When searching the best product for your company, it can be overwhelming given the various conditions the product can be sold in, new, remanufactured, surplus-unused, reconditioned, E-Ok, and As-Is. If your company is in a critical position needing to get equipment back in service immediately, “as-is” may be the best choice; whereas time may be on your side but cost is a factor so “remanufactured” is the way to go. Here, CBS has provided a summary of the different levels of quality of the products it sells to help guide you and your company in the right direction.
What’s the difference between remanufactured and reconditioned?
A customer guide to CBS product condition.
Introduction
Many of our customers request clarification between the product conditions that Circuit Breaker Sales (CBS) and our affiliated companies offer. The purpose of the document is to clarify product conditions, in simple terms, with the understanding that all of the product states are governed by strict ISO certified specifications, processes, and acceptance criteria.
We offer out products in six increasing levels of quality: As-Is → E-Ok → Reconditioned → Surplus- Unused → Remanufactured → New.
New (Warrantied, 1 year)
Products sold in New condition are what most would expect – they are new and are sold through the original equipment manufacturers (OEM) approved sales channels. Products sold in New condition are sometimes referred as “Factory-New” to emphasis the difference between New and Surplus-Unused.
Remanufactured (Warrantied, 3 years)
Remanufactured is a product state reached through a remanufacturing process in order to meet or exceed OEM performance specifications and customer expectations of new products. Customers can expect that Remanufactured equipment will meet or exceed its original expected life. Remanufactured equipment is disassembled to its most basic components which are then restored or replaced, then the equipment is reassembled, adjusted, and tested to the latest applicable testing standards. In terms of an automobile – remanufacturing restores the odometer to zero. Some customers refer to Remanufactured equipment as “refurbished.”
Surplus-Unused (Warrantied, 1 year)
Products sold in surplus-unused condition are products that have never been used but cannot be sold as new for several possible reasons. Surplus-unused equipment are commonly utility/industry spares that were never placed into service, or OEM inventory that was never sold. Products sold in surplus-unused condition are sometimes referred to as surplus, unused, new-surplus, etc.. (or several combinations of those three words.)
Reconditioned (Warrantied, 1 year)
The majority of products sold by CBS are in a Reconditioned state. Reconditioned products are similar to Remanufactured with one major difference: Reconditioned products are partially disassembled to ensure that there are no mechanical/electrical issues and allow them to be properly cleaned and lubricated, then restored as needed to ensure the product is free of defects that could affect its primary function – Remanufactured products are completely disassembled and restored regardless of their existing condition. Cosmetic imperfections that do not effect operation may be present in Reconditioned products. Reconditioning ensures that the product will perform as expected over the remainder of it expected life. Referring again to the car analogy – reconditioned equipment is similar to a certified used car.
Electrically-OK (Not Warrantied)
Products in Electrically-OK (or E-OK) condition have been cleaned and tested to ensure they will function as expected (including performance of the electrical insulation system) but are not warrantied by CBS. Generally, products sold in E-OK condition are limited to (1) field service companies and competitors that will use it for parts or to recondition themselves, and (2) end-users that need an emergency spare immediately. Products sold in E-OK condition are sometimes referred to as “cleaned and tested”.
As-Is (Not Warrantied)
The As-Is product state is the simplest product condition. Products sold As-Is are not tested nor inspected and may be damaged or missing parts. Similar to E-OK, As-Is products are typically sold to field service companies and competitors that use them for spare parts. Some customers will request an As-Is product that is also “mechanically-ok”; in this case the product be inspected to ensure it is undamaged and complete.
Conclusion
It is important to understand product condition to ensure the product ordered meets customer expectations and requirements. In addition to the standard product conditions, CBS also works to comply with customer provided specifications. Hopefully these brief explanations have helped clarify product condition, if you have questions or would like a copy of our detailed product specifications, contact your CBS representative for assistance.