Following other big companies such as Amazon and eBay, Walmart launched a platform called Walmart Restored for selling refurbished electronics.
Featuring all kinds of technology and some small appliances, the program aims to let consumers buy refurbished products that “have been professionally inspected and tested to work and look like new by top-rated, performance-managed suppliers,” Walmart said on its website.
Standards include that the products have no visible cosmetic imperfections when held 12 inches away and that items be shipped with the accessories expected to come with a new product.
In addition, products must be in “excellent technical condition” with battery life at 80% or higher, have no dead pixels on displays, be restored to their original factory settings and be upgradeable to the latest firmware supported by the OEM. All end user data must also be removed following the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standard on media sanitization.
“In a year when customers are looking for ways to save money, like-new refurbished products have become an increasingly popular way to cut down on costs without sacrificing quality,” Michael Mosser, general manager of Walmart Marketplace, said in a press release.
Walmart offers 90-day free returns on the items. The program is currently online only, but will be rolled out in some stores in the fall, the press release added. Sellers are added to the platform by invitation only. “As we work on expanding it to all [Marketplace] sellers, we will keep you updated on the application process and program requirements,” according to the Walmart Restored program page.
eBay recently launched a certification partnership for used electronics, and Amazon started Amazon Renewed.
