Refurbished Items Were Once Defective
When most people hear refurbished, they think used, defective, and risk, which just shouldn’t be the case. However, most individuals fail to realize the true meaning of the term “refurbished” means to be renovated, refreshed, or repaired. This means that yes some refurbished items were defective, but, not all of them. In fact, the majority of devices that are considered refurbished are labeled refurbished for simple reasons ranging from:
- A product was once a demo display at a store or event
- A company has an abundant amount of one specific device in stock at the time of a new variation release
- A product was damaged during shipping and can no longer be considered new
- A product has been returned due to a customer no longer wanting it, better price, wrong description, and can no longer be considered new.
Another important thing to note about refurbished devices is the fact that these devices must meet specific requirements in order to even be considered for refurbishment. As a result, this makes it easier for consumers to spot the difference between used and refurbished. When a device is refurbished, this means that the device has been repaired with brand new parts as compared to used devices that have not been inspected nor repaired by certified technicians.
Buying Refurbished is a Waste of Money
Anyone who doesn’t consider purchasing refurbished before buying or leasing a brand new iPhone simply doesn’t care about their wallet. In an Apple dominant world, the thought of annually upgrading to the most recent $1000 iPhone release just isn’t realistic, especially when more than half of Americans have less than $1,000 in savings. Why should customers have to even risk paying $1000 for a new device when they can save $350 buying the same model only refurbished with a year-long warranty? Yes, the thought of paying $20 to $40/month in order to have the latest iPhone model sounds appealing but just in fact how appealing is it? In many cases, individuals only end up paying more over time as they have to pay into taxes and interest. Even if customers were to buy into an upgrade plan, this would still leave them paying the difference between the device upgrades. Below is a chart that accurately displays the difference in prices when buying out-right and leasing a device under a multi-year plan.
Now ask yourself would you rather have a brand-new version of the latest iPhone or would you rather the most recent model along with an extra $500-600 in your pocket as well. With buying your device outright you are establishing a sense of both phone freedom & financial freedom. No longer will you have to stress over monthly payments and worry about how to make ends meet. In fact, now you will have the ability to resell this device whenever you like without having to worry about being lowballed in the return process. Oh, and did we fail to mention the variety of accessories you could buy with the $500-600 you saved? If you wanted to grab a pair of Airpods Pros you would only need to use half of that. If that’s not for you, how about using that extra money to buy some Apple Care or to get a loved one a refurbished device as well! Next time you think about buying brand new ask yourself, “would I rather spend $650 in one year on a refurbished device or spend $2,200 in two years leasing a new device?”
Refurbished Vendors Can’t Be Trusted
Buying a refurbished iPhone is just like buying a used car, only it’s less stressful and a tenth of the risk! For instance, in 2018 used vehicle sales for 2018 were 40.2 million vehicles, while new vehicle sales were 17.2 million, however, in 2018 Americans rated used car salesmen as one of the three least trustworthy professions. This same pattern correlates to iPhones as the refurbished smartphone market experienced over a 17% growth from 2018 to 2019 alone. The fact of the matter is that refurbished vendors are not less trustworthy, customers generally just refuse to take the risk in order to contact trusted refurbished vendors. There are a ton of refurbished vendors out there, customers just have to do their research in order to find the correct one. Here at plug, customers are backed by the plug Promise which helps not only build trust it helps create a sense of transparency between the customer and the product. Of course, some refurbished vendors lack credentials, but so do a lot of vendors that offer new items as this shouldn’t spoil the image of the entire industry. In most cases, the company’s customers trust the most are also selling refurbished as well. So you ever find yourself looking to buy refurbished here are a few key indicators that indicate vendor credibility:
- Trusted vendors will always back their product with a warranty and return policy!
- Trusted vendors won’t be afraid to hide their reviews, would you be afraid to boast?
- The products are very transparent and offer accurate photos and descriptions.
- Trusted Vendors will have consistency in both quality and inventory.
- Contact information (address, email, phone, etc.) will be easily accessible!
Refurbished Devices Come With Refurbished Accessories
One of the most important aspects of shopping is to know exactly what you are buying before you make a purchase. Chances are that if you have to question what you’re spending your money on then you probably shouldn’t make the purchase. This is the same attitude one should have when it comes to the accessories that come with the product. While some refurbished vendors offer refurbished accessories, as a customer you should only spend your money where it’s appreciated! With that being said, unless the vendor is able to provide you with brand new accessories then you probably should look elsewhere. In many cases, most certified refurbished vendors are required to provide customers with brand new accessories in order to go with their device out of common courtesy of the device already being refurbished. Take our devices for example, whenever you purchase a refurbished iPhone, customers are given an Apple Certified Charger and Adapter, screen protector, and sim card popper as well.
