Refurbished products cannot be sold as new products in the US, which is why they are relabeled as refurbished or refreshed units even if they are good-as-new (if, for example, the unit was returned for some reason unrelated to the product itself, such as the customer changing their mind about the color). Refurbished items may have scratches, dents or other forms of cosmetic damage which do not affect the performance of the unit. However, some refurbished goods are actually "rebranded" new products called newfurbs.

Refurbished products could possibly be the products which are returned by the customer within the return policy of the company which sold the product, without any defect with the product. Refurbished products are generally bench tested and certified by the authorized service centers of the company and then re-packaged, labeled as a Refurbished Product.