Why “Good” tests worse than “Fair”

Grading is meant to give refurbished buyers confidence, yet it can do the opposite. Only 55% of consumers properly understand what grading means and 16% admit they are not sure at all.

In our Unlocking Growth in the Refurbished Electronics Market report, we found that inconsistent grading language is quietly costing brands sales. The same grade can mean different things depending on who is selling, and consumers are not reading the labels the way brands intend.

The clearest example is the gap between “good” and “fair.” 96% of consumers associated “good” with the most visible signs of use, while only 67% said the same for “fair” - even though “good” is meant to sit above “fair” in the hierarchy of grading used by most refurbishers. Used as a mid-tier grade, “good” can actually make a product look worse than intended, weakening its perceived value.

The top of the scale is inconsistent too: 84% of consumers identified “pristine” as showing the least visible wear, the clearest premium term in the set. Only 68% read “like-new” the same way, despite many brands treating it as their best grade.

“Certified” is a different case again. Consumers were split evenly on whether it describes the best or worst condition. This is a strong sign buyers do not read it as a cosmetic grade at all, but as a signal of testing, quality assurance or warranty.

When grading is misread, two things happen: conversion drops if the product feels overpriced for its stated grade and returns rise if the device arrives in worse condition than the buyer expected. Both are avoidable.

For OEMs, retailers and carriers, the fix is to simplify and standardize the language. Grade names should follow an intuitive hierarchy, backed by plain-English explanations, visual examples and clear statements on cosmetic condition, battery health and testing. Link each grade to concrete reassurance points and refurbished products become easier to compare, easier to trust and easier to buy.