Buying a brand new laptop with good specifications is something we all do, or have done. However, when doing so, we are looking at prices of £500 to over £1000, which isn’t exactly very healthy for your wallet. However, there is another cheaper way. Refurbished: Is it worth investing in a laptop in this condition? Well, in this article we’re going to answer that question and tell you what to look for in a good refurbished laptop.
Refurbished is a safer alternative to buying used.
It’s really easy nowadays to go onto eBay and buy a used laptop straight up for what appears to be a bargain. However, buying used is a bit of a gamble if you don’t know what you’re doing, as for one, it’s hard to judge the condition of a laptop just by looking at photos online, and trusting the seller if the laptop even works internally.
Refurbished laptops normally go through a hardware and electronic checkups to make sure everything is alright and faulty parts are replaced. Buying refurbished or certified refurbished is a much safer alternative option.
When buying a refurbished laptop from a business, it’s more than likely the products are slightly used or just returned new machines by their original owner.
Advice for buying a refurbished laptop online
Only buy from trusted sources.
The term “refurbished” can be taken out of context at times to the point where you’ll be buying an item without realising what sort of refurbishment the item has. This could mean ending up with something missing or something that would leave you thoroughly disappointed. This is why you should check the refurbished process the laptop went through. You’ll usually find this on the product description page and if not, contact the seller or manufacturer. Normally it would say “certified refurbished” or “manufacturer refurbished”. You should be in safe hands, but it is always best if the seller has provided a checklist of the entire process.
Check for a warranty
Even though you’re purchasing a refurbished item, it doesn’t mean you won’t be able to receive a warranty. First-party websites, such as Apple and Dell, will provide you with a full year of warranty (with the opportunity to extend it further), whilst third-party websites may provide you with anywhere from a week to a month or more.
And finally,
Don’t buy an older or super cheap model just to save money.
Sure, older laptops are much cheaper and look good to maybe even upgrade with a new SDD or add more RAM. However, it is more than likely not worth it. As an older laptop CPUs cannot be upgraded and will always remain slower and more trouble than it’s worth, so try to go for a laptop that’s maxed out at 4 years old or using a manageable CPU.
