How to tell when Clie is refurbished?

[mashoutposse]

I just bought an NX70V today, and I suspect that it's refurbished (body of unit not perfect, screen seems off-white). I got it at Best Buy and I am likely going to take it back, but I am curious to discover the origin of this particular one while I still have it on hand.

A couple of questions:

1) Does anyone remember if their NX could turn on even before the 4 hour initial charge? This is the first CLIE that I have purchased that DIDN'T come on even before the very first charge. Heck, it took about 30 minutes of charging for the backlight to come on.

2) What stickers did your NX have pasted just below the keyboard area?

Another thing that was weird: I didn't get the full Welcome treatment with the Graffiti tutorial -- just the digitizer calibrator. Weird.

If anyone knows the tell-tale signs of a refurbished Clie, it would be GREATLY appreciated if you can share them with me.

[n2ifp]

Originally posted by mashoutposse
I just bought an NX70V today, and I suspect that it's refurbished (body of unit not perfect, screen seems off-white). I got it at Best Buy and I am likely going to take it back, but I am curious to discover the origin of this particular one while I still have it on hand.

A couple of questions:

1) Does anyone remember if their NX could turn on even before the 4 hour initial charge? This is the first CLIE that I have purchased that DIDN'T come on even before the very first charge. Heck, it took about 30 minutes of charging for the backlight to come on.

2) What stickers did your NX have pasted just below the keyboard area?

If anyone knows the tell-tale signs of a refurbished Clie, it would be GREATLY appreciated if you can share them with me.

You shoudda got an ipack...:) Seriously, it might take close to 30 minutes for the battery to accept enough of a charge to turn on. The Lithium-Ion battery is controlled by it's own electronic circuitry.

There was and still is a sticker below the keyboard telling how to rotate the screen.

The other, sort of metallic like is just above the Clie on the screen outside cover.

There should have been a tag hanging at the point where the handstrap goes.

Refurbs cannot legally be sold as new, although some stores have no scrupples.

You should have received a CD, handstrap, adapters, power supply, craddle, and two manuals.

Hope this helps some!

[Mugs]

Does is smell new? Just kidding, but if it doesn't walk, talk, and quack like a new item take it back, ASAP - best buy should take it back within 30 days with a receipt. Also, sounds like you had an open package from Christmas time. Been there. Sorry about your experience.

[mashoutposse]

You shoudda got an ipack...

LOL! Thanks for the chuckle :)

Thanks for the comments, guys! While all that stuff seemed to be there, I noticed a long boxcutter slash running top to bottom on one of the sides of the box -- that's enough 'proof' for me...

I would expect this from some small web outfit, but not a chain like Best Buy. To think that I paid full price to avoid this specific problem :(

[n2ifp]

I was hoping you would get a chuckle out of it! I know how it feels to be all excited in acquiring a new toy and then get home only to find it tarnished.

Radio Scrap is another one, an item is returned and restocked as new with missing items, scratched, or whatever. It's a shame as I feel their products are inferioir in the first place. You can get a better product(sealed) elsewhere for less!

I think too many abuse return policies for a variety of reasons. Even Circus City has done it to me. I guess they think we are all stupid and don't know any better.

Any more, I look over things very carefully, before handing over my plastic!

[mashoutposse]

LOL, surprising how well those names fit their respective owners :D

I'm definitely going to keep a closer eye on future purchases. Might even start opening them at the parking lot (ahhh, who am I kidding, I already do that with all of my highly anticipated toys ;)).

[deadlyfoez]

When I got my NX70V, I had to charge it first too. It's supposed to be like that for shipment reasons.

And your initial start-up was the way it was supposed to be.

[Raybot]

I don't know about how they're boxed in the US but when I got mine (I'm in Oz), the cardboard box had an tab which you needed to pull out in order to actually get the box open ... the edge of it had a semicircular stamp on it (presumably from the factory) which won't match up once it's been opened (I presume it's a sort of tamper evident seal) ... perhaps it's something to look for. I'll post a pic if anyone is interested ... either way though, I *always* look for a tamper seal on any electronic stuff I buy ... if it doesn't have one or has it broken, I always open it in the store, in front of an attendant, and go through the checklist in the manual.

As for the battery, straight out of the box my Clie had about 30 seconds worth of charge in it before it auto-offed itself and wouldn't turn back on until it had been plugged in ... no full graffiti tutorial though, only the welcome you get when you do a hard reset (but I thought thats what normally happened with these things new anyway).

As for stickers, just the green/gold 'Audio, Video, Communication' sticker on the cover and the 'Notes on use' sticker under the keyboard telling you which way to turn the screen (and of course the serial number sticker on the back).


- Raybot

[ballistic]

If it's new, there should a white seal printed with a pattern of 'SONY' printed in black text, on the left side of the box's lid.

If there's no seal or it was cut, you either have a floor model or returned unit.

[david_chang40]

You could call Sony to see if somebody register it already.

[RetAF]

I understand that there's also a difference in the Serial Number for refurbs. Supposed to start with a 9 for refurbs, according to something I seem to recall seeing on the Sony website.

[Srevets]

Originally posted by RetAF
I understand that there's also a difference in the Serial Number for refurbs. Supposed to start with a 9 for refurbs, according to something I seem to recall seeing on the Sony website.

Yep, that's correct. I registered mine and it said that new models will start with a 4 in the seven digit serial number and refurbs will start with a 9.

Regards...

[mashoutposse]

Hmmm... 4! Either I'm being paranoid, or I just got somebody's Christmas gift that wasn't.

[birick]

Sound like you got a brand new unit. Except for the stocker who was a little heavy handed with the razor knife.