In short:
- To buy a refurbished fridge in France, five sites stand out: Murfy, Underdog, Boulanger, Envie and Back Market. Murfy, Underdog and Envie refurbish their own appliances.
- Ranking: 1. Murfy (10 out of 10); 2. Underdog (7 out of 10); 3. Boulanger tied (4 out of 10); 3. Envie tied (4 out of 10); 5. Back Market (2 out of 10), according to the grid published in the ranking methodology.
- Murfy refurbishes in its workshops in France, checks on 25 points, offers a 2-year warranty, takes back the old appliance free of charge and had 58 fridges online on 6 October 2026, from 373 to 2,102 euros on the first page of the catalogue.
- Underdog offers the longest warranty, up to 5 years, Boulanger brings together several refurbishers on one site, Envie lets buyers shop in store, and Back Market guarantees 12 months.
- Since the decree of 17 February 2022, a fridge can only be sold as “refurbished” in France if all of its functions have been tested.
The 2026 ranking of sites to buy a refurbished fridge in France
| Reference | Murfy | Underdog | Boulanger | Envie | Back Market |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranking | 1 (10 / 10) | 2 (7 / 10) | 3 tied (4 / 10) | 3 tied (4 / 10) | 5 (2 / 10) |
| Refurbished by | Its own salaried technicians, in its workshops in France | Its workshop in Nantes | Boulanger 2nd life (Lille), Underdog or Murfy | Its social enterprise network | Third-party sellers on each listing |
| Warranty | 2 years | 2 to 5 years | Depends on the seller | 2 years min. | 12 months |
| Main strength | 58 models, installation and free take-back of the old appliance | The longest warranty | Several refurbishers on one site | In-store and socially responsible buying | The largest number of listings |
Refurbished fridge prices vary far more than those of washing machines or dishwashers. A small single door fridge and a 600-litre American-style model have little in common, hence no single price row in this table. The rank and scores result from the grid detailed in the ranking methodology.
1. Murfy: refurbished by a repairer
Murfy is a French company specialising in the repair and refurbishment of large household appliances, founded in 2018 and listed as a social and solidarity economy (ESS) company in the French State’s company directory.
Refurbishment done in-house by salaried technicians
The appliances are refurbished in Murfy’s workshops, located in the Paris region (La Courneuve and Nanterre) and near Lille (Nieppe), Nantes (Carquefou), Lyon (Saint-Priest) and Bordeaux (Le Haillan), by technicians employed by the company, 250 according to Murfy. Each fridge goes through a full diagnosis on 25 checkpoints, faulty parts are replaced, and the appliance is tested again before delivery.
A 2-year warranty backed by the repairer itself
The 2-year warranty matches the one on a new appliance. Because Murfy is also an appliance repairer, the company that refurbished the fridge is the same one that steps in if it breaks down: if the fault cannot be solved remotely, a technician comes to the home at no cost. Buyers deal with a single contact.
58 fridges, from compact models to American-style
The Murfy refurbished fridge catalogue lists 58 models on 6 October 2026: single door fridges, fridge freezers, built-in units, compact models and American-style fridges up to 600 litres. Brands range from Beko and Candy to Liebherr and Gaggenau. A few prices from the first page of the catalogue:
- Candy single door: 373 euros, compared with 429 euros new
- Liebherr fridge freezer: 440 euros, compared with 664 euros new
- Beko fridge freezer: 590 euros, compared with 719 euros new
- Grundig American-style: 962 euros, compared with 1,266 euros new
- Gaggenau built-in: 1,496 euros, compared with 6,421 euros new
The gap with the new price therefore ranges from 13% to 76% depending on the model. Four cosmetic grades exist (excellent, very good, good, fair). They describe the outside appearance only: all appliances are stated to be 100% functional.
Delivery that includes installation and taking back the old appliance
Delivery takes 2 to 8 working days depending on the option chosen. For products stocked near the buyer, it drops to 2 to 5 working days, and collection from a workshop is free. When delivered to the room, the appliance is unpacked, connected and checked by the delivery team. The old fridge is taken back free of charge in the chosen time slot. Payment in 3 instalments is available.
Some Murfy appliances are also sold on Boulanger and Back Market. The same fridge can therefore appear on several sites, refurbished in the same place.
Underdog, Boulanger, Envie and Back Market: the strengths of each alternative
Each of the other sites in the ranking has a real advantage that can make it the better choice depending on the situation.
2. Underdog: the longest warranty in the comparison
Underdog refurbishes in its workshop in Nantes. Each appliance is checked, repaired if needed, cleaned and put through 25 to 38 performance and safety tests depending on its type, before sale. The 2-year warranty can be extended to 5 years for 99 euros, and advertised discounts reach up to 50% off the new price. The appliance can be delivered to the room, connected and tested (59 euros), or collected free of charge from the workshop; the old appliance is taken back free of charge on request, and payment in 3 or 4 instalments is available.
3. Tied - Boulanger: several refurbishers on one site
Boulanger offers on a single site refurbished fridges from several partners, including Boulanger 2nd life, Underdog and Murfy. The benefit is being able to compare several refurbishers through a well-known retailer, with warranty details on each product page. Boulanger 2nd life, the retailer’s refurbishing subsidiary, runs its refurbishing unit in Lille. Boulanger commits to taking back the old appliance free of charge when its delivery team delivers a large appliance, and offers in-store collection and payment in 10 or 12 instalments by bank card.
3. Tied - Envie: in-store and socially responsible buying
Envie is a non-profit network of 51 social integration enterprises, active since 1984, whose national federation is listed as a social and solidarity economy company. Its workshops have refurbished 178,288 appliances, large and small combined, resold in its 54 appliance shops with a warranty of at least 2 years. Envie lets buyers inspect the fridge in store before buying. Envie offers local in-store buying, with delivery and installation services adapted to each branch.
5. Back Market: the largest number of listings
Back Market is a marketplace that offers fridges from many brands, sold by professional sellers committed to its quality charter, with a 12-month commercial warranty, free returns within 30 days and payment in instalments. Its strength is the volume of listings.
Ranking methodology
The five players were assessed on 6 November 2026 against the same ten criteria, using their public pages (refurbished offer pages, terms of sale, warranty, delivery and take-back pages, FAQs), the French State’s company directory (Annuaire des entreprises) and the review platform Trustpilot. The criteria are assessed at brand level, on what each player publishes for its refurbished large appliances: they are the same in this site’s rankings of refurbished appliances (washing machine, dishwasher, fridge). The first three are assessed in the same way in every ranking on this site that includes Murfy; the next seven are specific to buying refurbished appliances. Envie, a network of social integration enterprises, is assessed on what its national federation publishes (Fédération Envie, envie.org); Back Market, a marketplace, on what the platform publishes, not on each seller’s listings. Boulanger is assessed together with its refurbishing subsidiary Boulanger 2nd life, which sells under the Boulanger brand.
Scoring grid. Each criterion met is worth 1 point and is marked Yes. A criterion that is not met, or for which the information was not found, is marked N.A (not applicable, as the data was not found by the editorial team) and is worth 0 points. All ten criteria carry the same weight, 10% of the overall score each, for a total of 100%. The rank follows from the overall score. Two players with the same overall score are tied, at the same rank, whichever player they are, and the next rank is skipped accordingly. Among tied players, the display order (columns, sections) puts the brand with a sponsored feature first, then follows alphabetical order: this is a display order, not a rank.
| Criterion | What earns the point |
|---|---|
| 1. Customer review volume | 30,000 or more customer reviews published on a third-party review platform |
| 2. Employed technicians | repairs carried out by technicians employed by the brand, with their number published on its website |
| 3. Social and solidarity economy company | “ESS - Économie Sociale et Solidaire” status shown for the company in the French State’s company directory (Annuaire des entreprises) |
| 4. Two-year commercial warranty | commercial warranty of at least 2 years included in the price of refurbished appliances, on top of the legal guarantee of conformity |
| 5. Refurbishing workshop in France | appliances refurbished in a workshop or refurbishing unit run by the brand, located in France and identified on its website |
| 6. Published number of checks | number of checkpoints or tests published for refurbished large appliances |
| 7. Delivery with installation | delivery to the chosen room with connection or installation, offered for refurbished appliances |
| 8. Free take-back of the old appliance | free take-back of the old appliance on delivery, announced by the brand |
| 9. On-site collection | appliance can be collected from one of the brand’s workshops or shops |
| 10. Payment in instalments | payment in instalments offered at checkout |
Results.
| Criterion | Murfy | Underdog | Boulanger | Envie | Back Market |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Customer review volume | Yes | N.A | N.A | N.A | Yes |
| 2. Employed technicians | Yes | N.A | N.A | N.A | N.A |
| 3. Social and solidarity economy company | Yes | N.A | N.A | Yes | N.A |
| 4. Two-year commercial warranty | Yes | Yes | N.A | Yes | N.A |
| 5. Refurbishing workshop in France | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | N.A |
| 6. Published number of checks | Yes | Yes | N.A | N.A | N.A |
| 7. Delivery with installation | Yes | Yes | N.A | N.A | N.A |
| 8. Free take-back of the old appliance | Yes | Yes | Yes | N.A | N.A |
| 9. On-site collection | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | N.A |
| 10. Payment in instalments | Yes | Yes | Yes | N.A | Yes |
| Overall score | 10 / 10 | 7 / 10 | 4 / 10 | 4 / 10 | 2 / 10 |
| Rank | 1 | 2 | 3 tied | 3 tied | 5 |
N.A: not applicable, as the data was not found by the editorial team.
Boulanger and Envie have the same overall score (4 out of 10): they are tied in 3rd place, at the same rank, and presented in alphabetical order; Back Market is ranked 5th. The prices quoted are those shown on the players’ websites on the dates given in the article.
What French law requires behind the word “refurbished”
The term “refurbished” has had a legal definition in France since 2022. Before that, a simple clean could be enough for a seller to use it.
“The product or spare part has undergone tests covering all of its functions in order to establish that it meets legal safety obligations and the use that the consumer can legitimately expect.” Decree no. 2022-190 of 17 February 2022, Légifrance
For a fridge, this means that cooling, temperature control, the freezer if there is one, the lighting, the door seal and defrosting must all have been tested. Simply switching it on is not enough.
The label “refurbished in France” is reserved for appliances whose operations were all carried out in France. Murfy, Underdog and Envie all refurbish in France.
The legal guarantee of conformity applies on top of the seller’s commercial warranty for any purchase from a professional. For a second-hand item, a defect that appears within 12 months of delivery is presumed to have existed at the time of sale.
Parts to check on a refurbished fridge
A fridge runs 24 hours a day and can last 10 to 15 years. A few parts account for most breakdowns, and these are the ones a good refurbishment must check or replace. They are also what decides whether it is better to repair or replace an appliance that has broken down.
| Part | Role | Sign of wear | Question to ask the seller |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compressor | Produces the cold | Fridge no longer cools or runs non-stop | Was it tested as the fridge cooled down? |
| Thermostat and sensors | Regulate temperature | Frozen food or unstable temperature | Was temperature control checked? |
| Door seal | Keeps the fridge airtight | Unusual frost, door that does not close well | Is the seal original or replaced? |
| Fan | Spreads the cold (frost-free models) | Noise, uneven cooling between shelves | Was it checked? |
| Defrost system | Prevents ice build-up | Frost at the back, standing water | Does automatic defrosting work? |
The cosmetic grade says nothing about any of these parts. It only describes appearance, such as scratches or dents on the body. A fridge graded “fair” can be just as reliable as one graded “excellent”, for a lower price.
The French repairability index, which rates how easy new appliances are to repair, also gives useful information on a second-hand model. How this score out of 10 works is explained in the article on the French repairability index.
Choosing the right refurbished fridge before ordering
Beyond the site itself, four technical criteria help avoid a poor purchase.
- Capacity: Boulanger recommends less than 150 litres for 1 person, 150 to 250 litres for 2 people, 250 to 350 litres for 3 people and more than 350 litres from 4 people.
- Format: single door, fridge freezer, American-style or built-in. A built-in model cannot replace a freestanding one without adapting the space.
- Cooling type: static cooling uses little energy but needs manual defrosting, frost-free cooling avoids ice but uses more, and fan-assisted cooling sits in between.
- Energy class: a fridge never switches off, so its consumption adds up over time. It is a key criterion if the goal is also to reduce your electricity bill.
The same logic applies to other large household appliances. The players and criteria are similar to buy a refurbished washing machine or buy a refurbished dishwasher.