when a phone gets sent back its sent back to the manufacturer which in your case would be RIM. then they will tear it apart fix whatever needs fixed replace what ever needs replacing and then sends it back to Sprint. A refurbished phone doesn't necessarily mean its used, sometimes it could be a phone that had a pixel issue and the rest of phone was perfect, RIM will replace the screen and then forced to issue it as refurbished.
when a phone gets sent back its sent back to the manufacturer which in your case would be RIM. then they will tear it apart fix whatever needs fixed replace what ever needs replacing and then sends it back to Sprint. A refurbished phone doesn't necessarily mean its used, sometimes it could be a phone that had a pixel issue and the rest of phone was perfect, RIM will replace the screen and then forced to issue it as refurbished.
They come from you the consumer, all those phones you take to sprint because theyre "broken or defective" they are repaired and resold.
Consider also, that pretty much any phone that's been activated if it gets exchanged will end up refurbed. So even if someone just wanted a different color, or decided to switch to a different phone, then the one they traded in may have been perfect and will end up a refurb.
