An interesting tale from a reliable source has just tipped up regarding buying bargain iPods online:
“The iPod came in just a couple of days--but as soon as I unwrapped it and connected it to my Mac at home I got an ominous alert from my usually quiet antivirus software. The iPod, it informed me, contained some virus known as AdobeR.exe.
As I dug into the problem, I learned something I probably should have realized before I ordered. The ‘recertified’ iPod wasn't recertified by Apple, but instead through some third party.”
The moral of the story is that if you’re going to buy a recertified part, get it directly from the manufacturer. A virus on the device could end up being the least of your problems, but it is certainly indicative of a quality control issue.