You've probably seen the term "scratch and dent appliances" bouncing around, and have a vague idea of what it means, but haven't thought about it too deeply. It is kind of a broad category of appliance sales. Most people, when shopping for new, won't buy something that's been scratched, dented, or had any kind of surface damage, and some retailers specialize in moving this kind of product.
it's kind of an inevitable result of the transportation of goods. You've seen it in grocery stores more often than you probably remember. A box of food with the corner crumpled in. Almost certainly nothing is wrong with the food, but likely you've passed it over. Can't be too safe when it comes to food, right?
With appliances like washers and dryers and refrigerators, it's almost always scuffed from being moved around. Or floor models from appliance stores seem to inevitably get hit by grocery carts. The damage is only skin deep, but appliance retailers can't sell them for new appliance prices.
Scratch and dent appliances are retailed by dealers who specialize in scooping up floor models and other dented products at low prices from retailers who can't sell them and selling them to people who want a new appliance but don't want to spend new appliance money. The damage is all superficial, the products are often new, but there's unsightly scratching or, commonly, dents and dings in front-facing panels.
You might be wondering, who buys them? Well, anybody who wants a new washing machine but doesn't want to pay full price, which is a lot of people. Even when the product is on sale, an appliance is quite a spend.
But also, there's plenty of people who find a slightly marred surface reassuring, such as consumers who view any shiny and new surface as an accident waiting to happen. If the surface is already a little dinged, the anxiety around possibly ruining something is just out the window. Also, parents, who recognize that keeping something shiny and new in a houseful of kids is an uphill battle and have already decided this isn't the hill they want to die on. Some consumers just want a brand new appliance for a great price, and just don't care that much about the appearance of an appliance that almost nobody else is going to see.
You can learn more about scratch and dent appliances by contacting local suppliers.