eBay’s Certified Refurbished Program launched last fall in order to deliver deep discounts on everything from headphones to drones and more by partnering directly with brands like Bose and DJI. Now after promoting sales from the storefront for quite some time, we’re checking out the program to see just how good the value is. Head below for a closer look at all of the perks as well as our first impressions of the Bose Headphones 700.
Hands-on with eBay’s Certified Refurbished Program
Last fall, eBay looked to revamp its storefront by partnering with various brands ranging from Bose to DJI, Jabra, Arlo, and other first-party retailers in order to offer deals on certified refurbished gear. Hoping to stand out from other refurbished storefronts in the marketplace, eBay backed all of the gear with full two-year warranties on top of the peace of mind provided by working closely with the brands it featured.
We’ve been sharing many of the more notable offers from the program since its debut last year, and now we’re finally going to take the service for a spin to see just how it compares to a new model, and how the refurbished experience ultimately delivers.
Hands-on with Bose ANC Headphones 700
To dive into the hands-on experience of the eBay Certified Refurbished Program, we’re going to be taking a look specifically at the the Bose Headphones 700. While the specifics are bound to be a bit different based on which retailer you’re shopping, this should be a pretty good vehicle to explore what you can expect from shopping via eBay’s renewed gear overall. So even though you might get different packaging, everything in the program comes backed by the same perks.
Here’s what eBay itself has to say about the refurbished experience:
The item is in a pristine, like-new condition. It has been professionally inspected, cleaned, and restored by the manufacturer. The item will be in new packaging with original or new accessories.
And for the most part, the product it delivered actually meets those expectations. But first, let’s start with the actual unboxing experience.
Unboxing experience
Starting things off, you’ll likely notice that the packaging is different than that of a new model. It’s more of a generic box than what you’ll find on store shelves, but still comes sealed alongside noting its renewed status.
Opening up the Bose Headphones 700 uncovers the same carrying case found on a new condition pair, as well as all the normal leaflets and instructions. So nice to see Bose delivering on the fine print of the eBay Certified Refurbished Program. There’s also all of the cables and accessories, alongside the pair of active noise-canceling cans.
What kind of condition can you expect?
Now for a closer look at the actual product. Given that these are a renewed pair, I was expecting there to be some kind of wear and tear. But what surprised me the most was just how like-new the Bose Headphones 700 actually were. Odds are good that not every product is going to be as seemingly flawless as the ones delivered by the Bose eBay storefront here, but the precedent set here is definitely notable as for what you can expect in the scratches and dents department.
On the actual functionality side of things, everything works just as you’d expect. One of the things I was looking for right away, or should I say listening for, was whether the drivers sounded as though they were blown out or in any way in less-than-stellar condition. But for the pair I received, eBay and Bose managed to deliver on expectations.
eBay Certified Refurbished Program pricing
One of the best parts of the eBay Certified Refurbished Program is the discounted pricing compared to going with a new condition model. It’s the aspect of the storefront that we routinely highlight, given our nature as a deals site, and one of the biggest perks of buying renewed. As for the Bose Headphones 700, that couldn’t be more true.
Having launched at $399, you’d typically pay $379 right now for a new condition model at Amazon. Alternatively, going with the eBay Certified Refurbished Program means you’ll be able to knock that price down to $279. That’s before even including some of the extra savings we typically see from the storefront. So in terms of overall value, it’s hard to beat the savings, considering how good the condition is from the eBay Certified Refurbished Program.
9to5Toys’ Take
After highlighting deals from the eBay certified refurbished program for quite some time now, it’s great to finally offer a hands-on look at what one actually gets. With so many variances in the refurbishing process, eBay has really been differentiating itself by working directly with brands, and that has certainly paid off.
If it wasn’t for the big Renewed wording on the side of the box, there’d be no way of telling that these had been previously used by someone else. All that’s to say, anything sold and shipped through eBay’s Certified Refurbished Program seems to live up to the marketing lingo and other selling points.
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