Refurbished iPhones and iPads flood the Vietnamese market
Introduced as new quality, warranty not activated but selling price is several million dong cheaper than 100% new and genuine distributed products.
Along with used goods, the market for hand-carried Apple products in Vietnam is flooded with products introduced as refurbished goods with Apple certification. Unlike used goods, these iPhone and iPad models still have full standard boxes and accessories.Even when checking on Apple's homepage using the serial code or IMEI number, the information shows that the product has not been activated and is still under 12 months warranty.
The difference is that the box of a refurbished iPhone or iPad is entirely white, and on the front, in addition to the product name, there is also the line "Apple Certified Pre-Owned" or "Apple Certified Refurbished".
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Pre-Owned iPhone 6s are sold for several million dong cheaper than 100% new and genuine products. |
Mr. Nguyen Huy, manager of a large phone business system in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, said that refurbished iPhones and iPads are very popular in the carry-on market, and this type of product sells even better than 100% new products, for example.with iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.Many people like to buy this type of product because the appearance of the machine is no different from a new one, the quality is more guaranteed than used products, it comes with full accessories and the price is reasonable.
According to a survey in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, refurbished iPhones and iPads are very popular but have only appeared on older models, for example, iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, or iPad Air, iPad Mini 3, while iPhone 6s, SE or iPad Air 2, iPad Pro are very rare. Compared to new products, depending on the type, the price can be 1 to several million VND cheaper and not much higher than used products. For example, a Certified Pre-Owned 16GB iPhone 6 model costs about 11 million VND, while the genuine listed price of the same product is 14 to 15 million VND.
According to Mr. Huy, the refurbished products are more reliable than the old used products. In Vietnam, Pre-Owned iPhones or Refurbished iPads are only popular, but in some foreign markets such as the US, this product is quite popular, appearing on Apple's website or large systems such as Amazon, BestBuy.
According to information on Apple's homepage, refurbished products are labeledCertified Pre-Owned orCertified Refurbished are all quality controlled by the manufacturer butFor some reason, it could be a hardware error or simply a slight scratch that was returned. After Apple collects and receives it, it will be inspected, repaired, refurbished, replaced with a new battery, and repackaged as a complete product set. The iPhone in particular can be reissued a serial number or IMEI number and has a 12-month warranty like a 100% new product.
In addition, this type of product in Vietnam is only available on the carry-on market and has not been imported and distributed by the official. So even though it has a full 12-month warranty when checked on Apple's website, when purchased in Vietnam, it is still only guaranteed by the seller when there is a problem. However, according to Mr. Manh Tuan, manager of a phone store on Hue Street, in theory, refurbished products labeled AppleCertified Pre-Owned andCertified Refurbished are as reliable as new ones, but in Vietnam when buying, you still need to check carefully to avoid cases of adulteration. Most iPhone 6 and 6 PlusAppleCertified Pre-Owned now originates from Japan and Singapore. The rate of defective devices is still higher than new devices, mostly screen problems such as stripes or stains on the screen right out of the box.