Questions raised over new products with apparent signs of use

Daniel Borchers

4/2/2026

Translation: Katherine Martin

«Galaxus sells products as new, then sends you a used item,» reported one user in the comments under a Galaxus magazine article. Two other users then followed suit with similar complaints. So was there any merit to their claims?

There’s no definitive answer to this question. After all, it’s a complex issue. Considering we’re talking about a range spanning ten million different products, there are all sorts of ways this problem might occur. To get to the bottom of it, I talked to Artan Preka and Michael Gautschi from Galaxus’s After Sales and Finance teams respectively. They explained why brand-new products may sometimes appear used, and what customers should do if it happens to them. Here are five typical cases:

1. The seal on your new mobile phone is broken

Our employees often have to check whether a product comes with the right plug for the customer’s country of residence (this is especially true in Switzerland). When doing so, they carefully open the box, check the plug, then reseal the packaging. Sometimes an incorrect plug needs to be swapped out, but sometimes the check proves to be unnecessary. Whatever the case, the phone inside the packaging is still new and unused. Should you come across any signs that your device has been used, please take photos and contact our Customer Service team as soon as possible via Galaxus Assistant. Try not to create any additional signs of use, e.g. by fitting your phone with a screen protector or installing software.

2. You’ve bought a new tablet and the packaging’s been opened

In addition to the case described above, Galaxus carries out random quality checks on products entering the warehouse. This includes products from both new and established suppliers. We’re keen to ensure our suppliers are sending us exactly what we’ve ordered, so we occasionally open a product’s packaging to check that this is the case. Again, these checks don’t invalidate a product’s status as new, and we’re allowed to sell it as such. Of course, you have the right to return your product if you still have concerns about it.

3. The product isn’t the same as the one displayed on the packaging, or isn’t what you ordered

Wherever there are human beings working, mistakes happen. Sometimes we don’t pay proper attention when receiving returns or have the wool pulled over our eyes without realising it. If worst comes to worst, a fraudulent product (such as an iPhone 8 masquerading as an iPhone 17, or a phone bearing a fake manufacturer’s seal) might end up being delivered to you. We don’t do this intentionally. And besides, doing so isn’t in our interest. We want to keep you as a satisfied customer, after all. So please forgive us for the blunder! Sadly, there are criminals among our five million customers too. In any case, you should take photos of your product, report the issue to us immediately and talk to us about it via Galaxus Assistant. Most of the time, we’re able to track down exactly who had the product and when – and identify the culprits.

4. There’s coffee residue in your new coffee machine

Galaxus isn’t the only company to carry out occasional checks on products. In fact, manufacturers and suppliers sometimes do this before their products even reach our online shop. Some coffee machine manufacturers test as many as one in 50 of their machines – by making actual coffee with them. These are then cleaned and sent on to Galaxus to be sold. Sometimes, however, it’s tough to get these machines 100 per cent clean. Other times, a stain might simply be missed, leaving visible residues behind. Factually and legally speaking, though, these machines are new products. Even so, if you’ve bought your machine from us, you’ll still have the right to return it. If that’s what you plan to do, you should photograph the product right away and not create any additional traces of use. As Artan Preka, Manager After Sales Returns International, puts it, «Don’t contaminate the crime scene.»

5. The manufacturer’s seal is missing

Sometimes, people think they’ve received a used or counterfeit product because the manufacturer’s seal is missing. However, this might be because that particular product’s always delivered without a seal. You can find out whether this is the case by reaching out to our Customer Service team or contacting the manufacturer directly.

How we deal with attempted fraud

When a product’s returned to Galaxus, our employees check it for a variety of things. What does it look like? Has it been damaged during transportation? Is the manufacturer’s seal still on it? «If that all looks okay, we resell the product as new,» explains Artan Preka. «However, if, for example, the product’s been taken out of its original packaging, it goes into our Used range. If, after we conduct functionality tests on these products, we’re satisfied that everything’s in working order, we resell them as 'used and tested'.»

Our colleagues in After Sales occasionally detect attempts at fraud. When this happens, Artan contacts Michael Gautschi, Galaxus’s Loss Prevention Security Officer. Having worked at the company for almost 20 years, he’s «seen it all». This includes everything from counterfeit seals to manipulated hardware to a customer returning an «iPhone» that was, in fact, a fake Cartier Santos watch. «We report cases like those to the police,» says Michael. «Because if we resell something like that, we, as the retailer, bear the brunt of the loss. And that’s something we try to minimise as much as possible.»

So what happens to fraudsters after they’ve been reported? «I remember a manager of a large German company who returned manipulated hardware to us several times. He was convicted of commercial fraud, lost his Swiss residence permit and had to go back to Germany. That put an end to his hobby.» However, as Michael goes on to explain, most perpetrators end up being fined. Depending on the severity of the case and the financial amount involved, some fraudsters also run the risk of being handed a prison sentence. This is exactly what happened to a professional footballer who’d tried to defraud Galaxus with a «parcel trick» (article in German).

Both Artan and Michael are keen to stress that, generally speaking, Galaxus trusts its customers. However, if that trust is abused, the company pursues every form of legal action available to it – also to protect the interests of the 99.9 per cent of customers who’re honest.

Daniel Borchers

Senior Communications Manager

Daniel.Borchers@galaxus.de

A soft spot for good series, loud music, science fiction and (second division) football. As PR Manager, I am available to answer journalists' questions about Galaxus and honest e-commerce.

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