By Joe Fino
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

You may have seen offers for “Refurbished” or “Open Box” computers and electronics. But are these quality products and do you really save money buying them?

The answer is yes—if you follow a few guidelines.

What the terms mean
Retailers often have items on the shelves marked “Open Box.” But what are you getting? This usually refers to items that can no longer be sold as new. Once an item has been sent to someone’s home and then returned to the store or sent back to the manufacturer, it can no longer be sold as a new item.

Most of the time Open Box items are just as good as the new ones. Often, people take products home and for whatever reason do not even try the item. Maybe there’s a case of buyer’s remorse, or it’s the wrong shape/ size/color, or their spouse gives them that look—you know the one.

Because stores are prevented from selling these items as new, they sell them at a discount.

In addition to Open Box items, retailers and manufacturers will sometimes sell items as “Refurbished.” In many cases, the Refurbished items are exactly the same as Open Box items. In other cases, Refurbished products are preowned products that undergo a refurbishment process prior to being offered for sale. To know which it is, you have to ask or read the fine print on a manufacturer’s website.

Consider the following before making your final purchase:
1. In many cases Open Box and Refurbished items aren’t used, but the manufacturer can’t sell them as new and they don’t want them sitting on the  shelves marked as used.

2. Occasionally, Refurbished items have a defect and have been returned to the manufacturer to be corrected.

3. Open Box (and often Refurbished) refers to returned items, not resold items. They have been returned within the 30-day return period. They are not  reconditioned.

• Refurbished or Open Box items from a retailer usually means the items were purchased and returned and cannot be sold as new.