If you live in the states or in other parts of the globe, you are probably used to seeing refurbished sales on smartphones and tablets. That’s not the case in some regions like India, but Xiaomi is looking to change that. The first batch of refurbished Xiaomi smartphones have just gone on sale in India, and as you’d expect, they’ve already sold out.

Xiaomi has partnered up with Overcart to put up a limited number of refurbished Xiaomi smartphones up for sale today. The company is testing the refurbished waters in India with the pilot program which is currently using one model — the Redmi 1S. Overcart had the refurbished Xiaomi Redmi 1S and the “Open Box” models, and if you’re not familiar with the differences, we’re going to break it down for you.

Whenever you buy something “Open Box” in the states, it generally means the product was purchased, then returned with no damage as the customer just didn’t want it for one reason or another. Sometimes, “Floor models” are included in open box sales as well which means the unit has been demoed or used on display.

Refurbished units on the other hand, are products that are “fixed” by a manufacturer or third-party. Sometimes the repairs are done by authorized resellers while other times, it’s just some guy that knows how to work on electronics. If you’re dealing with a big-box retailer, it’s going to be the former, not the latter.

Either way, you want to be careful of refurbished Xiaomi smartphones or devices from any brand, and be aware of any warranty (or lack of) that might come along with it. Some smartphones and tablets have a history of issues, so the refurbished unit you’re buying may have to go again if it’s a common issue with the product. Just a friendly PSA from someone who’s purchased bad refurbished tech…

If you live in India and want to check out the refurbished Xiaomi smartphones on sale at Overcart, you are already out of luck as the last units went out of stock as we were finishing this piece. There is a message saying “open” registrations will begin for the next sale shortly, so you’ll want to keep an eye on the site if you want to snag a refurbished Xiaomi Redmi 1S.

via – BGR India Â source: Overcart