I thought that a little more information might be helpful for people who unclear as to what exactly a refurbished item is.

Refurbs from Adorama Camera may be ex-store demos, possibly used in field tests or sales displays, or are items that have been ordered in error and returned to the retailer (who can't then sell them as 'new' so they have to be sent back to the manufacturer for refurbishment). They can also have simply been pulled from the production line if something appears faulty, or which haven't passed the final inspection.

Most of the time it is a very minor issue that needs correcting, nevertheless, once they are pulled from the normal flow of production, they get flagged as a refurbished model, so you may actually get a model straight from the factory that really has never been used!

A refurbished item will have been checked over by the manufacturer by hand, inspected very thoroughly, diagnosed, and calibrated by experienced technicians, and could therefore turn out to be more dependable than a new item – which will only have been checked by a process of systematic quality control protocol (ie by random sampling as they come off the conveyor belt).

However, as to the individual history of a single item, the honest answer is we have no way of knowing. Refurbished equipment is not like new inventory; the manufacturers contact us when they have a batch to sell, and the availability is unpredictable. However, if you were to ask my personal opinion on whether the equipment that Adorama offers as refurbished is typically a lot less than a year old, based on the regularity with which we receive batches, I'd be inclined to think it is all relatively new.

It is important to be sure when buying refurbished that a warranty is offered by the retailer, and in addition, it may be worth considering the purchase of an extended warranty.

Even after purchasing an extended warranty, purchasers are often surprised to find that they have still spent less than if they had purchased a “new” item.

I hope this helps, but if you ever have a query or concern regarding an order from Adorama Camera, AdoramaPix or Leisure Pro, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Sincerely

Helen Oster
Adorama Camera Customer Service Ambassador

helen.oster@adoramacamera.com
http://www.adorama.com