How to Judge the Reliability of Factory Refurbished Satellite Phones

Here’s one piece of good news: there truly are factory refurbished satellite phones that are in excellent condition. But there’s a catch: they’re hard to find, and the only way to find them is by testing out the phone and making the judgment call yourself.

What Refurbished Means
One good way of determining the reliability of a factory refurbished satellite phone is by determining the method of refurbishing used. The process of refurbishing includes any or a combination of activities in order to restore the original condition – or as closely to it as possible – of the product. These activities could be as simple as cleaning or recovering lost and malfunctioning parts and can include any kind of repair.

Your best shot would be old satellite telephone models that only required a bit of professional cleaning to work. They may be bigger and heavier than the latest models, but they’re much more affordable and they can work almost as good as new.

Phones with recovered or replacement parts are your next best bet. True, some parts of the device are not stock, but a little bit of research can help you determine the quality of the substituted parts. If they’re as good as the original then there’s no reason why your factory refurbished satellite phone won’t work well.

The one you should steer clear of as much as possible are phone units that had to undergo repair, especially major ones, before going up in the marketplace. If something went wrong with them before, something could go wrong with them again. You’ll also need to take better care of them, and that may not be a hassle you’re ready for, much less appreciate.

Lastly, remember to check the company responsible for the refurbishing process. If it’s described as “factory-refurbished” then the company behind the repairs should be a well-known electronics company, if not the manufacturer itself. Only then can you safely consider that your new factory refurbished phone is indeed reliable to use.