What Should You Avoid When Buying Refurbished Electrical Components?
Opting to buy reconditioned or refurbished electrical components has many benefits some that only your wallet can thank you for. Provided the reconditioned electrical components performs as they should, buying a used item for a lot less saves you quite a chunk of change, especially when it’s not financially feasible to buy a new electrical component. There are, however, certain risks involved in buying refurbished electrical components, particularly when you don’t know what to look out for.
You may start by asking yourself why the owner of said refurbished electrical component is selling the item(s) to begin with. The price might be right on the scope of your budget, but you might end up inheriting a costly problem that you have to contend with until you can re-sell it or buy another one altogether. You also may need to keep in mind that it might be hard to find spare parts of a used electrical component, which may also cost you an arm and a leg to have them repaired. Consider the following things that you certainly must avoid when buying refurbished electrical components:
Reputable Source
You finally find the component you have been looking for, the price is right, and it’s just a click away. But wait, with so many counterfeit parts available out there, how do you know that it is the real thing? When buying refurbished electronic components always look for a trusted source and crosscheck certain things such as how long they have been in business, including feedback and reviews from past customers, which ideally should be mostly positive because, well, you can’t please everyone. Reconditioned or refurbished electrical components that can be traced back to the manufacturer are probably ideal to purchase.
Cosmetic Imperfections
This should go without saying that a visual inspection of a reconditioned electrical component is of great importance. Even when being sold by a retail trader as “new old stock” or “used,” the electrical component should be in its original packaging where packaging is applicable even if the packaging shows a little shelf wear and tear or possibly opened. The electrical component should be cleaned, inspected and deemed fully operational within the manufacturer’s specifications even with noticeable cosmetic imperfections, such as paint wear or product scratches.
Refurbished electrical components will not always be in their original packaging. However, they are Okay to purchase provided they have been repaired by the manufacturer or manufacturer’s authorized service, they meet with all the manufacturer’s specifications and is in excellent condition
Missing Information
Do not buy a refurbished electrical component from an advert that doesn’t give you all the key product specifications, including how long it’s been used, its accessories, illegible labeling, the warranty if applicable, as well as the return policy, etc. Whoever you chose to buy from should also be able to answer all your questions to ensure that you can get your money back if the refurbished electrical component doesn’t work as it’s supposed to.
Learn more about J & P Electrical Company and their vast line of new, surplus, and refurbished industrial electrical components including: circuit breakers, bus ducts, bus plugs, disconnects, fuses, panel switches, tap boxes, and transformers at www.jpelectricalcompany.com. To contact one of our product reconditioning specialists, call 877.844.5514 today.
