In Brief
– Do you harbor intentions of buying new technologies but are put off by the financial cost? Look no further.
– If you intend to save money during the purchase of electronics, stay away from new!
– Get to know the difference between new, refurbished, and used.
So what is a refurbished item?
It is a product that has most likely been used, and either returned as used or as faulty. It is then subjected to diagnostic tests and all necessary repairs and upgrades done. The item thus undergoes a thorough clean-up before it is packaged for resale.
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As a strategy to encourage the purchase of refurbished items, dealers will often constitute new warranty terms for clients. This will however not be as comprehensive as one for a new item, but will at least serve as surety should anything go wrong.
Why go for refurbished?
Refurbished items, especially when it comes to the purchase of electronic products, have proved to be the in-thing for most users. They serve as the convenient gap bridge between buying used and buying new items.
If the purchase cost is a key factor that you’d want to put into consideration, you will most likely turn your face away from a new item. But again you want to ensure you get the desired quality value and hence would exhibit reluctance to jump in for used products in as much as the cost could be enticing.
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So in that very delicate balancing situation, you’ll most likely figure out, why not go for refurbished? And true to the raw reality of the moment, it will prove worthwhile. In other words, the proverbial two birds will have gone down in a single stone throw.
The difference between new, refurbished and used
New items come to you directly from the manufacturer’s factory. When you buy for instance a laptop off the shelf of your favorite store, completely sealed in a box, it is a new device. It means that the device came straight from the factory, to the store, and to your hands. Usually, new items come with the manufacturer’s one-year full warranty and all other accompanying accessories. New items will almost always sell at higher prices than used and refurbished ones.
Used items come straight to your hand from the previous user. Buying used items tends to be the cheapest way out, but the gain is often negated by the heavy risk that comes with the endeavor. If the seller is not completely honest, used gadgets may even come with damages that affect their usability. The riskiest part is the fact that used items do not come with warranty or return policies.
Refurbished items lie somewhere in between new and used. They may have been returned shortly after sale, or could have been used items that have undergone maintenance before resale. In some cases, refurbished items will come with a fresh warranty. Most refurbished items are not easily distinguishable from new. The key advantage of considering this category is that you obtain value at a lower cost, a win-win deal kind of.
How long is a refurbished laptop likely to last?
The service life of refurbished devices is dependent on two major variable factors;
1. Who refurbed?
If the device was refurbished by the original manufacturer, then you can count on the longest possible lifespan. If the refurbishing was carried out by a second or a third party vendor, then it is unlikely that you will get more than two years of service. This is majorly because there is a high possibility that the original accessories were not used during the rebuild.
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2. Age before refurb
The older the device was at the time of refurb, the less likely it is to serve a long lifespan.
- Inspect the laptop body – ensure the frame is free of cracks and other signs of impact.
- Check the screen condition.
- Test the keypad and Trackpad.
- Test the ports and CD/DVD drive.
- Check wireless connectivity.
- Test the webcam and speakers.
- Check the battery health.
- Software checks.
- Check for any available warranties.
- Read the fine print to comprehend what is covered by the warranty.
- Check return policies.
It has become easier than you previously thought. You don’t have to blow out your mind trying to figure out where to obtain this so seemingly attractive deal. Refurbished laptops are now available online. And what’s even better? Delivery is made at your doorstep.
You can view a collection of fairly priced refurbished laptops here. If you land on something nice, why not run with it?
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