There is an ever growing demand for used technology, but how do you accurately describe it?
Used, refurbished, and remanufactured are all words that describe products like printers, mobile phones, tablets, and printer consumables that are put back on the market. Either by the product manufacturer or by third party companies.
Refurbished can mean many things; the problem is that there is no legal definition of refurbished goods. The term can cover any number of situations, such as:
- A brand new and unused item that a consumer has returned.
- A used item that has been repaired or reconditioned / remanufactured by the manufacturer or a third party.
- A demonstration unit.
- Or a new item that was returned with damaged packaging.
What you can’t do is sell a refurbished product as new, even if the product was never used. It is fraud to do so in just about every legal jurisdiction—like selling remanufactured cartridges as new or a new build cartridge as remanufactured.
The good news is that these items can lawfully be sold as “refurbished” for a fraction of the cost of a new item.
eBay is a major platform for sales, and many technology refurbishers access the 140 million eBay consumers. As the sale of refurbished technology grows, eBay is endeavouring to bring some order to the potential chaos of “refurbished” products by introducing an element of quality control into the market.
There is an extensive list of product categories in the eBay refurbished programme, including printers, scanners & supplies. All sellers must provide a one year seller guarantee, free delivery and a 30 day free returns policy, and the item should be 100% fully functional. Though a check of the UK eBay site today had no refurbished printers listed.
eBay has also introduced four refurbished categories to help guide consumers in making a choice:
- Certified – Refurbished: Like new pristine condition from the manufacturer or authorised reseller.
- Excellent – Refurbished: Like new condition from a quality vetted seller.
- Very Good – Refurbished: Shows minimal wear from a quality vetted seller.
- Good – Refurbished: Shows moderate wear from a quality vetted seller.
The categories directly impact the sale price of the refurbished product, and sellers must apply to sell refurbished products. The application process for prospective refurbished programme members includes signing a one page eBay mutual non-disclosure agreement. This is binding, even if your application is unsuccessful.
And if you are unsuccessful, you can only list your refurbished products as “Used”, which may in certain categories carry a stigma that refurbished would not.
Our take on this: The right to repair is and will become a major part of the product eco-system as the European introduces ICT legislation, probably before the end of 2025. Reuse and refurbishment delivers affordable technology and keeps technology out of waste streams.
But clarity of the market and proper definitions of what terms such as used, refurbished, and remanufactured mean can only benefit the electronics recycling sector and give consumers the confidence to buy refurbished.
