WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.680 Thanks for watching TechWiki. Click the subscribe button, then enable notifications with the bell icon, so you won't miss any future videos. 00:00:07.340 --> 00:00:09.420 When you hear the word refurbished, 00:00:09.620 --> 00:00:18.120 do you think of a great opportunity to save money, or a collection of secondhand junk that's been dropped, spilled upon, or generally mistreated? 00:00:18.820 --> 00:00:24.920 Also, we always tackle the tough questions around here. Is it even possible to just furbish something? 00:00:25.520 --> 00:00:27.520 Oh, I guess it is. 00:00:27.520 --> 00:00:33.650 Anyway, these refurbished goods are a common sight in pretty much every major gadget store. 00:00:33.650 --> 00:00:35.870 But what exactly does that term mean? 00:00:36.450 --> 00:00:43.010 Well, a good number of these items are returns from regular customers that could be for any number of reasons. 00:00:43.170 --> 00:00:50.370 Maybe it was a smart speaker that creepily cackled at them while they were trying to sleep, or a toaster oven that someone simply had 00:00:50.590 --> 00:00:56.450 second thoughts about because they decided to go on a keto diet. Other refurbs may have been damaged, 00:00:56.450 --> 00:00:57.770 not necessarily by 00:00:57.770 --> 00:01:03.070 consumers, but maybe in shipping when they were originally sent to a retailer or warehouse. 00:01:03.610 --> 00:01:09.250 And finally, what about demo or floor models? Even once they aren't the latest and greatest anymore, 00:01:09.330 --> 00:01:14.470 they are usually fully functional, and many stores decide to flip them for a few bucks. 00:01:14.970 --> 00:01:18.190 The bottom line is that when you buy refurbished, 00:01:18.190 --> 00:01:25.110 you don't know where that product has been. Kind of like a stray dog or a random Tinder date. 00:01:25.450 --> 00:01:27.450 But that doesn't necessarily mean that 00:01:27.450 --> 00:01:30.450 your chances of getting a lemon have to be higher. 00:01:31.090 --> 00:01:39.790 You see, oftentimes, new electronics come right off an assembly line, get packaged up, and are shipped out. 00:01:39.790 --> 00:01:42.050 And in most cases, this is fine. 00:01:42.210 --> 00:01:49.850 But sometimes, that brand new shiny that you just bought might not have had a careful inspection before it was sent to you. 00:01:50.250 --> 00:01:56.730 By contrast, when a unit marked for refurbishment is being prepared for sale by a reputable dealer, 00:01:57.450 --> 00:01:58.630 somebody has to say, 00:01:58.630 --> 00:02:03.270 they have to specifically examine it for functional or aesthetic defects, 00:02:03.890 --> 00:02:05.890 determine if it can be repaired, and 00:02:06.410 --> 00:02:12.210 test it so that they know that it won't generate a costly and time-consuming return. 00:02:12.630 --> 00:02:19.010 And keep in mind that fixing up a product doesn't usually mean that it was actually mangled by the previous owner. 00:02:19.230 --> 00:02:26.130 It is so expensive and complicated to repair modern electronics that anything beyond a 00:02:26.490 --> 00:02:28.610 scratch on the screen that won't 00:02:28.630 --> 00:02:38.010 affect performance, or an easy replacement of a defective component or accessory, is beyond the capabilities of a typical retailer to deal with anyway. 00:02:38.730 --> 00:02:45.010 Of course, that doesn't mean that refurbished products are always going to be pristine. In the case of expensive items, 00:02:45.010 --> 00:02:50.290 it is possible for more advanced reworking of parts or products to be done. 00:02:50.490 --> 00:02:55.990 So you usually see this either if you buy directly from large-scale manufacturers, 00:02:55.990 --> 00:02:58.390 or from a very small shop that 00:02:58.730 --> 00:03:02.110 specializes in repairing items that others have written off. 00:03:02.570 --> 00:03:06.550 Just make sure in either case that you are checking the warranty terms carefully. 00:03:07.050 --> 00:03:12.850 Some manufacturers or stores will warrant refurbished items that they sell for up to a year, 00:03:13.690 --> 00:03:16.650 giving you similar peace of mind to a new item. 00:03:17.210 --> 00:03:23.910 Others though might offer only a month, or even as little as a week, and it is common for there to be no 00:03:24.010 --> 00:03:26.490 recourse beyond that time if something goes wrong. 00:03:27.250 --> 00:03:28.630 So that's where, 00:03:28.630 --> 00:03:33.150 factory-certified refurbished items come in. This term, or something similar, 00:03:33.730 --> 00:03:38.190 usually means that regardless of the warranty being offered, that at least the 00:03:38.530 --> 00:03:44.550 refurbishing process was handled by the company itself, or an authorized third party, 00:03:44.950 --> 00:03:51.750 to meet a certain standard of quality. Dell and Apple, for example, are notable for trying to restore these 00:03:52.450 --> 00:03:56.510 certified products to as close to a like-new state as possible. 00:03:56.890 --> 00:03:58.610 Now of course for certain kinds of 00:03:58.630 --> 00:04:03.510 electronics, like-new isn't really possible once an item has been used. 00:04:03.590 --> 00:04:08.850 So we would recommend avoiding certain things, like hard drives or SSDs, or 00:04:09.230 --> 00:04:16.070 certain types of TVs and monitors that only have a limited lifespan. Those are not worth saving a few bucks over, 00:04:16.670 --> 00:04:18.830 even if you burn the last of your dough on like a 00:04:19.630 --> 00:04:21.740 refurbished car. 00:04:21.740 --> 00:04:27.960 And speaking of cars, are you racing against the clock as a freelancer? It's challenging, but with the growth of the internet, 00:04:27.960 --> 00:04:28.900 there's never been more 00:04:28.900 --> 00:04:34.700 opportunities for the self-employed. 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