A refurbished product is one that is being resold after having been returned to the manufacturer. In some cases, the product has not been previously owned by another customer—retailers sometimes return products due to inventory overstocks, damaged packaging or cosmetic blemishes. No matter why it was returned, the product is inspected thoroughly, repaired if necessary, and repackaged. After it has been restored to “like-new” condition, it can be discounted and resold as a refurbished item.

Not necessarily. Not all returned items are sent back to the manufacturer because of flaws or technical defects—products can also be returned due to damaged packaging, cosmetic blemishes, inventory overstocks, or because a customer just changed their mind about the purchase. No matter why it was returned, each refurbished item is inspected, tested and repackaged, so you can be sure that any flaws or defects have been addressed.

Yes, but the warranty for the refurbished item may differ from the original warranty, so be sure to check the product details for specific information about the product you’re considering.

Also, keep in mind that some returned items are refurbished by the original manufacturer, while others are sent to a third-party remanufacturer for examination and refurbishment. If an item was refurbished by a third-party remanufacturer, the warranty will be held by the remanufacturer, and not by the original manufacturer of the product.