Agilent announces industry-first agreement to offer Agilent-assured pre-owned instruments on eBay
March 15, 2004 Palo Alto, CA--Agilent Technologies today announced an industry-first agreement with eBay, an online marketplace, allowing sellers to offer pre-owned test equipment on eBay that has been assured through the new Agilent Advantage Assurance program. The program gives customers the option to purchase Agilent test equipment on eBay that has been evaluated and fully calibrated by Agilent to meet performance specifications. The program also provides one year of free technical support from Agilent.
"This is the first time a test and measurement manufacturer has offered customers such a comprehensive program for pre-owned equipment," said Bill Highstreet, vice president and general manager of Agilent's Financial Solutions Unit. "Customers are looking for value-priced pre-owned equipment but are concerned about unknown quality. The Agilent Advantage Assurance program instills confidence in customers who purchase pre-owned test equipment on eBay. We are very pleased to introduce this program through eBay."
"The Agilent Advantage Assurance program provides an added level of assurance to our growing community of buyers and sellers," said Jordan Glazier, general manager, eBay Business. "Sellers are able to offer their customers products that are validated by Agilent, while buyers can make a more confident and informed purchase on eBay."
Under the terms of the program, an eBay seller may ship a pre-owned instrument to Agilent, where it receives an initial evaluation and then is fully calibrated by Agilent technicians. Once Agilent determines the unit meets its specifications, the seller is allowed to post the unit for sale on the eBay Web site. At the end of the listing duration, the instrument is shipped directly from Agilent to the winning bidder within 24 hours. Buyers are fully insured against all repair costs for 12 months. Also, should the instrument require repair during the first 12 months, it will receive a free calibration to ensure it meets all published specifications.
eBay has nearly 95 million registered users and offers a wide selection of equipment and supplies in the test and measurement category. More than 11,000 listings of test and measurement equipment appear on eBay every week, and buyers can find significant savings on a broad range of items -- from oscilloscopes, analyzers and meters, to sensors, power meters and signal generators. In 2003, business buying on eBay reached more than $2 billion in gross merchandise sales, compared to $1 billion in 2002.
The Agilent Advantage Assurance program is available on eBay starting today. Additional information about the program is available at www.agilent.com/find/used or at www.ebay.com/agilent. Sellers interested in offering their Agilent products on eBay under the Agilent Advantage Assurance program can find information at www.ebay.com/agilent.