New, Refurbished, Grade A/B/C, Open Box, Outlet, Damaged, Mix/Returns — what each condition grade actually means, typical discounts, warranty expectations, and how European A-Ware/B-Ware/C-Ware terminology maps to WholesaleUp™ grades.
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Grade is the single most important field after price — it controls buyer expectations, warranty exposure, and resale channel. This glossary explains every grade WholesaleUp™ accepts, how European terminology maps to it, and what each grade typically discounts from the new RRP.
grade field on deal uploads accepts these exact values. Anything else is normalized or flagged. See the Upload Field Guide for the full accepted list.Factory-sealed, never used, in original packaging.
Packaging has been opened but the product itself is unused.
Condition (above) describes the state of an item. Supply Type is a separate axis: it describes how the stock reaches the market — a straight wholesale line, a liquidation lot, an assorted job lot, or a customer-returns pallet. Every deal has both: a customer-returns pallet (Supply Type) is typically mixed-condition goods (Condition = Mixed), while a liquidation lot is usually new stock.
Standard trade supply — new stock sold per unit or in cases at a trade price. The default for most deals.
Bankruptcy, closeout, or business-failure stock — typically NEW goods sold lot-based rather than per unit.
Warranty terms in B2B wholesale are contractual; the per-grade defaults shown above are industry convention, not legal requirements. EU + UK consumer-warranty law (the 2-year statutory minimum, manufacturer-warranty rules) governs B2C only.
In B2B, your warranty rights come from the supplier’s specific sale terms. Phrases like “sold as tested”, “as is”, or “no warranty applies” — common on Damaged, mixed-condition, and liquidation / customer-returns lots — disclaim warranty obligations even where law would otherwise imply them. Conversely, a supplier can choose to offer warranty on any grade, even Damaged, if the contract says so.
Always read the supplier’s sale terms before you buy. The grade label is a useful shorthand — but the contract is the law of the deal.
| European term | WholesaleUp™ equivalent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| A-Ware | New / Grade A | Fully functional, perfect or near-perfect condition. The default German / DACH term for top-grade stock. |
| B-Ware | Grade B / Refurbished | Working with minor cosmetic defects, or refurbished returns. Common for consumer electronics. |
| C-Ware | Grade C / Damaged | Defective or non-functional. Usually sold for parts or repair. |
| Retour-Ware | Mixed | Customer-return lots (now the Customer Returns supply type), usually unmanifested. Quality varies widely per pallet. |
Two suppliers can both sell “Grade B” and mean very different things. The verified supplier badge, past buyer reviews, and a tested sample are stronger trust signals than the grade label alone.
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Returned, tested, and restored to working condition by the manufacturer or a certified refurbisher.
Top-tier used or ex-retail. Works perfectly; only minor cosmetic imperfections allowed.
Working product with visible cosmetic defects — scratches, dents, fading.
Heavy cosmetic wear, or partial functional defects. Often salvage or parts-only.
Previously owned, second-hand. Condition varies — always confirm grade equivalence.
Known damage — transport, storage, or handling. Still has salvage value.
A pallet or lot whose items span multiple physical conditions (some new, some used/graded) — the condition axis for mixed-condition supply lots (customer-returns / job-lots).
Assorted, grouped lots — end-of-line, overstock, or clearance sold as a mixed bundle rather than per unit because the size / color ratio is not complete.
Returned-goods pallets — a blind or loosely-manifested mix of grades, from fully working to damaged. Neither you nor the wholesaler typically knows the per-unit state.