YOUR MONEY. Factory Reconditioned Products Offer Saving (NAPSA)—Consumerelectronies that once were new can be made new again—andoffer consumers considerable savings. That’s the idea behind the market in “open box” and factory reconditioned electronic devices such as computers and personal digital assistants, or PDAs. Here’s how it works. Customers return products for many reasons: a customer may changehis or her mind, or not like the product, or have difficulty operating it. Whetherit is returned a month later or only the very next day, such an item must be identified as ‘reconditioned’ or ‘refurbished’ to be resold. * Open Box: As the name implies, this refers to a product that someone bought but merely “opened the box,” and does not show any signs of wear and tear. * Customer Returns: This refers to products that the customer opened and may havebriefly used, and as a result, may show a small amount of wear andtear. Every product targeted for reconditioning must pass a thorough examination. After repairing any defect and sanitizing the product, it is repackaged for sale. Reconditioning may be performed by the original manufacturer or a reputable professional outside firm. All products are returned to like-new or almost new condition. There are a numberof ways to take advantageof this market. In addition to retail outlets there are Web sites that offer these kinds of products at significant savings. For example, a Web site called Overstock.com offers a wide array A growing number of consumers are saving moneyby purchasing factory reconditioned consumer electronics. of computers and other electronic devices from companies like Palm and Sony at savings of 50 percent off the original retail price or more. By visiting the Web site, consumers can compare and research the products at their own convenience. This can also help to prevent them from purchasing “more computer” or PDA than they need. If you want to purchase a PC for your young family, keep in mind that small children have modest computing needs. Most children will want to use a PC for interactive games and learning software, neither of which require much computing poweror cash. Overstock.com has been described as an Internet leader for name-brands at clearance prices. In addition to computers, it offers more than 5,000 products, including apparel, audio equipment, books, jewelry and home and garden products. To learn more, visit the Web site at www.overstock.com.
