Many of us tend to buy brand new products. But, is that even necessary? There are online stores that offer refurbished electronics that are often the same (or a bit lower quality) as the brand new one. However, refurbished products are often much cheaper.
Below, you can find tips on the US stores sorted by name where you can get refurbished electronics (Apple products, smartphones, laptops, headsets, televisions, home appliances, and more). Especially, Apple products like iPhones and MacBooks are in high demand even outside of the US due to significantly lower prices.
Table of Contents
- Amazon Renewed
- Apple Certified Refurbished
- Best Buy Outlet
- Overstock
- Swappa
- Gazelle
- Walmart
- Refurbished Electronics FAQ
- Tips At The End
Amazon Renewed
Amazon has its own “Amazon Renewed” program. The number of goods returned to Amazon is huge. Often, you can buy whole palettes of returned goods from stores like Liquidation.com. However, if you want to save some money and get working products, this is one way to go. There are a lot of product categories that amazon offers: Laptops & Desktops, Tablets, Smartphones, Cameras, Headphones, Smart Home, and much more.
What does renewed mean on Amazon?
Renewed products sold on Amazon were professionally inspected and tested. According to Amazon, this process includes a full diagnostic test, replacement of defective parts, and cleaning process. Some products may have little scratches or dents.
Remember, the box may be generic. The batteries have at least 80% of their initial capacity. Accessories may not be original but are compatible. Any exceptions are mentioned on the product page.
Apple Certified Refurbished
If you are an Apple fanboy, definitely check out their Refurbished section that is available for the US market only. You can get Apple products refurbished by certified repair shops. What does it mean for you? The products are literally just like new ones. Grab your new iPhone, iPad, MacBook, and other popular products with discounts of around 10%.
Best Buy Outlet
Best Buy is one of the giants that sell electronics. They also have the refurbished section on their website where you will find refurbished TVs, phones, PCs, appliances, and much more. Just remember that if you want to order goods from Best Buy to our Planet Express address, Best Buy will cancel the order. They have strict policies when shipping to package forwarding companies. If you insist on buying from them, feel free to place the order through our Shop for me service.
Shipping From The US To Your Country
Some of these online stores may not offer international shipping. We can forward your new refurbished products to almost every corner of the world. Our package forwarding service works in 3 simple steps:
1. You sign up with us and get a free US address.
2. You order the refurbished electronics (or other products from the USA) from the online store and wait for the delivery to your Planet Express address.
3. Once we receive it, you can select the delivery method to your country and we forward the package to your home address.
Feel free to calculate the postage cost using our postage calculator or sign up.
Overstock.com
Overstock is not primarily focused on selling electronics (although it offers this category), but they have a “Refurbished Electronics” category too. And, as a bonus, for orders above $45, you will get free shipping across the US.
Swappa.com
Swappa is one of the best websites for “swapping” used electronics. They have tons of good reviews on Trustpilot and other review websites. It works on a simple principle. There are sellers that sell their devices. Swappa is like a marketplace for them that “controls” the market. They claim there is no “junk” at their website (compared to eBay, for example). They also offer PayPal protection to make your purchase safer.
Gazelle.com
To be honest, we are skeptical about Gazelle.com. They have tons of good reviews on their website, however, their Trustpilot score is not so positive. Be very careful with them. “Why do you include this website on your list?” you may ask. The answer is easy. The website is pretty popular and well known.
Walmart.com
Of course, even Walmart, the biggest retailer in the US, has its own category for certified refurbished electronics. It includes cell phones, desktop computers, laptops, wearable tech, tablets, headphones, and printers.
Refurbished Electronics FAQ
Refurbished products are products, that have been used for some time, returned by the customer to the seller due to some issue, then fixed and sold again.
For better understanding, here is a real-life example. Imagine you have headphones where one speaker doesn’t work. Nobody wants to have headphones like this, right? So you return them, the seller refunds you the money and fixes the issue. Then they offer the headphones again as “refurbished”.
Absolutely! You just have to make sure you buy from reliable sellers that sell certified refurbished products. Some of these products are covered by the warranty so in case the product breaks, you will be covered.
The pre-owned products have been used and returned back (according to the return policy of the seller). This means that these devices were not repaired.
On the other hand, refurbished products were broken or defective and needed to be repaired by a repair shop. Then they are re-sold.
Generally speaking, certified refurbished products are better than pre-owned because you know they went through the repair process. You never know what is the state of pre-owned products.
No, this online store is not legit based on Trustpilot reviews and other complaints. We recommend avoiding them and look for alternative stores that sell refurbished electronics.
Tips At The End
Many of your favorite stores may be selling refurbished products, and you do not even know it. Therefore, we recommend you to look for the magical word “Refurbished” on their websites. For example, Walmart has this category for most types of electronics.
Refurb.me
There is a “price comparator” of Apple’s refurbished products – it’s called Refurb.me. It aggregates prices from different online stores like Apple.com, Gazelle, Back Market, and Mac of All Trades. It is completely free of charge. So if you want to buy a new refurbished MacBook, iPhone, Apple TV, or any other Apple product, Refurb.me is a place to go.
SellCell.com
SellCell is another ‘deals’ aggregator. The difference from Refurb.me is that it aggregates deals not only for Apple products but also for other brands like Samsung, Google, One Plus, etc. It can find smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and more.
