Refurbished, ex-display, open-box, renewed — what each actually means
These words are not interchangeable, and the difference between them is often several hundred pounds and a warranty.
The labels, from safest to riskiest
| Label | What it usually means | Warranty |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer refurbished (“certified refurbished”) | Returned to the maker, tested and repaired by them, repackaged. The closest thing to new. | Often 1–2 years, from the maker |
| Retailer refurbished | Checked and resold by the shop rather than the maker. Standards vary by shop. | Usually 12 months, from the shop |
| Open box | Bought, opened, returned unused. Function should be as new; the box will not be. | Usually full |
| Ex-display | Sat in a shop being handled and switched on, sometimes for months. Cosmetically used, and screens may have hours on them. | Often full, but check |
| Renewed / graded (marketplace) | Refurbished by a third party you have not heard of. Quality ranges from excellent to poor. | Varies wildly — read it |
| Used / pre-owned | Someone else's. No promises unless the seller makes them. | Usually none |
What actually matters
- Who is standing behind it. “Refurbished” on its own means nothing. Refurbished by whom, with whose warranty, is the whole question.
- The cosmetic grade. Many sellers grade A/B/C or Excellent/Good/Fair. A grade-C phone works fine and looks scratched. If no grade is given, assume the lower one.
- Battery health, for anything with a battery. Good sellers state a minimum percentage. Silence usually means no minimum.
- What's in the box. Refurbished items frequently come with a generic cable and no accessories.
- Your returns rights are the same. Buying online from a business gives you the same 14-day cancellation rights whether the item is new or refurbished.
The one that catches people out
Ex-display is not nearly-new. A television on a shop floor may have several thousand hours on the panel — a meaningful chunk of its life — and the discount is often only 10–15%. For screens especially, ex-display deserves a bigger discount than open-box, not the same one.
What to check before buying refurbished
- Who refurbished it — manufacturer, retailer, or an unnamed third party.
- The warranty length and who provides it. Twelve months from a named business is the sensible floor.
- The cosmetic grade, and what that grade actually permits. Good sellers describe it; if there is no description, expect the worst grade.
- Battery health on anything portable, stated as a minimum percentage.
- What is included. Assume no original box and a generic cable unless it says otherwise.
- The returns window — and remember your usual online cancellation rights apply here too.
Is the discount big enough?
A rough guide, for the same model at the same specification: manufacturer refurbished should be at least 15–20% below new, open box around 10–15%, ex-display 20% or more given the wear, and anonymous graded stock considerably more than that to be worth the uncertainty. If a refurbished item is only 5% cheaper than new, there is no reason to take on the risk.
What Arbi does about it
Arbi separates new, refurbished and pre-owned into different tabs rather than mixing them into one price list, because a refurbished price undercutting a new one is not a saving — it is a different product. Ex-display items are labelled and are excluded from the “lowest price” badge, so a used item can never win a comparison against new stock by looking cheaper.