Used & Refurbished Parts - Things to know

Introduction

Depending on part availability, warranty repairs and other
situations, you may find yourself sometimes with either buying or receiving
refurbished parts, remanufactured parts or perhaps used parts. Their low cost
makes them an attractive option to buyers looking for performance on a budget
without going to a lower tier components.

The goal of this guide is to provide information about purchasing
such items as well as provide some information not typically known when it
comes to these types of parts. Whether you're trying to save some money or any
other reason, buying used and/or refurbished parts can have a lot of advantages
as well as some disadvantages. We'll try to cover those in this guide and
hopefully nullify some myths that may exist out there.

NOTE:

The explanations in this document are generic guidelines and
by no means represent the actual condition of the items. AVADirect holds no
responsibility if you're purchasing used items based on this guide. The purpose
of the guide is only educational and to offer insight on most common options
available on the market today. Make sure to check with manufacturer or vendor
the condition of used and refurbished parts you're buying before you make your
purchase.

The Terminology

Before we look at the advantages and disadvantages of each
type of parts, let's first define these terms before we go any further. For the
purpose of this guide, while the verbiage may vary in other documentations,
we're going to assume the following:

Used part – Any
part that no longer has the original box and accessories and that has been put
to use in a computer build. This excludes any testing or inspection of the
part. This part has already been used for a certain period of time. The part is
tested functioning and is being sold as-is. If any manufacturer warranty is
present, it would only be active from the time the part was originally
purchased. It also refers to a working part that is usually pulled out of a
working configuration.

Refurbished parts
– Usually refurbished parts are those which have already been returned
to manufacturer or a vendor for some particular reason. The reason can be a
defect, it can be a broken piece of hardware or it can simply be a
dissatisfaction with the product and the consumer wanted a refund.

Usually, the parts are repaired, cleaned up and boxed up
again. Parts are fully tested to make sure they work before they're re-sold.
Refurbished parts are officially stamped by the company that performed the
refurbishing. They are usually marketed as a different part # so that they can
be referenced correctly.

Most of the time you would see REFURBISHED stamp on items
such as solid state drives, hard drives and similar components. You would also
notice the PN or Serial number change slightly to indicate the part has been
refurbished.

Remanufacturing – This
system is very similar to refurbishing with a few small differences. For
starts, only original manufacturer can perform the “remanufacturing” of any
part they sell, where as anyone with the proper tools, accessories and
packaging can refurbish an item. Remanufacturing may also include changes in
the build, redesign or other physical properties that may or may not have been
with the original component. Examples of this includes motherboards that were
changed physically to match the new revision already on the market.

The Advantages

Now that we have the basic understanding of the various
types of parts, we'll look at the advantages of all of them as well as
disadvantages later in the article.

Used Parts

Biggest and most obvious advantage of buying used parts is
cost. Parts that have been used are generally priced less. Depending on the
amount of usage, the wear and tear on the part and the warranty status from the
original manufacturer, used parts can be had sometimes for only 10% of the
original value. Of course, those parts with less usage and less wear and tear
will cost more. However, if you like to own high end parts but don't
necessarily want to pay the higher price, getting used components is a great
way to build a fast computer on a budget.

Another advantage of used parts is that they've already been
confirmed to work. They've spent a certain amount of time operating as intended
so you can be sure that when you install them they will likely work just fine.

Most used parts will carry manufacturer warranty for up to 3
years and in some cases, even 5 years. Unless specified otherwise, warranties
are usually tied to the product and not the consumer. This means that not only
you get a used part for fraction of the price, but you also a get a small time
frame to get it replaced through original manufacturer in case there are any
malfunctions.

Refurbished Parts

Similar to used parts, refurbished parts are usually cheaper
than brand new. However, they don't typically drop too low in cost, as opposed
to used parts which can drop down significantly depending on the usage.
Refurbished parts are also confirmed to be working and returned to original
state as much as possible. Popular items that are usually refurbished upon
replacements are hard drives and solid state drives. If you send in your HDD or
SSD for replacement, you will most likely receive a refurbished item back.

Refurbished parts also maintain original warranty, so they
can be replaced again if necessary as long as the issue is within the warranty
period. Refurbished parts are slightly better choice than used as they are
confirmed to be working by the vendor or manufacturer. Used parts aren't
usually confirmed and can be somewhat of a gamble of bought by a third party
via auction websites.

Remanufactured parts

Just like refurbished, these parts have already been tested
and any kind of existing issues repaired. Most manufacturers do not like to see
products come back for repeated replacements, therefore maximum attention is
given to these components to make sure they're in excellent shape before
sending them out. However, because they're not new, these parts also get the
benefit of low-cost options as they often not come with full line of
accessories and documentation.

The Disadvantages

Any of the parts that have been used will have a limited
warranty. Some used parts may have no warranty at all, while some
remanufactured items may extend the warranty upon purchase to 1 additional
year. In most cases, original warranty is stripped and will likely not apply
should repairs be needed. It's important to check the warranty of every
component that you plan on buying to make sure there's still plenty of it in
case you see an early failure.

It's also very difficult if next to impossible to return
these types of items. Most places offer no refund options while some offer very
limited options such as exchange or store credit. When you buy used or
refurbished, you want to do your research homework TWICE, just to be extra sure
the part you're looking for is correct.

It can also be a problem if it is unknown who performed
refurbishing and what all went into it. If you're lucky, the item was simply
returned because it was inadequate to another customer. However, sometimes
items are returned because of major problems that may or may not be fully
repaired.

Lastly, the repairs cannot always be confirmed and the parts
may continue to have original problems they once had. It's important that if
you're going to purchase these kind of items that you get them tested
beforehand, so that you don't end up with a broken item that you cannot return.

Another thing that diminishes is the re-sale value. If you
want to re-sell your already used or refurbished part, it's going to be a lot
harder than if you were the original owner or if the part was brand new.

A lot of times, you're likely to receive the product in a
plain wrap or packaging, without the original accessories or documentation. If
it's a kind of product that relies on the accessories, make sure that they're
included before you buy. If you see designations like box-only, or no-acc or
product only, that would indicate that no accessories come with the product.
While for some this may be OK, for others it may be really difficult to get
accessories. For example, TVs may sometimes be sold without remotes. Unless you
have universal remote or one that will work, you'll have to control the TV
manually until you find a solution.

Conclusion

Making the right decision will ultimately come down to
whether or not you're ready to pay the price of new items. Sometimes you're
better off buying cheaper components that you can afford as opposed to buying
expensive items that are priced down due to being used or refurbished. However,
if you'd rather have better products for cheap, then used parts are a good
option.

If you have any questions or comments about this guide, feel
free to post in this section.