Newegg Refurbished Review (10 Things To Know)

 

If you’re in the market for electronics, you must have come across the Newegg website.

It’s a marketplace that allows you to buy various products, from electronics to home and kitchen tools.

One of the greatest features of this website is that it offers refurbished products, mainly computers and electronics made by mainstream manufacturers.

Is it safe to buy refurbished products from Newegg?

Here are 10 things to know.

 

Newegg Refurbished Review (10 Things To Know)

 

1. Know What Refurbished Means

 

Different vendors and websites may have different definitions of refurbished items.

You may think that refurbished items are those returned to the factory or vendor for a defect.

That’s not always the case, and refurbished doesn’t necessarily mean defective.

Similarly, refurbished doesn’t mean second-hand or used because those terms mean a purchaser bought an item, used it, and sold it again.

Refurbished means a customer purchased an item and returned it without using it.

The refurbished items sold on Newegg were returned to the manufacturer for different reasons, only one of which is the presence of a defect.

Others include:

• The factory seal was broken, but the customer never used the item.
• The box arrived damaged due to bad shipping and handling, so the customer returned it.
• The vendor or manufacturer used the item in field tests or sales displays, so it was never used by a customer.

No matter what the cause of return was, you won’t get the items in the same condition as it was returned to the manufacturer.

All items go to the factory, get tested, and are restored to their original manufacturer standards.

This way, they ensure the products are of the same quality as new ones.

You may also come across items labeled as “recertified,” which means pretty much the same as refurbished.

It usually involves giving a product a new certificate after it goes through a rigorous testing and quality control process, which is the same in refurbishing.

There’s another similar category, Open Box, which means the previous customer opened it but didn’t use it.

However, you don’t need to worry about it because it has a separate category on the Newegg website.

 

2. Who Refurbished The Item?

 

Although most items on Newegg have been refurbished by the manufacturers, you may find some products refurbed by third parties.

It’s better to look for items refurbed by the manufacturer because they perform robust testing on all of their products.

In addition, third-party refurbishers don’t have access to the original manufacturer’s tools, processes, and standards, leading to lower quality.

The only reason you may go for third-party resellers is to get a lower price.

As long as it’s a reputable seller with high ratings, you may be able to trust them and get their refurbished product.

If you buy the product from a third-party seller, research their business and see if they have a website.

Read the reviews carefully and see what other customers have complained about.

Finally, it’s better to purchase from sellers inside the US, as they’re more likely to send you your item than an obscure company overseas.

 

3. Item Grades

 

When you see an item listed on Newegg, you’ll notice that in addition to the general conditions of the product, there’s a letter showing the grade of the product.

For example, you’ll see Grade A, B, and C.

Sometimes, the only information you can find is the listed grade, which can help you find out the general conditions of the item.

In addition, the position of the item grade in the listing isn’t the same for all items.

Some sellers include the letter in the title, while others may put it in the description.

Grade A means the refurbished item is almost new with no or little signs of physical damage or wear.

Most of the items with grade A were never used by the customer, and one of two things happened.

The customer returned it without opening the box because it was incompatible with their components, so they never used it.

Otherwise, the item was used as a display item in a retail setting, so it didn’t endure much wear.

As a result, grade A items mostly have no missing accompanying items, such as chargers or user manuals.

Grade B items may have obvious signs of usage and wear.

You may see dents, chips, cracks, or scuffs on the product.

However, these flaws are only aesthetic, and the product works flawlessly.

Grade A and B items both work similarly, and the only difference is that Grade B items are a little older and have more obvious signs of physical wear.

They may also vary in the warranty length, with grade A products having longer warranties.

Grade C products have more obvious signs of wear than Grade B items, with deeper dents and scratches or shiny keyboards.

You may see minor cracks on the product’s screen or shiny keyboards and refurbished power cables and adaptors.

As you see, all of these graded items should work flawlessly and according to the manufacturer’s standards.

The only difference is that they don’t look as new as each other, each with varying degrees of physical wear.

 

4. 90-Day To One-Year Warranty

 

A common misconception about refurb products is that they don’t come with warranties since they’re not brand new.

However, that’s not the case with Newegg products (and many other websites selling refurbished products).

That’s because the manufacturer warrants the products, not the website.

Their products come with three-month to one-year warranties offered by the factory depending on the product.

The factory guarantees they’re as good as new products and you can expect the same performance.

If a product doesn’t come with a factory warranty, you may think twice before purchasing it.

It may show that the factory doesn’t think the refurbished product would work as well as a new one.

As mentioned, the warranties are offered by manufacturers.

Vendors can also offer warranties, which are outside the Newegg return policy.

 

5. Standard Return Policy

 

The return policy for Newegg’s refurbished items is the same as the standard return policy applied for all items sold on the website.

Whether you’ve bought the refurbished item from Newegg or a marketplace seller, you can return the item by sending a request within 30 days of issuing the invoice.

Some items have a 45-day return window if Newegg states, “This item is covered by Newegg’s 45/1 Return policy.”

In these cases, you can expect to get a replacement within one year of issuing the invoice.

You should look for the return policies stated for each product and pay particular attention to the replacement policy.

Since the items are refurbished, most vendors don’t have a replacement for the product, and you’ll get a refund if you return the item.

You could also see a statement under the product description saying, “This item is covered by Newegg’s Manufacturer Only Return Policy.”

You can’t return the item to Newegg in such cases, and you need to contact the manufacturer.

However, there have been complaints about how the company handles returns and refunds, and some customers state that they were dissatisfied with the customer service and warranty.

For example, a YouTube channel released a video on the platform explaining what had happened to them during their purchase and how poorly Newegg had handled their complaints.

The company issued an apology and promised to put better policies in place.

 

6. Refurbished Product Types

 

If you look at Newegg’s website, you can see a wide range of products offered by Newegg and its marketplace vendors.

Here are some of the products offered by Newegg’s main marketplace:

• Automotive & Powersports
• Software & Services
• Toys & Drone
• Gaming
• Electronics
• Health & Sports
• Flowers & Gifts
• Office Solutions
• Apparel & Accessories
• And many more

As you see, this website offers pretty much everything you can think of on its marketplace, although it started as a computer hardware and electronics retailer.

However, the refurbished section only covers a small set of items, including laptops, PCs, and other electronics.

You can search the website for your intended product and choose from conditions listed as New, Refurbished, Used, and Open Box.

Some reputable manufacturers sell refurbished products, including HP, Dell, Lenovo, Apple, Asus, and Skytech.

 

7. No Accessories

 

It’s perhaps one of the biggest downsides of buying refurbished products.

As is the case with most refurbished products, the refurbed items on Newegg don’t come with many of the accessories they would if they were new.

That’s because people who return products may not return the accessories.

For example, you wouldn’t expect a person returning a smartphone to return the earphones, too.

If you get a desktop computer, you won’t get a monitor or accompanying software, so you’ll probably need to buy them separately or download the software on the internet.

However, if a specific piece of accessories is essential to you and you can’t get it on the market, verify it before purchasing.

Otherwise, your product may be useless.

If you need to buy many accessories, you should consider the final cost and see if it’s worth the extra cost or whether you should buy the new product with all accessories included.

 

8. Prices

 

One of the most important reasons you head to Newegg and buy a refurbished product is the lower prices.

After all, it shouldn’t cost the same as a new item.

The customers are particularly satisfied with the great prices offered for these products that are almost as good as new.

You can always find an item with the same quality as a new one at $30–40 lower than the original price.

This way, you can save a lot of money, especially if you buy many electronic items.

However, that’s not always the case.

It’s better to shop around, look for different vendors, and compare prices.

Make sure to review their return policies and warranties before making the purchase.

In addition, you may want to shop around on other online platforms and see if you can find a better deal at a lower price and a longer warranty.

You should also compare the refurbished item and the new product’s prices and see how much they differ.

If the price difference isn’t that big, you’re logically better off buying the new product.

 

9. Refurbished Computers

 

Purchasing a refurbished PC may be more challenging than other electronics because you need to ensure different components are working properly.

In addition, if it’s used, there are security concerns for the previous and the new customers because they want to be assured that their data is secure.

Look for those with a MAR label to ensure you’re getting a reliable refurbed PC.

Microsoft Authorized Refurbished (MAR) is a title that Microsoft gives refurbishers to guarantee the product is legitimate and fully operational.

It has strict guidelines regarding prepping the PC before selling it to customers as a refurbed product.

For example, they have to clear the data and install a valid Windows OS on the PC.

When the PC arrives, you can see a Microsoft COA (Certificate of Authenticity) label that shows the product is genuine.

The label also includes the refurbisher’s name to guarantee that you’ll get a fully licensed product.

 

10. Shipping

 

When it comes to shipping, you may want to search your options and choose the best one that suits you.

Newegg offers a wide range of shipping options, which can be confusing.

For example, their Domestic Shipping Policy only applies to the items labeled as “Sold and Shipped by Newegg.”

If the product doesn’t have this label, it will be shipped by the marketplace seller, so you should check the seller’s shipping policies on their website.

They don’t have same-day deliveries, while they offer two-day, three-day, and next-day shipping.

Since they work with different carriers, you may get different quality of service depending on your location.

They offer different shipping methods, including Newegg Ground, Super Eggsaver, APO/FPO/DPO Shipping, and Will Call.

Some shipping methods are only available for specific countries.

For example, Newegg Economy is only available for customers in Puerto Rico.

You’ll see the delivery costs when you finalize your order on your invoice.

For some deliveries, you’ll need to provide an adult signature and some deliveries, namely the White Glove delivery, involve opening the package by the delivery person.

Make sure to read all of the terms and conditions on Newegg’s shipping page to see how long your item takes to arrive and what you should expect.

 

Buying Refurbished Electronics: Pros And Cons

 

Refurbished products are popular among tech enthusiasts because they offer many advantages over new items.

Most importantly, they’re different from used products but cost much less than new products.

If you want to save costs, it’s a great option for you, allowing you to save up to 50% in some cases.

Another advantage is that you get to use the proven products used by other customers.

It’s a big advantage over a brand-new product that nobody knows how it will work.

You can read other users’ reviews about the product and buy an almost new item with the functions of a new product.

And finally, by using refurbished items, you’ll help the environment by reducing e-waste.

It’s a great way of putting unused products into use instead of dumping them into the environment.

On the other hand, refurbished electronics come with specific disadvantages that may make them not worth it.

One of the biggest disadvantages is that these products don’t have a big enough inventory to allow you to buy whatever you need.

If a company wants to buy computers for their business, they may not find the same model for the entire company.

In addition, if the product is faulty and you need a replacement, you may not find it due to the limited inventory.

Additionally, although refurbished products come with manufacturer warranties, they’re shorter than new products’ warranties, which can also show the manufacturer doesn’t think their products will last as much.

Finally, you may not have that peace of mind you would have when buying a new product.

It’s true that most of the refurbished products weren’t even used by the customers and were returned for other reasons.

However, you don’t know why the product was returned to the manufacturer and if it still has the issue.

Finally, it’s up to you to decide whether it’s the best choice for you after doing your homework, comparing prices and products, and reading customer reviews.