Refurbished, display unit or used: what you are actually buying
Three different things that regularly get advertised under one word.
“Like new” is not a category, it is a description. There are four categories, and each carries a different price and a different risk.
Brand new, never activated
The box has been opened for inspection at most, and the device has never joined a network. The warranty starts from your purchase. There is no wear here for you to assess.
Display unit
It has stood switched on in a shop. The box and accessories are often missing, and the screen has run a long time at high brightness. The body is usually clean, but the hours on it are not few. The price should sit noticeably below new.
Refurbished
A device that was returned or bought back and put through a service centre: parts outside spec were replaced and the unit was tested. The key question is who refurbished it — the manufacturer, an authorised partner, or an unknown workshop. What went inside depends on that answer.
Used
It has lived with an owner and is sold as it stands. Here the battery condition, the cosmetic grade and the repair history are what matter. The widest price range sits exactly here.
What to ask for each
· Refurbished: who refurbished it, and precisely what was replaced.
· Display unit: how long it stood switched on, and why the box is missing.
· Used: battery percentage, whether the device has been opened, whether there is paperwork.
How to read the price
A gap of a few euros between “refurbished” and “new” is a reason to ask a question, not to celebrate. The real difference is noticeable. When it is not, one of the four categories is usually going by somebody else's name.
How we do it
Every device sits in its listing under its own category with its condition written out. If a device was a display unit or refurbished, that is not hidden behind “like new”.
Have a question about a specific device?
Call us or drop by the showroom — we check the device together.
