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| what does refurbished actually mean in this case? |
Are you talking about buying a refurbished ipod from Apple?
If so, then you will be buying an ipod that was returned to apple for an undisclosed reason.
The ipod was repaired. Anything blemished was most likely replaced and the ipod would have undergone a number of tests to validate the repairs and assure the device looks and operates like new.
Then the refurbished ipod is sold for a discounted price and usually comes with a full manufacturer's warranty, just like a new ipod.
One should not confuse refurbished with open box.
Open box means that the device is a customer return to the retailer for an undisclosed reason. The item has not been returned to the manufacturer. The retailer might have performed some sort of check on the device or the retailer might not have. Sometimes, open box means that parts are not included. A remote, for instance, might be missing and not included in the sale. Most retailers are upfront about missing items, documenting the missing item on the sale tag. But not always.
If the item is returned because it has malfunctioned, then the retailer might contact the vendor and the vendor will send a representative to "test" the device and repair the item (in the case of large appliances) or do whatever they need to do to sell the item.
The retailer then will sell the device for a discounted price, usually with a full manufacturer's warranty, playing the statistics game, hoping that the buyer will deal with the manufacturer instead of the retailer should an issue arise.
Buying a refurbished item from a manufacturer is a great way to get something for a great price. I've bought a few different things as refurbished and haven't had any issues with them that I wouldn't have had with a new item. I just saved a lot of cash.
However, I generally shy away from Open box items unless the deal is really super AND I am confident that should something be awry, the retailer will replace the item or refund my money. I have had the experience of an open box item being not usable and the retailer did exchange the non working item for a brand new item. However, by the time i had invested the time of a second trip to the retailer, a few hours playing around with the device, connecting, disconnecting and reconnecting the device, the aggravation of standing in line and the general hassle of the whole ordeal, I didn't feel like I had saved anything at all.
