are dissatisfied.
NewEgg
While not as well-known as the Best Buy brand, NewEgg is awash in refurbished electronics that extend to household products like iRobot vacuums, bread makers, smartwatches, phones, and projectors.
All of these treasures feature brand names that you recognize and trust, so if you’re looking for refurbished products, find plenty to choose from on this website and new inventory is added regularly.
You may be able to complete your transaction using cryptocurrency if this is a regular payment method for you at their website.
Amazon certified refurbished
You know the brand and you’ll recognize the usual range of electronics available on the website, but what Amazon offers in terms of your ability to target exactly the type of refurbished items you seek is the way the website categorizes products.
Click on your choice of categories (e.g., smartwatches, gaming, cameras, tools, lawn and garden) and save time by not having to scroll through items you’ve no interest in at https://www.amazon.com/Certified-Refurbished/b?ie=UTF8&node=12653393011.
Back Market
Back Market is a resource for refurbished electronics that is eager to show off its slogan “The marketplace that fights against planned obsolescence.”
Offering a logical definition of the difference between used and refurbished, Back Market has a diverse inventory of items that go from quirky (e.g., hoverboards) to cell phones, monitors, and tablets, and you’ll also find housewares in the mix if you explore more of the site.
Customer reviews are posted for browsers to read, and the company’s warranty, refund, and exchange policies are easy to understand, offering reassurances you may need to buy items at their site.
Walmart Restored
It stands to reason that Walmart would want a piece of the action since the brand name is synonymous with savings.
Founded on the principle that every piece of electronic equipment deserves a second chance if it’s feasible, Walmart stands behind its promise that all refurbished products “have been professionally inspected and tested to work and look like new by top-rated, performance-managed suppliers.”
If you feel confident about the Walmart brand, you’ll find plenty of choices within myriad electronics categories from which to choose and new items are added frequently.
eBay Refurbished
The folks at eBay invite browsers to search for refurbished electronics on a website designed to inform and enlighten visitors about the merits of refurbished items, offering one- and two-year warranties to cover purchases.
You’ll find all manner of products for sale, including laptops, cell phones, cameras, drones, virtual reality equipment, plus home and garden and fitness items.
eBay’s ranking system defines the quality of items for sale, so if you’re in the market for a specific condition, you can search within certified, excellent, very good, and good categories when you shop.
Apple Certified Refurbished
Consumers for whom no brand but Apple will do can browse website pages for items they seek, and there’s even a clearance center for folks who seek bargains.
Choose from these product categories: Mac, iPad, iPhone, Watch, Apple TV, and Accessories.
“Every Apple Certified Refurbished product completes a rigorous refurbishment process that includes full functional testing, with special savings of up to 15%,” say site experts.
If needed, “genuine Apple replacement parts” are used to rehabilitate items. A 1-year guarantee and 90 days of complimentary technical support come with every purchase.
Gazelle
If like to patronize companies earning high marks from the Better Business Bureau, check this resource out.
This is an epicenter for people who want to sell their iPhones and Android devices, but you will find a small number of other products like iPads and tablets included in the mix.
This e-company, launched in 2007, is modeled closely on the used car market, thus site visitors looking to sell their electronics can receive instant quotes from Gazelle.
Once they’re inspected and certified, they’ll be added to the company inventory. Visit https://www.gazelle.com/our_story to learn more about the company and the merits of refurbished goods.
Dell Refurbished
If it can be refurbished, Dell re-sells it and the list of items seeking second homes include laptops, desktops, servers, monitors, desktop products and accessories.
Not all products featured on the site are refurbished and this isn’t the place to look for phones.
Dell Refurbished sells overstock items, too, so you could find a close-out deal during your site search.
Free shipping, easy returns, a decent warranty plus support and service assistance are all available at https://www.dell.com/en-us/dfh/shop/dell-refurbished/cp/outlet.
Additionally, Dell offers visitors coupons for additional discounts, and if you want to finance your purchase, you can arrange for that on the website, too.
Decluttr
Positioning itself as the website offering “an easy, safe and reliable way to sell,” folks interested in “uncluttering” their lives visit this website and find a relatively easy method of divesting themselves of the item(s).
Sellers aren’t required to write descriptions, take photos, wait for bids to come in or “deal with unreliable buyers who might not even pay,” since Decluttr acts as an intermediary between buyers and sellers.
If you’re looking to get rid of your outdated electronics, visit decluttr, describe the item(s) you want to get rid of, and you should receive an immediate valuation from estimators, at which point you can say yes or no.
You ship the item, and once it sells, the folks at Decluttr send you the proceeds of the sale.
Refurb.io
Because this Canada-based reseller is a Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher, risk is removed while low cost, reliability, and responsive customer service offer reassurances about dealing with an entity outside the U.S.
Locate the product niche you’re seeking by browsing these categories: desktops, all-in-ones, combos, Chromebooks, and monitors.
If you’re brand loyal, select from Apple, Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Samsung products and for bargain hunters, there’s Clearance and Under $300 categories so site visitors don’t have to scroll through items they neither want nor can afford.
There’s lots to like about the integrity of this website so do check it out: https://ca.refurb.io/.
JemJem
This 9-year-old resource offers a nice selection of refurbished electronics, especially if you want an Apple product.
Shoppers can count on the company’s assurance that “No deal, anywhere on Apple refurbished products can beat ours, promise!”
An easy-to-use menu takes you to familiar territory as you browse categories like iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple watches, AirPods and accessories.
Site visitors also find daily deals, flash sale items, wholesale, and open box options.
JemJem positions itself as “the resource technophiles need” if they’re looking for Apple, Lenovo, Acer, Dell, and Samsung products, too.
While buyers receive only a 90-day warranty on sales, they can purchase a longer one (1 or 2 years) from JemJem.
Techforless
This 21-year-old company claims it has 2 million+ satisfied customers plus certifications granted by Microsoft and c/net.
You’ll have to scroll through lots of copy seeking to convince you that no other resource is as comprehensive on the home page or you can skip to the small row of categories atop the landing page giving you access to cameras, computers, laptops, monitors, printers, TVs, servers, drives, storage, and game consoles.
The number of brands this company lists is impressive, but expect to spend time digging to find what you seek since this is not a consumer-friendly website in terms of navigation.
Of course, if you save a bundle, you may not care how long the search is at techforless.
Refurb Me
If you like an easy-to-navigate resource, this is it.
Company owner Simo Elalj says he launched this business at age 15 and he’s devoted the years since then to building a reputation based on his desire to reduce technology waste.
Elalj claims that RefurbMe is currently the largest source of Apple refurbished products in cyberspace because he gets his inventory from the likes of Amazon, Apple and Back Market.
It’s worth browsing this site if you’re looking for a MacBookPro, iPad Pro, iPhone 11, MacBook Air, AirPods and iMacs.
A blog offers helpful tips, and if you rely upon publications like Forbes and the Washington Post newspaper for business credibility, you’ll find their logos on the website, too.
BuySpry
This is yet another easy-to-browse website that’s short on verbiage and long on selling opportunities from its corporate headquarters in Maryland.
BuySpry has close ties to other websites selling refurbished goods–like Amazon, eBay, Black Market, Best Buy, Walmart, NewEgg, Wish, and Google.
Visit the BuySpry site, look for these company logos, and you’ll be taken to that page where you can choose from a wealth of electronics.
In addition to tablets, computers, phones, cameras, game consoles, and accessories, you can shop for items in these categories: home and garden, health and beauty, sporting goods, and crafts.
If you like one-stop shopping, this site could save you time and money by offering you a single starting place for your product search.
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