Finding a good deal is harder than it looks: Even when the discount seems steep, you’re usually left wondering if what you’ve unearthed is truly an excellent deal or just a dud wrapped in overhyped sales lingo. Price drops on refurbished gear—gently used tech and appliances that are resold following a manufacturer tune-up—only complicate the matter. Refurbs are almost always sold at a significant discount (and more often than not, they work just as well as brand-new gear), but the idea of dropping a lot of cash on previously owned items can feel a bit unsettling.

The impulse to shy away from refurbs is understandable: The deal was difficult enough to find in the first place; toss in the possibility of a refurb that could potentially arrive damaged, in shoddy condition, or otherwise nonfunctional, and it becomes that much more daunting. The Wirecutter Deals team has done the research for you, and before we post the deal, a refurb has to meet our specific criteria:

• It should be refurbished direct from the manufacturer. Manufacturers usually offer the best return policies and warranties, and many companies follow their own protocol when testing and refurbishing items. That means if you’re on the hunt for a refurbished Roomba or stand mixer, for instance, you’ll have better luck buying directly from iRobot or KitchenAid. Just keep in mind that many manufacturers have storefronts on third-party selling sites such as eBay, Newegg, and Amazon, so you don’t always have to make the purchase from the manufacturer’s website to secure a trustworthy refurb. Our one exception is that every so often we find a good deal on a relatively inexpensive item from a reliable seller on a non-manufacturer refurb. We’ve had the most luck with Best Buy’s Geek Squad, and we cap the price of the item at around $100. It must, however, meet our other criteria as well. (See below for more details.)
• It should have a 90-day warranty, at minimum. If something turns out to be not quite right a month or two down the line, you’ll have a chance to get your money back on your new-to-you vacuum or blender. The only instance in which we’ll post a deal on a refurbished pick with a shorter warranty is when the item costs $30 or less.
• Returns should be free. You shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to return something that doesn’t live up to expectations, so we avoid companies that charge a return fee or otherwise make the return process a hassle.

For full article