Friday 3 June 2022
In recent years the market for Refurbished IT equipment is evolving and the available Refurbished products are growing by a large number of suppliers. This is an opportunity for businesses and end customers to obtain quality cost-effective products with the same specifications as the new ones.
However, it is important to assess the risk of purchasing a product, which is referred to as Refurbished but has not gone through the certification process that a product must go through to qualify for this designation.
To be sure that you will have a product in the requirements that you must have, we suggest before you choose your supplier check on the following.
1) Is the Refurbished Equipment Supplier Authorized and Certified?
It is important that you purchase your Refurbished product from a certified and authorized Refurbisher. Even if you receive a Refurbished product, if it is not sold directly through a certified company, you run the risk of purchasing equipment that may be malfunctioning, or simply used. An authorized company undertakes the entire process of reconstruction of the equipment it receives and guarantees that the final product it delivers is diagnostically tested and fully functional.
Alfanet has the most important certifications in the industry such as MAR (Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher). A distinction that makes it the only company in the industry in Greece, and one of the 25 in the world, which has been authorized by Microsoft to rebuild computers and install its original software on them. It also has ADISA certification. A certification that few companies have in the industry and concerns the Safe Traffic of retired & decommissioned IT & telecommunications equipment. ADISA's significance is that it certifies the process of collecting, transporting, processing, and remanufacturing unused IT equipment before it is disposed of as refurbished.
2) The Refurbished product has a valid warranty.
It is not enough just to have a guarantee. Look for the longest warranty period you can find. Refurbished products suppliers often offer warranties of 3 days to 6 months, which means that after this period, in the event of a breakdown, you will have to pay for repairs. These costs can often exceed the purchase of new equipment. Therefore we suggest looking for a guarantee of at least one year. The greater the guarantee the Refurbisher gives the more reliable its product is. You should also check if the supplier allows the warranty period to be extended. An authorized and certified Refurbisher will let you know.
Alfanet to ensure that its partner will receive quality and functional equipment gives its products from 1 to 3 years warranty with the possibility of expansion to 5.
3) What is the condition of the equipment?
Refurbished IT equipment is available for sale in some variations related to the condition of the product. The scale used to classify IT equipment based on the above criterion is the so-called Grades. The problem is that each Refurbisher determines the condition of the equipment differently. The Grade A of one vendor for one PC may mean that the product may be in a completely different state from the corresponding Grade A product of another.
For this reason, it is important before proceeding to purchase to understand the difference between the Grades in each supplier, as well as should not assume that the condition of the equipment is similar in different Grades. Ask your supplier about the condition of the product to make sure you do not encounter any unpleasant surprises upon receipt.
The scale used by Alfanet to grade its equipment is Grade A +, Grade A, and Grade B. If you want to learn more about Alfanet Equipment Grades, click here.
4) Is the reconstructed product for sale with all the necessary components?
Some suppliers often sell remanufactured products without all the necessary accessories. Therefore, before making a purchase, check that the package includes all the components such as chargers, cables, manuals, or anything else that is necessary for the normal operation of the device. So look for the full product description and specifications on the package.
To ensure that the customer has a complete picture of the contents of the equipment, Alfanet places a label on the package that lists all the necessary features that the customer should know about the device he receives.
If your supplier meets the above basic requirements that an official Refurbisher must have, you can be sure to start a new partnership with him.
