Hi Pete (and others),
Sorry if you find the CPO program obscure, I lived in the belief that the description on the website was clear, but very happy to learn if there are ways we can improve it. I’ll try to explain it here, please let me know what of this wasn’t clear to you.
Firstly, both Certified Pre-Owned and Dealer Approved are global programs. That means they are available to all the partners we deal with: individual retailers in the US, where we run our own distribution, and distributors in the rest of the world. We believe the program makes a lot of sense for both prospective (access to current dCS products at lower cost) and current (residual value protection) end customers. However, different markets have adopted these programs at different speeds which I suppose is natural. Work to roll them out globally is ongoing.
The main difference between the two programs is the level of testing/repair that is performed and corresponding warranty that is offered. With CPO the products come back to the factory, are inspected here, anything other than very minor cosmetic defects are fixed and the unit has to pass our full test suite, exactly as if it were a new product. Based on this we can offer a 2-year factory-backed warranty. Dealer Approved products are inspected by the retailer. We back them with a 1-year factory warranty but they are obviously free to offer their own terms over-and-above that at their discretion.
So while Dealer Approved inventory always sits with the individual retailers, Certified Pre-Owned units always come back to the factory for testing and are held in a global pool here until ordered by a retailer or distributor. Some larger retailers order units for their own stock, but most order only when they have a customer order. When a CPO unit is ordered all we have to do is set the correct mains voltage, drop in the correct mains cable and ship it out.
So the cost of CPO products, which has to cover two-way shipping to/from the factory and the cost of any replacement parts or repair work needed, is naturally higher than Dealer Approved, or private sales via second hand sites. However the level of testing, warranty and hopefully ultimately customer confidence is much higher, customers have to decide which option is right for them, Our view is that our products represent a significant investment even second hand, and we want to do all we can to ensure that the second and subsequent customers’ experiences are as close to those of the first as possible.
Neither of these programs should be confused with the trade-in terms that a retailer might offer for a customer’s current unit. That’s between the retailer and the customer and is entirely at their discretion. However they have the certainty that dCS will always buy back for CPO any current unit they take in via a trade-in but don’t want to hold in their own inventory and sell as Dealer Approved. The exact value is based on the condition and completeness (packaging, accessories etc) of the unit.
We have not provided an actual paper certificate historically, simply because they can be so easily forged. Customers can always check the CPO status of any unit by contacting [email protected] with the serial number. The CPO Warranty is non-transferrable, so the only person to whom the proof would be of value is the first owner. Since they don’t pass through our hands we have no information regarding the status of Dealer Approved units.
. I didn’t realise that dCS hold a stock of used items and they are not (direct) trade ins with your dealer.