Customer service has always been at the heart of the business ethos of all retailers; this has resulted in many of the retail giants offering extended guarantees on electrical equipment. The downside to this policy is many thousands of TVs are now returned to stores with minor faults or damage forcing stores to return the equipment as faulty rather than restocking items which could potentially cause a problem for their customers.

Many of the TVs that are returned as faulty have been subject to cursory visual inspections once they reach the processing depot. Unfortunately, these types of checks do not fully cover the range of potential faults etc that could be affecting the equipment, as a result the majority of it is simply returned as scrap.

The manufacturers and retailers have identified this flaw in the processing procedure and asked WasteCare to help. As part of our EeeCare service, WasteCare personnel carry out full electrical and functionality checks on all equipment as standard allowing for greater reporting and in many cases increased reuse rates.

After trialling the EeeCare service, a number of retailers and manufacturers have experienced a significant increase in the volumes of appliances suitable for refurbishment and reuse. With reuse appliances attracting values over ten times their equivalent scrap value, EeeCare is proving a reliable way of increasing recycling rates and increasing sales margins. Craig Gabbitas, EeeCare Production Manager explained “ reuse levels are now reaching levels over 80% for a number of key manufacturers and retailers.”

We are now embarking on a new project whereby thousands of returned TVs are being rebranded, refurbished and supplied into the charity sector every month. If you are interested in purchasing any refurbished equipment, simply visit www.theelectrofarm.co.uk to see our finished stock.