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What you need to know before you buy a typewriter

Refurbished vs. Reconditioned:
Many people (including eBay sellers) freely interchange the words "refurbished" and "reconditioned", but it's important to keep in mind that they mean two totally different things! So what's the difference between reconditioned and refurbished?

According to Dictionary.com, the word "refurbished" means: To make clean, bright, or fresh again; renovate. On the other hand, the word "reconditioned" means: To restore to good condition, especially by repairing, renovating, or rebuilding.

So then what's the difference? If a seller claims that a product has been "refurbished", it means it has been returned, lightly tested, cleaned, repackaged and then resold. However, "reconditioned" products have  been thoroughly tested, repaired (if necessary), cleaned, repackaged, and resold. They are required to meet the same stringent quality-assurance standards that a new typewriter from the same factory would have to achieve. In fact, most manufacturers offer the same warranty for reconditioned typewriters that they offer for their brand new counterparts!

Always be weary if someone is advertising a "refurbished" product.  Those products have probably not been rigorously tested and are usually just eyeballed, repackaged, and resold. Reconditioned products are tested and repaired in accordance with manufacture standards before being resold, so they are always the better choice.

Letter from Lexmark International:

Dated May 18, 2009

Good afternoon.

I wanted to close the loop with you to let you know we were in receipt of your letter of May 8 pertaining to the
advertising of IBM Wheelwriters by .......... As we no longer manufacture IBM Wheelwriters nor do
we refurbish and resell Wheelwriters, their claims are obviously false and as such, I have turned this matter
over to our Legal Department who in turn is making contact with this company.

I appreciate you alerting us to this situation and would ask if you run in to a similar circumstance or if you
see that in a reasonable period of time the existing advertising has not been removed from their website,
please drop me a note or give me a call.

Thank you again for contacting us.
Have an awesome day.

Bob McGrath
Senior Manager, Business Development
Lexmark Supplies

How to tell if your typewriter is new:

It must arrive in a Lexmark box with Lexmark supplies.  See photos below: