|
Types of Secondary Market Merchandise Categories It is important to remember that these goods are flowing back from the consumer or end user and are funneled into secondary markets for resale and refurbishing. Goods flowing from the retail community occasionally have minor damage such as scratches or damage to the packaging. Typically the product is in good working condition with only minor cosmetic damage, but goods can range from new in the box to salvage. As you fill your specific niche within the eBay marketplace, it is critical to note the condition code of the inventory you are sourcing prior to purchase. The definitions will help you get a good idea of what to expect: New - New assets are in original packaging and possess all of the characteristics/qualities/features as advertised by the manufacturer. Traditionally, they are overstock items that were never offered for sale in a retail environment or used in any way. Refurbished - Refurbished assets are used but have been inspected, tested, and restored to full working condition. They rarely come in original packaging and seldom contain any documentation or any additional parts and/or accessories. Due to their operational history, refurbished assets possess noticeable cosmetic defects and blemishes, including but not limited to dents, scratches, and signs of age. Shelf Pulls - Shelf pulls were previously available for sale in a retail environment but were never sold. They usually possess one or more price tags and/or stickers, indicating multiple markdowns, and have been exposed to appreciable customer contact. In addition, since most of these items are sent through a reverse supply chain (e.g. from a retailer back to a centralized warehouse), they can show signs of further handling. Accordingly, Shelf Pulls may exhibit a wide range of individual product and package conditions that can differ substantially from the original manufacturing. Used - Used assets were previously sold and put into use. They possess noticeable cosmetic defects and blemishes, including but not limited to dents, scratches, and signs of age. Since these assets are usually pulled from a working environment, they rarely come in original packaging and rarely contain any documentation, additional parts, and/or accessories. They are minimally tested to meet only the most basic requirements of functionality. Used assets therefore may not be in optimal working condition and may require additional maintenance and repair. Returns - Returned merchandise was sold to a customer, who then either physically brought the item back to a store or mailed it to a specified location. Reasons for returning a product may not have any correlation to its usefulness (i.e., size, color, model, etc.), and as a result that product may be in fine working order. The majority of returns, however, do have some operational and/or cosmetic problem. Depending on a company's return policy, these items may also reflect a measurable amount of use. In addition, since most of these items are sent through a reverse supply chain (e.g. from a customer back to a store or a centralized warehouse), they can show signs of further handling. They generally do not come in original packaging and often do not have any of the advertised documentation or additional parts and/or accessories. Accordingly, returns can exhibit a wide range of individual product and package conditions that can differ substantially from the original manufacturing. Salvage - Salvage assets have been identified as defective for reasons concerning their functionality, appearance, or both. Salvage assets usually can only be used for parts.
|