Whenever you buy big ticket items you commonly hear several terms that describe various levels of usage. What exactly do demo, used, refurbished and pre-owned mean? We anticipate that our audience has a good understanding of what new means. It is always a good idea to have a good understanding of how these words are applied in our industry and to your budget.

Demo Units

Demo is short for demonstration. These units have been used to show customers the ultrasound machine features. Whether they are shown during conferences or used for short periods of time and sent back to us, they have been used to some degree. Sometimes we use demo units to run formulas or processes to improve or customize the systems. Demo also means that the machine has never been titled to anyone. These can be great deals.

Refurbished ultrasound systems are very common in this industry.

Reconditioned is another term that is bandied about and means almost the same thing as refurbished. When any machine that has been titled to someone else comes into our office, we perform a comprehensive twenty-five point check out process on all of our machines. We examine the cosmetics as well. The goal is to bring the condition back to as close to new as possible.

Remanufactured Ultrasounds

The next R is remanufactured. In our industry only the original equipment manufacturers (OEM) perform remanufacture missions. There are higher specifications that must be met by the OEM’s for this to be valid. Naturally there is significant documentation that is done by the OEM.

Pre-Owned Ultrasounds

Then there is the last classification certified pre-owned. There could possibly be some small scratches, dents or dings on the machine. The functionality passes the same twenty-five point check out process as any other machine here. Pre-owned can be a budget saver.

While we do our best to have all our customers understand these differences, the customer should know and be ready to discuss what has been done to each machine. There are various warranties on different machines. Depending on your budget you may compromise in one area to off- set another area. We have so many choices and would welcome the opportunity to discuss it with you.