What do Certified Refurbished Phones Mean?

The idea of buying refurbished cell phones can either excite you with the possibilities of value or turn you off with visions of old or outdated equipment on its last legs. The later, in many cases, is a misconception because refurbished phones can be the latest models that may have been barely used, or used much less extensively. “Refurbish” means to renovate and redecorate. To clear the concept about what certified refurbished phones mean we will try to cover up pretty much everything about this topic.

When Refurbishing is Needed?

If anything is faulty and completely not working.
When something is completely outdated and requires to be renewed.
When the phone is used for a short period on a trial basis or for some other purposes

To make you clearly understand the concept we will discuss these facts below in detail. Many returns their phones during the warranty period. Some of those phones are returned after service. Some might even get a new phone as a replacement.

Why such Problems Arise that need Refurbishing?

Sometimes during the manufacturing process, some problems could arise. Maybe the phone is not performing as it should be. Or maybe some of the functions are acting weird. Faults arise for many reasons including below –

No proper attention at the time of mass production
Loose parts and connections.
Improper handling during transportation of goods from one place to another which leads to breakage of parts.
Synchronization between the parts not proper
Maybe the QC checking was not up to the mark

These are the most probable reasons due to which the functionality of a device gets affected. And users return their phone with a complaint. Big deal for those who just paid their hard-earned money for a faulty good, but these goods can be easily replaced by the company and customer usually gets replacement within a week with a similar warranty.

What Happens to Faulty Phones?

These goods undergo a simultaneous process so that specific fault can be detected and using suitable tools the fault is rectified properly with all caution. This prolongs the life of the device. But It is not guaranteed that all the faults will be ok from now. But at least now it is a faultless phone ( refurbished phones ) with all problems rectified. And equivalent to a new phone produced out of a production plant. Even a new phone is prone to various kinds of faults depending on how the user handles and takes care of it.

Who does the Refurbishing?

Talking about refurbishment activity, these activities are not carried out at any local repair centers, it is either done by the professional repairers to whom the brand (company, OEM’s) sell these faulty goods OR in few cases by the brand(company, OEM’s) itself if they have such facilities available within the country (varies from brand to brand).

Warranty for Refurbished Phones

Surprisingly “warranty” will still be there depending on who carried out the refurbishment process. Either the brand or the professional repairers. In most cases of manufacturer refurbishment, the phone is thoroughly tested for defects, the defects fixed, maybe even the cosmetic parts such as front and rear panels replaced, it is reboxed and sold as refurbished.

Seller refurbished phones are sometimes unreliable but you can’t go wrong with a manufacturer refurbished phone. In almost all manufacturer certified refurbished phones mean, you will be offered a three to six-month warranty, with some offering warranty extensions for a fee.

Tests carried out by the seller typically include whether the battery charges and checking the buttons and cameras work. The seller will also verify audio quality and screen responsiveness, as well as how the phone connects to Wi-Fi and 3G/4G. Some refurbished phone sellers update the handset to the latest version of the operating system that powers it.

Not all Refurbished Phones are the Repaired Ones

Not all refurbished phone means they were at one stage faulty, though. Some networks and retailers classify ‘refurbished phones’ as handsets that were returned by customers who changed their minds within the 30-day cooling-off period after they signed up for a contract. Before being put on sale, all refurbished phones have been thoroughly checked and tested to ensure they’re in full working order. Certified refurbished phones mean they are authorized by the manufacturer and guaranteed for quality.

But be cautious sometimes people may trick you to buy a refurbished phone calling it to be a new one OR sometimes they don’t mention that the product is a refurbished one which is unethical. It is mandatory to label the good as “refurbished” if it undergoes such processes.

Grading of Refurbished Phones

All refurbished phones are given a grade that reflects their condition. There’s no universally applied standard for grading, so it’s best to check before buying.

But as a rule of thumb, the grades range from A-D and break down like this:

Grade A. This is as nearly new gets. At best, it’ll be a phone returned within the 30-day cooling-off period, so it is to all intents and purposes still a brand new phone. At worst, it’ll show negligible signs of wear.
Grade B. Expect the odd chip or scratch, but nothing too unsightly.
Grade C. Refurbished phones graded ‘C’ will have perhaps up to five blemishes and will look like they’ve been used.
Grade D. A grade D refurbished phone will be broken in some way, will look second-hand and will have been well used.

Most networks will only sell grades A-C. You can get grade D phones from some refurbished phone traders on eBay, but even they’ll typically recommend you only buy one if you’re able to repair phones yourself.

To complicate things further, some networks use their own grading system. O2, for instance, favors the grades ‘Perfect’, ‘Almost Perfect’ and ‘Perfectly Fine’. But where networks do use their own system, you can usually find key explaining grades on their site.

Sounds interesting? If you plan to buy a refurbished phone you must check Refurbished Phone a Good Choice or a Dire Mistake? – before proceeding for purchase.