You probably feel better purchasing new products at high prices. After all, the word "new" is so much more appealing. I am going to "recondition" your mind as a consumer, by educating you. I am going to show you why buying "reconditioned" or "recertified" is a winning decision all the way around. Get ready to be a "recertified" customer.

Products that are described as "New" are products that have never been used and still in their original factory packaging. These items come complete with manuals and original accessories.

You might not know this, but it's the customer that "inspects" new products. Retailers sale you new products and the manufacture makes a deal with the retailer to take back all customer returns. It is those returns that undergo detailed inspection at the action of the customer and or store returning it.

Perhaps you've seen the terms refurbished or factory-serviced. By law, product packaging must state if an item is factory-reconditioned. Retailers use different terminology, but it's all means recertified. Recertified means retested for optimum use. I am going to use the term recertified throughout this article, because I want you to think recertified; not reconditioned, not refurbished or any other terms. Life guards have to be recertified, doctors, paramedics. So what's wrong with products being recertified?

Recertified items include the flowing:

1. Products that have never been used, the only difference between the "New" and "New Open Box" is that the outside factory seal has been broken, due to cancelled order or mishandling during transporting from warehouse to warehouse.

2 Unused items can be returned to original manufacturers for various reasons: use in field tests, use in sales displays, and cancellations.

3. Most major retail superstores offer at least a 30-day money back guarantee on their products and there are those consumers that just simply take advantage of that. These items are returned to the manufacturer, inspected and repackaged like new.

a. Items where the box was damaged in shipment which are returned to the manufacturer.

b. The item was returned to the manufacturer because of a slight defect. The defective part is replaced by the manufacturer, tested and then repackaged just like new.

c. The item was returned because of a minor cosmetic blemish on the casing that was corrected.

d. Demonstration units are also considered factory recertified. These units are inspected, tested and repackaged.

e. The box was simply opened. That's it!

f. Brand new overstocked items are also labeled factory recertified.

Such items are no longer sold as "new", but can only be sold as "recertified".

4. Manufacturer's overstock, discontinued items, products with minor cosmetic blemishes, and store demo items.

5. Enclosed manuals may refer to accessories (camera cases, straps, for example.) that are not included with the recertified product. Be sure to read over the product information page for a list of included accessories.

6. Items where the box or casing was damaged in shipment which are returned to the manufacturer.

7. The item was returned to the manufacturer because of a slight defect.

8. The part that was defective was replaced by the manufacturer, tested and then repackaged just like new.

9. The item was returned because of a minor cosmetic blemish on the casing that was corrected.

10. Demonstration units are also considered factory Recertified. These units are inspected, tested and repackaged.

11. Customers return products for many reasons: a customer may change his or her mind, not like the product, or have difficulty operating it. Whether it is returned a month later or only the very next day, such an item must be identified as recertified or recertified to be resold. Manufacturers are extremely assured about their recertified products and offer the manufacturer warranties from 30 days to 2 years.

It is impossible to know the history of each item, but for whatever reason the unit gets labeled factory Recertified it is inspected & serviced by the manufacturer then tested and repackaged to meet original product specifications. All merchandise is warranted by the original manufacturer unless otherwise specified.

Most of the recertified appliances are much better than a lot of new appliances sold in our stores today. In this microwave, cost cutting age, most new models are not as durable as older models, so reconditioning an older model is almost always better than purchasing most new makes. Recertified products are often better than new, because they undergo more rigorous inspection and testing than new products. The defect rate of recertified items is far lower than that of items sold as new. Sometimes items sold as recertified are, in fact, "new" items that have simply been repackaged due to damage to the box or casing during shipping. The item may never have even made it to a store shelf!

Recertified is a term that is used loosely. People think it always means that the appliance has been dismantled and rebuilt using what ever parts they can find. This is not true. When this is the case, the parts are usually new or as good as new and are restored to the exact manufacturer specifications by the original manufacturer in a certified refurbishing center. In addition, these products typically come with the added advantage of a manufacturer warranty.

The statistics for returning a recertified item is much lower than the returns on new items.

Recertified goods have a very low (2-percent) cost of return. Recertified items have a much lower defect rate. Out of 10 units that come back for repair only 1 is usually a factory refurb, because Recertified units are tested before they are sold.

People buy cheap off brand items to save money instead of brand name recertified items. It's not that brand name is built any better, but brand names have better support service and warrantees.

Buy name brand equipment at unbelievable savings without compromising on quality. Why buy "new" when you can get the same equipment which has been factory recertified for up to 70% savings without experiencing any difference? Statistics state that consumers who have already purchased a factory recertified item will never buy "new" again.

In summary, if all the benefits of buying a recertified product are the same as a new one even the warranty, the only "drawback" is that annoying little label on the outside of the box. Educated consumers buy Recertified!