What is refurbished? Definition and explanations
The French refurbished market is growing so fast that the government has decided to support the sector to the tune of €15 million by 2022. While the ecological challenges involved are undeniable, the definition of refurbished can be quite varied. Most companies think of it as refurbishment by a professional, but what are the procedures involved? What are the advantages of refurbished products?
At Codeo, we define refurbishing as an operation aimed at extending the life of an appliance by repairing it and then reusing it. Here’s how it works!
Definition of refurbished: how is it different from second-hand?
Refurbishing is a concept that applies particularly to electronics. Refurbishing is defined as repairing a second-hand product to give it a second life.
So there is a difference between second-hand and refurbished. A second-hand appliance is sold as is. A reconditioned appliance, on the other hand, has undergone a multi-stage refurbishment process. So it performs just as well as a new one. No part is damaged: everything that needed to be repaired or replaced is now functional. In some cases, reconditioning even helps to restore to the original appearance of the new product.
How does the reconditioning procedure work?
A service provider specialised in refurbishing recovers or buys unused or broken-down equipment to restore it to working order. However, this is not a simple repair. The reconditioning procedure follows a number of very specific stages:
● A visual and functional inspection of the equipment. This involves carrying out in-depth tests to ensure that all functions are operational: checking the aesthetics of the screen, the operation of the battery and the start-up of the device, for example.
● Sorting out repairable parts and consumables. Items that cannot be refurbished are recycled
● Deletion of the previous user’s data
● Replacement of defective parts with suitable spares
● Reconfiguration of software according to the type of terminal to be reconditioned: computer, tablet, point-of-sale terminals, etc.
Refurbished equipment is tested and repaired by experts. Refurbished hardware is therefore perfectly reliable. When you buy refurbished computer equipment from Codeo, you also benefit from warranties ranging from three months to several years.
What equipment can be refurbished ?
Depending on the service provider, the range of IT equipment which can be refurbished is extensive. At Codeo, we have wide range of products that can be refurbished as we have expertise and stocks of spare parts for many categories of equipment. We supply refurbished IT for :
● Desktop and laptop computers
● Tablets
● Smartphones
● Barcode terminals & PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants)
● Payment terminals
● Point-of-sale terminals
● Pinters and copiers
● Headsets & telephony
For businesses, one of the advantages of working with a refurbishment expert is that you have access to a wide range of hardware that matches the rest of your IT equipment. There’s no need to change brands or change the habits of your teams. Buying refurbished equipment helps to keep your IT estate identical. And that’s just one of the many advantages of refurbished equipment.
The 3 advantages of buying refurbished equipment
As well as ensuring the consistency of the IT fleet, the use of refurbished equipment also has economic, operational and ecological advantages. In particular, buying refurbished equipment means you can renew or add to your IT fleet without spending as much as you would on new equipment.
It is estimated that buying refurbished second-hand equipment saves between 25% and 75% compared to buying new.
When you look at the definition of refurbished equipment, you quickly realise that another of its advantages is that it frees you from manufacturers’ roadmaps. By buying refurbished equipment, you can upgrade your IT assets without worrying about manufacturers’ production shortfalls. You benefit from high-performance equipment, even when it is no longer covered by the manufacturer’s warranty.
Buying refurbished technology also reduces your company’s carbon footprint. Refurbishing avoids the disposal of old equipment, which conserves natural resources. It’s also a way of preventing the production of new equipment, which itself has a high environmental impact. It is estimated that the use of refurbished products can avoid up to 80% of CO2 emissions.
Refurbished equipment, a solution for reselling used equipment
Going the refurbished route offers many advantages if you are buying new equipment, but also if you are selling used hardware. The definition of refurbished should always give a mention to the procedures for reselling IT equipment.
If you want to get rid of all or part of your old IT equipment, reselling it will save you money. You save on storage costs for equipment that is losing value. What’s more, the proceeds from the resale will help you finance the purchase of a new fleet.
Reselling IT equipment for refurbishing also improves your carbon footprint. Taking back your equipment is part of an environmental approach which helps resources. Even if any of the IT equipment we buy from you has deteriorated too much to be given a second life, we dismantle it for recycling. Of course, this procedure complies with WEEE standards.
Codeo: 17 years of expertise in refurbishing
At Codeo, our refurbishing procedure follows a precise charter called “Test and Clean“. This involves our 50 expert technicians checking that the equipment switches on, repairing or replacing any faulty parts, and cleaning and replacing anything that needs replacing.
This strict approach by our refurbishment team means we can offer warranties on all refurbished equipment, whatever the brand: Epson, IBM, Motorola, Casio, Opticon, Zebra, Ingenico, Sagem, Thales, Verifone, HP, etc.
Codeo stands out for its multi-range, multi-brand expertise, with spare parts and equipment stocked on over 8,000m². This know-how is combined with our IT asset maintenance services to enable companies to manage their assets without spending too much money, while also protecting the planet.
