Is refurbishing worth it? Save with a 3-year guarantee on used iPhones, Playstations & Co. Refurbished iPads, Playstation 5 & Co. are often as good as new, but much cheaper. TechStage shows where you can find refurbished used goods with a guarantee. 4:00 p.m. tech stage

In German, refurbished means something like renovated, overhauled or remanufactured. It is a special type of used item that is checked by the manufacturer or retailer for functionality, polished up as well as possible and then offered at a reduced price – mostly with a shortened warranty period and without original packaging. Electronic gadgets such as mobile phones, smartwatches or laptops are particularly common. But also household helpers such as vacuum cleaners or kitchen appliances as well as spare parts for cars can be found as refurbished versions. However, there is no generally accepted or legally binding definition of the term refurbished. Every provider understands something different by that. If you are hoping for a bargain with tested second-hand goods, should firstly study the offer carefully and secondly compare the prices – because refurbished items are not always cheaper than new items. We have compared different products and providers and give tips on how to avoid nasty surprises.

For refurbished products, lightly or moderately used goods are usually reconditioned without major damage. Sometimes the equipment is practically new: exchanged or returned purchases, display items that have hardly been used, or completely unused products where the packaging was damaged in transit. However, some shops also sell much older products with a refurbished seal. Depending on the initial situation, the provider has to do more or less work to put the items in the most attractive condition possible. It may be that only the outer packaging needs to be replaced. Or that a few missing accessories are replaced. However, it can also be the case that the workshop exchanges individual parts such as the scratched display of a smartphone or the broken power cord of a hand blender. Some brands such as Apple or Dell undertake these repairs themselves and then offer the repaired goods in separate areas of their online shops. Large retailers such as Amazon or Conrad also have their own departments for such work, often with the blessing and certification of the original manufacturer. However, caution is advised with private sellers on Ebay & Co. who promise refurbished gadgets, because the revision cannot be relied on without the necessary factual qualifications. Large retailers such as Amazon or Conrad also have their own departments for such work, often with the blessing and certification of the original manufacturer. However, caution is advised with private sellers on Ebay & Co. who promise refurbished gadgets, because the revision cannot be relied on without the necessary factual qualifications. Large retailers such as Amazon or Conrad also have their own departments for such work, often with the blessing and certification of the original manufacturer. However, caution is advised with private sellers on Ebay & Co. who promise refurbished gadgets, because the revision cannot be relied on without the necessary factual qualifications.

Refurbished devices are often much cheaper than products fresh from the factory. Example: At Microsoft, the Xbox Series X costs 499.99 euros – or 469.99 euros in the refurbished version including a one-year guarantee. That is a saving of at least 30 euros or 6 percent compared to the new price. You can’t get the game console cheaper anywhere else on the open market. Another advantage is availability: In view of the current supply bottlenecks in consumer electronics and computers, the immediately available refurbished bargains seem even more tempting than usual. Finally, a clear conscience should not be neglected: those who give used items a second chance save valuable resources .

Since many providers interpret the term refurbished differently, you should definitely invest some time to study the description of the refurbishment process, the product, the scope of delivery and the dealer’s terms and conditions.

As far as possible, one should also check after the purchase whether the new acquisition meets the expectations. For example, are there signs of wear that are not mentioned? With a smartphone or tablet, for example, the battery life can be reduced if the device has been used for a long time. That shouldn’t be the case with refurbished goods that are as good as new, but some shops also process much older used devices – and save yourself the need to change the battery. The right of return also applies to refurbished goods when buying online: most retailers allow the purchase to be returned without any problems within 30 days.

Finally, you should compare whether the offer is actually the hoped-for price hit. An example: An HP ProBook 430 G5 with an i5 processor costs from 264 euros at Refurbed . A tempting suggestion, considering the recommendation of 1,229 euros. However, the notebook is already four years old and used devices in good condition can be found on Ebay for less than 200 euros . Is the vendor’s exam guarantee really worth the extra cost?

There are many places where you can buy refurbished products. First of all, manufacturers like Apple and Dell themselves should be mentioned, who have set up separate sections for this in their online shops. Large shipping companies such as Amazon , Cyberport or Conrad as well as trading platforms such as Ebay also offer refurbished items for sale. After all, in recent years a number of companies have specialized in the purchase, repair and subsequent sale of used equipment. These include, for example, Asgoodasnew, Backmarket , Clevertronic , Rebuy or Refurbed.

We looked at 15 market participants for our comparison and show whether a refurbished iPhone 13 Pro is in stock and at what price (as of 08/09/2022). In order to increase the probability of hits, we primarily looked for the version with 128 GB of memory, but alternatively also for the variants with 256, 512 or 1024 GB. Attention: The prices are not directly comparable, even with identical memory equipment, because there are differences in the details of the available color versions and the condition of the devices. As written above: If you buy refurbished goods, you should check the descriptions carefully.

And of course there is no way around checking the prices of new goods. In the following price comparison, the iPhone 13 Pro is available from 1049 euros. The refurbished offers have to compete with this price.