The Newegg platform operates in both the U.S. and international markets through regional storefronts. In North America, it uses a network of distribution centers to speed up shipping. It also supports listings from third-party sellers, making it function partly like a marketplace.

Most long-time users remember Newegg as the go-to store for GPU launches or Black Friday tech sales. 

That loyalty, however, has been tested by reports of inconsistent customer service and concerns around return policies—especially involving open-box and refurbished items. You may be asking yourself: Is Newegg legit?

Well, today we will answer that question.

What is Newegg? 

Newegg is an online store founded in 2001, originally known for selling computer parts. It attracted attention among PC builders for its prices on items like graphics cards, processors, and motherboards. As interest grew, the store expanded into electronics, gaming peripherals, office tools, and home goods.

You can still find top-selling PC hardware there, but the product catalog now includes everything from drones to kitchen appliances. Some of the hardware brands featured regularly include ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, and EVGA.

How Does Newegg Work? 

Newegg acts both as a direct seller and as a host for other vendors. You might notice listings that say “Sold and Shipped by Newegg” and others sold by outside stores. Newegg handles payment and checkout for all of them, but return experiences may differ based on who shipped your order.

You can create an account to manage purchases, leave reviews, or submit return requests. Most orders can be paid for using credit cards, PayPal, or a financing option like Affirm. Customer accounts show order history, RMA status, and shipment tracking.

Search filters help narrow product choices by brand, specs, and availability. If you’re looking for time-sensitive items, Newegg Shuffle is an opt-in lottery system for limited stock—often used during high-demand periods like GPU launches.

Customer support is provided through live chat, phone, or ticket submission, but response quality can vary. Users have praised quick delivery and helpful responses in some cases, but others report frustration with refund rejections and repair delays.

How Does Newegg Sell Products So Cheap? 

Newegg often features lower prices compared to other online retailers. This pricing flexibility stems from its role as both a direct seller and a marketplace host. Independent sellers compete within the same platform, so prices shift regularly based on stock levels and demand.

Another reason for the price drops is Newegg’s frequent use of mail-in rebates, flash sales, and open-box listings. You can sometimes buy a new component with a rebate card attached, though using it may involve submitting forms and tracking dates carefully.

Open-box products are returned items that have been inspected and resold, often at a lower price. Refurbished products fall under “Newegg Refreshed” and may be repaired by Newegg or a certified partner. These also tend to sell for less than new versions, but they carry different warranty terms. A Surface Laptop 4 reviewed under this program had minor backlight issues but came at a third of the original price.

How Newegg Makes More Money

Newegg also sells gear from house brands like ABS and Rosewill. ABS prebuilt systems and refurbished parts appear in many “deal” sections, though quality reviews are mixed. Some listings offer great hardware combinations, while others include questionable components like low-wattage PSUs. 

If you're comparing deals, one item worth watching is this promotion, which bundled a gaming laptop with a mouse and a full game—exactly the type of bundle that can create temporary value.

Did Newegg Do Anything Illegal? 

There’s no known court ruling that labels Newegg as a criminal operation, but the company has faced serious public scrutiny for questionable handling of returns and product issues. A major flashpoint involved the denial of an RMA from Steve Burke of Gamers Nexus, who received a $500 open-box motherboard that he never unsealed. Newegg claimed socket pin damage and rejected the return.

After the incident went viral, Newegg contacted Burke to offer a resolution, but hundreds of customers came forward with similar stories. Many said they were denied refunds despite returning products in their original state or after receiving defective goods.

More alarming was Newegg’s distribution of Gigabyte power supplies later shown to have an extremely high failure rate. Testing by Gamers Nexus found that more than half of certain models failed under standard power loads. Gigabyte attempted to defend the products by tweaking OPP (overpower protection) thresholds, but no public recall followed. Newegg continued selling the units without visible warnings.

Customers whose systems were damaged by power supply failure were refunded for the PSU itself, but not for the collateral damage it caused to GPUs or motherboards. That left buyers covering major repair costs out of pocket.

Newegg’s Legal Grey Areas

The legal gray area comes from how consumer protections work. Unless a product causes direct, measurable harm—or violates safety regulations—companies often avoid major liability. In Newegg’s case, that means customers usually receive refunds only for the item itself.

While there is no formal legal case pending, this pattern of RMA denial, failure to issue recalls, and reactive customer support raises questions about the company’s internal policies.

Newegg’s financial side hasn’t been free of trouble either. It faced warnings for falling below Nasdaq’s listing standards, though the company has since regained compliance.

You should approach high-cost purchases—especially open-box or power-sensitive parts—with extra caution. The risk of policy enforcement falling short is real, and without clear safety assurances, the damage could extend beyond a single product.

Is Newegg Verified or a Scam? 

Newegg is not a scam, but the way it manages third-party listings and product conditions can make it feel that way to some users. Products marked as “Sold and Shipped by Newegg” tend to come with better packaging, cleaner documentation, and more consistent RMA processing. Issues arise most often when items are sold by outside vendors.

A key reason shoppers question Newegg’s legitimacy is how some returns have been handled. Complaints about restocking fees, denial of open-box returns, and damaged merchandise continue to appear in product reviews and tech forums.

You should also watch for listings that change condition without clear labeling. For example, a GPU listed as new might arrive in a plain box with no branding, suggesting that it was either opened or repackaged. Buyers who try to return such products are often met with requests for “complete packaging” or denied entirely.

Still, millions of successful orders have shipped through Newegg, and the company continues to offer detailed listings, honest specs, and options for warranty support—when the product is new and the seller is reputable.

How is Newegg’s Security? 

Newegg’s website uses standard encryption tools during checkout and account sign-in. HTTPS is present on all pages, and you can activate two-factor authentication (2FA) to prevent unauthorized access. However, security history has not been spotless.

In 2018, Newegg experienced a breach that allowed hackers to capture payment data through an injected script on the checkout page. This went unnoticed for weeks, and many customers learned of the breach after seeing charges on their statements. Newegg removed the malware and claimed to have fixed the issue, but the delayed communication raised questions.

Since then, no major breach has been reported. Login protections now include captcha steps and 2FA options. Emails about orders and promotions come through verified channels, but phishing attempts pretending to be from Newegg are not uncommon. You should be cautious about any message asking for login credentials or payment updates.

Newegg’s RMA Process 

RMA, short for Return Merchandise Authorization, is the system Newegg uses to handle returns and exchanges. When you initiate an RMA, you’re asked to provide your order number, item condition, and reason for return. From there, Newegg determines if the product qualifies for a refund or replacement.

There are two main RMA types: refund and replacement. Refunds often come with a 15% restocking fee unless waived by customer service. You can request a waiver if the return is due to damage, defects, or shipping errors. Most returns require all original accessories and packaging.

According to a former employee who handled RMA inspections, Newegg used to manage exceptions manually. Items that didn’t meet basic requirements were reviewed case-by-case. If a customer had a strong return history or the damage seemed minor, they sometimes approved the RMA anyway. Today, that flexibility appears limited, replaced by automated enforcement of strict rules.

Returns missing a box or with minor wear may be flagged and rejected, even if the item works. Some items go through inspection, but others are returned automatically based on system flags. This has led to situations like the motherboard dispute, where products were denied refunds even if unopened.

Newegg and the Power Supply Controversy 

The controversy around Newegg’s sale of Gigabyte power supplies revealed serious flaws in how hardware failures are handled. Independent testing by Gamers Nexus found that some Gigabyte PSUs had a failure rate above 50%. During basic load testing, they either shut down suddenly or caused system-wide hardware damage.

Affected models, including the P750GM and P850GM, were widely available on Newegg for months. Despite growing reports of issues, neither Gigabyte nor Newegg pulled the products from sale. Instead, the only official response was an update to the OPP (overpower protection) threshold, which did not address the core reliability concerns.

Customer reviews reflected the problem. On Newegg, these PSUs showed an unusually high volume of one- and two-star ratings, many describing sparks, power failure, or total shutdowns. Users who returned the units were refunded, but only for the PSU itself. Any connected damage—fried GPUs or corrupted motherboards—was not covered.

In most cases, Newegg only acted when pressured publicly. One of the most concerning revelations came when reviewers noted that products were still being sold without any updated warnings or documentation. At least one product page still showed promotional language without disclosing earlier issues.

If you’re buying a power supply, you should consider sticking to brands like Seasonic or Corsair, both of which had far better review consistency. Newegg's own listings can show some signs of resale data and trends, but they don’t always provide enough detail to protect against faulty batches.

How Good is Newegg Refreshed? 

Newegg Refreshed is the company’s program for refurbished electronics. These items are often returned, repaired, and resold at a lower price. The page features products from both Newegg itself and approved vendors. Some are inspected by the original manufacturer, while others are processed in-house.

The quality varies. A refurbished Surface Laptop 4 arrived in pristine condition and functioned as expected—aside from slight screen backlight bleed. On the other hand, an ABS gaming PC had case scratches and lower-grade internal parts. While it did boot and run, the system didn’t match new-build value or component balance.

Phones and accessories showed a similar mix. An iPhone SE shipped in excellent shape and claimed 100% battery health, though the resale price was higher than carrier-locked alternatives. The Mac Mini sold under the program functioned, but came with a 5400 rpm hard drive and an outdated OS.

Each refurbished listing includes a 90-day return window, which offers more coverage than many retailers. However, warranty length and repair history often remain unclear.

You can find decent deals here, but it’s best to check each listing line by line. Even when products are listed under Newegg’s own warehouse, build quality and packaging don’t always match brand-new expectations.

Inside ABS: Newegg’s Gaming PC Brand

ABS—short for Advanced Battlestations—is Newegg’s in-house PC brand. Most of the gaming desktops labeled as refurbished or discounted fall under this label. ABS systems usually feature mid-tier components like Intel Core i5 CPUs and RTX 3060 graphics cards. However, deeper inspection has shown that some systems cut corners.

You’ll find cases from Rosewill, which is also owned by Newegg. These setups often come with non-modular power supplies, minimal cooling, and entry-level motherboards. While some configurations perform well under moderate gaming loads, they may lack durability for heavy use or future upgrades.

A teardown of one refurbished ABS unit revealed missing CPU power connectors, sloppy cable management, and budget parts not always listed in the product specs. While the system worked, its long-term reliability raised concerns.

If you’re considering an ABS machine, you should evaluate it based on the exact components included—not just the GPU and CPU. Unlike custom PC builders that offer transparency, ABS systems are pre-configured and don’t allow for adjustments before shipping.

Customer Service and Return Policy Review

Newegg’s customer service has drawn mixed feedback. You’ll find cases where returns were processed quickly, refunds were issued without hassle, and support agents provided helpful responses. But these are often counterbalanced by stories of denied RMAs, long wait times, or inflexible refund policies.

One issue is how restocking fees are applied. If you return an item without speaking to an agent, a 15% restocking fee may be charged automatically. Some users report getting the fee waived after contacting customer support, while others say their requests were denied without explanation.

When items arrive damaged or incomplete, responses vary. Users who followed every return instruction still found themselves stuck after an RMA was rejected. Newegg’s documentation requirements—such as original packaging and serial number placement—can become obstacles if you throw away the box too soon.

Newegg vs Competitors: Amazon and Others 

Newegg is often compared to Amazon because both host third-party sellers and handle massive tech inventories. But the similarities end there. Amazon has a more consistent return policy, better response times, and typically handles disputes directly—even when the seller is someone else.

Newegg, on the other hand, allows more variation in how sellers manage returns. This difference can cause friction if a seller refuses to cooperate. You may find a better deal on Newegg, but Amazon tends to win on customer protection.

This head-to-head comparison between gaming week sales shows how close they compete on price—especially during seasonal promos.

B&H and Micro Center also offer strong service, though stock levels and regional access vary. If you value customer support and easier returns, Amazon may be more dependable. If you want rare parts or niche deals, Newegg still has a place—just with more risk attached.

Conclusion

So, is Newegg legit? Yes—but with caution. The site is real, orders get shipped, and millions use it every year. That said, problems with third-party sellers, inconsistent customer support, and product condition issues continue to hurt its reputation.

You can still find deals worth jumping on. Just stick with “Sold and Shipped by Newegg” listings, read return policies carefully, and avoid buying high-risk items like open-box motherboards or budget PSUs without detailed reviews.

If you shop smart, you may walk away with solid tech at a fair price. But if you skip the details, you could pay for it later.