Hello!
Recently, one incident happened to me, which prompted me to write this article.
I urgently needed an external battery for the trip, but there was no time to go shopping. Therefore, I chose the model I was interested in in the online store, and sent my girlfriend for the purchase, who understands technology at the level of an ordinary user. What was my surprise when, having received the battery, I tried to turn it on to check. The device has been completely discharged. This puzzled me considering that, by rule, lithium batteries come from the factory half charged to avoid lithium degradation due to low discharge.
A more detailed examination confirmed my fears – the battery had already been opened and, apparently, was used. All three sealing stickers on the box were repaired with the same stickers pasted over the cut ones. I opened only one of the three, and left the rest as proof of my words for the consultant in the store (unfortunately I didn't think to take a photo).
As a result, I did not use the device, instead, after returning from a trip, I just took it to the store. I did not demand a return, I needed an external battery, but this store did not have any unopened devices. After a short dispute with the administrator, I had to return the money. My main argument was an indication of the fact that the device is actually second-hand. And the situation with the rest, opened external batteries, played into my hands.
Returning home, he explained to the girl how to distinguish a used device from a new one, using the example of various types of electronics.
How to distinguish
It's no secret that store employees often take goods from the shelf for examination. On the one hand, this is normal. On the other hand, after that it is not very pleasant to buy a device that someone has already used. And even worse, when buying such a 'not new' device, you cannot know why you opened it in order to view or show it to the customer, or to use it.
We often don't pay attention to such little things. Sometimes this does not lead to consequences. Sometimes it's the other way around.
So how do you distinguish new from used?
There are different methods for different types of devices.
Telephones
At the moment it is almost impossible to find a phone with whole seals on the box in retail. Sellers in the salons explain this by the fact that the phones are checked for operability in the warehouse. How true this is, I do not know.
Our goal is to check if such a device has been used before. The first thing to do is to carefully examine the phone for traces of use. Check that the protective transport films on the display and other elements are free of any traces of removal (glued evenly, without bubbles, etc.). If the external examination did not arouse suspicion, then do not rush to buy. The easiest and most effective way is to check your phone using engineering codes.
Before buying, decide on the model, and read about what codes there are for calling this very engineering menu. Using these codes, you can check not only the parameters of the device, such as the presence of dead pixels, speakers and microphone, vibration alert, etc. Most importantly, with the help of these codes, you can display complete statistics on the use of the phone, including the duration of calls, total operating time, etc. By typing such a code, you will immediately see whether you have used the phone before you, and if so, how much.
As a source of such information, I recommend one of the most popular and detailed forums in Russia – w3bsit3-dns.com. There you can find a topic about your device. Where, after a short search, you will find all the information of interest.
For example, for the versions of Samsung Galaxy line sold in Russia, there is a code ##4636## which allows you to find out the same usage statistics if you go to the section about the battery.
Similar codes exist for most modern phone models. Don't be lazy to search.
Audio devices (headphones, headsets)
Here everything is somewhat more complicated and simpler at the same time.
The very first thing to do is to find a description of the model of interest on the Internet and compare the image on the Internet with that. What do they offer you in the store. There are cases. When shops try to sell the so-called re-sort in this way.
If the model matches, then further, you must carefully examine the box for signs of opening. Headphones, especially in-ear headphones, are rarely given to customers to watch. Therefore, it will be great if you find sealed ones that no one has 'looked' before.
If the box does not imply the presence of seals, it is necessary to inspect the integrity of the inner packaging of the ear pads and similar contents of the box. If the content is not suspicious, but you are not sure that the device is new, it is worth inspecting the headphones themselves for dirt and traces of use. Dirt is especially noticeable at the joints, or at the stamping seams. Even when wiping the headphone case with alcohol wipes, it can be difficult to remove all marks in the joints. Another insidious place for the accumulation of dirt is the inner side of the ear cushions, and the area where the sound guide connects to the headphone case. If the cable is light, then it makes sense to inspect it.
Check without hesitation. In the end, you buy a device that will directly contact your body, and it is better that it be new.
External batteries
The most important feature is a whole package without any signs of opening. It is great if there are seals on the box, and they are not opened. But in this case, taught by bitter experience, I advise you to take a closer look at the fillings. They shouldn't be double, etc. If you bought a battery for your phone or an external battery, and it turned out to be completely discharged, then this is a reason to think about whether you need such a battery. Keep in mind that deep discharge is contraindicated in lithium batteries. According to the rules of operation, it is prohibited to store such batteries discharged. From the factory, lithium batteries are about half infected.
There are other ways to check the number of charge-discharge cycles that the battery has gone through, for example, with the help of special testers, but in a store it will not be easy to do this, so we will limit ourselves to checking the appearance without traces of use, a whole package without traces of opening, and the presence of about 50% charge level.
Laptops
Difficulties often arise with this category of goods. Electronics stores need product display. However, most stores do not always have separate demo samples and sell what is on display. Think if you want to buy a laptop that stands in the window and works every day for a long time? I think the answer is obvious.
Unlike phones, checking a laptop is much easier. To do this, it is enough to find on the Internet and download a special utility that allows you to get information about the operating time of the device in active mode. Before buying a laptop, do not be lazy, download such a utility to a USB flash drive, and when examining a laptop in a store, check it with this utility. There are many stories on the Internet about how someone bought a display case under the guise of a new one. Don't become one of those buyers.
Conclusion
In the age of information availability, we have forgotten how to value it. It would seem that open a search engine and type a request. But it was not there…. We are lazy, brush aside the problem, not counting it as such, and then pay for it from our own wallet.
Of course, open packaging is not always a sign of device use. This is not always done on purpose. Sellers do not always open boxes in order to use the device. It often happens that the box is opened because a customer wanted to check, or even just look at the device before buying, and the customer-oriented seller just went to meet him. But, you see, to assume and to know, these are very different concepts. In this case, everyone decides for himself whether it is important to him that his device has not been used before or not. Share in the comments if you have any cases when, under the guise of a new one, they tried to sell you a used device?