What is CPO? Should you buy CPO items?

In recent years, Apple enthusiasts might not be unfamiliar with the concept of CPO items. However, understanding this niche market remains unclear to many. Hence, in this article, we share insights into CPO items and whether purchasing them is advisable.

1. What is CPO?

CPO stands for Certified Pre-Owned, a range of refurbished products purchased, inspected, and resold by manufacturers. The majority of repurchased items are devices with minor issues upon leaving the factory, such as scratches or software glitches, which are rectified before being reintroduced to the market. Before re-entering the market, these products undergo rigorous quality checks to meet the manufacturer's high standards.

iPhone CPO is one of the most considered CPO items by many.

2. What is iPhone CPO?

This is a product repurchased by Apple, refurbished, and rigorously rechecked before being resold in the market for the second time. After passing all checks, these devices are assigned a new IMEI number. Faulty components are replaced with genuine parts.

These products often have the quality of a new iPhone, complete with packaging, accessories, instruction manuals, and intact seals. They come with a 12-month warranty and a 1-to-1 exchange policy, similar to new devices. They are usually sold through Apple Stores or the company's online websites.

3. Should you buy CPO items?

Once you understand the product and its quality, you can confidently purchase this product line. If you find a reliable source for CPO items, there's no reason not to buy. Because:

• Its quality is comparable to brand new devices, with warranty coverage.
• When buying these items, you don't need to worry about accompanying accessories being fake or of inferior quality, as they're often sold alongside.
• CPO items are typically priced lower than new devices, saving you a significant amount of money.

4. Issues when purchasing CPO items

In Vietnam, official stores like FPT or Viettel typically refrain from stocking and selling CPO items. Consequently, users have to resort to alternative intermediary channels, exposing themselves to potential risks.

If you're not well-versed in iPhones, especially if you're a first-time buyer or have made 2-3 purchases before, sellers might be willing to swap a CPO device for a 99% new phone, refurbished, or reconditioned, at a much lower price.

These are imported devices, so warranty coverage is limited to the store where you purchased them. Many reputable stores, and even smaller ones, may encounter issues during warranty claims. Remember, CPO items are typically covered by a 12-month warranty as per the manufacturer's policy. If a store only offers a warranty of 2 to 6 months, it's best to avoid. You might be falling for a scam.

iPhone CPO devices are usually units that had defects during production, repurchased, and rechecked. Hence, the number of CPO devices in the market is limited, given the rarity of manufacturing flaws. Many outlets misuse the term 'iPhone CPO' to sell low-quality or refurbished products with replaced components.

5. How to Identify Genuine iPhone CPO

The packaging of genuine iPhone CPO units lacks product imagery but instead features a white box with the product name and 'Apple Certified Pre-Owned' written beneath. The back of the box contains complete information regarding origin, serial number, and iPhone model code.

In the model number, observe the character 'M' in the sequence 'MxxxYY/A' to determine your device type.

• MxxxYY/A – 'M' denotes brand new commercial items (genuine).
• NxxxYY/A – 'N' indicates warranty replacement devices.
• FxxxYY/A – 'F' signifies refurbished or CPO items (reconditioned).
• 3xxxYY/A – The first character '3' suggests display models found in stores.

Turn the box over and check the IMEI on Apple's system to ensure it's genuine, brand new 100% before activation. If the system prompts 'Please Activate Your iPhone' upon entering the IMEI, it's definitely a brand new, unused device.

After activating the device, verify the IMEI again to see if it's covered by Apple's 12-month warranty.

Here are some insights into CPO items, iPhone CPO, should you buy CPO items or not? Hopefully, through this article, you've gained foundational knowledge to identify genuine CPO items and avoid purchasing low-quality products.