I bought an OEM keyboard this past week from NewEgg. When I opened it the product showed clear signs of prior uses: worn spots on the space bar from thumbs, several small scratches on the facing and some keys, a little gunk on one key, some dull spots (like from where dirt had been cleaned off but left residue), the rubber grip feet on the bottom were worn and had accumulated some dust/dirt, and the packaging was actually missing a wrist support piece that is supposed to be there.

Is it common practice for a company to refurb a unit then ship it back out as an OEM without labeling it as refurbished? Would this be done by the manufacturer or by NewEgg? There is only a listing for Retail and OEM on NewEgg, no Refurbished unit is offered.

NewEgg gave me a refund, let me keep the keyboard anyways, and gave me a $5 credit so I'm happy as can be but I just wanted to know how it came to happen.

8/5/2009 2:59:06 PM

most likely someone bought a new one and did a very good job of packaging the old one back into the new one's box and returned it to newegg, saying they never opened it...i'm sure that newegg staff look to see if it's been open and if it looks like it hasn't, they assume it's not been opened, which is probably what the customer told them

if it didn't come with shrink wrap on it, it's pretty easy to fake it

8/5/2009 3:29:16 PM

shrink wrap is pretty easy to fake too, actually.

there was a story about a year ago of a guy that was re-shrink wrapping ipods and putting packs of pennies in the boxes so the weight felt right

[Edited on August 5, 2009 at 3:50 PM. Reason : in raleigh]

8/5/2009 3:50:23 PM

He was a State student

Quote :

"Raleigh, N.C. — North Carolina State University police found and seized 10 iPods in a search of a Bowen Hall dorm room Sunday. According to the search warrant, Clyde Cox admitted to detectives that his roommate, Max Myrick, would buy the iPods at area Targets, then return the empty boxes for a refund and re-sell the iPods on Craigslist. Cox told N.C. State police that Myrick filled the empty boxes with pennies and that he sold the like-new iPods on Craiglist for $200. Durham police informed campus police after Myrick was caught at a Target in Durham trying to return an empty iPod box with a roll of pennies taped inside. Police also seized eight white bags believed to be iPod headphones and shrink wrap form Myrick's room. Myrick is out of jail on a $7,000 secured bond."

8/5/2009 5:50:14 PM

^ I dont remember that. But ya tis pretty easy to do. Ive done it before as I bought something that was broke, they wouldnt take it back opened. a nice wrap job later it went back "unopened" no questions asked.

8/5/2009 10:15:44 PM