Benefits of Refurbished Computers

Computers are definitely not the cheapest products on the market. One option that many shoppers often forget to take into consideration is buying refurbished products. There are many benefits to buying refurbished computers. Below are some points to consider when deciding whether or not to purchase refurbished machines.

Aesthetics

Many computer manufacturers, such as HP, Dell and Apple, use a very stringent refurbishment process. They want consumers to continue to order from them, even refurbished products. So, they are not going to send computers with case scratches or any major physical defects. Most times, refurbished desktops and laptops are actually given a brand new casing prior to sale. If a company receives a computer for refurbishment that shows only light wear, it may choose to replace only certain parts with new ones. Expect refurbished computers to look 99 percent just like brand new.

Functionality

Most of the time, refurbished computers are just customer returns. In some cases, there could be nothing wrong with the computers at all. The customer just did not like the products, so they returned them within the warranty period. In cases like this, the computer manufacturers will sell these computers as refurbished. They can't sell them as new because they have been opened at used slightly for a short period of time.

The other instance of refurbished computers is defective parts. This could range from anything to a RAM module to the motherboard. When the manufacturers refurbish these computers, they normally replace the faulty part with a brand new one. If the issue is with installation, they will properly reinstal the part.

Manufacturers also test for like-new functionality before selling. Not only do they test the replacement parts, but everything else as well. Expect refurbished computers to function just as well as new ones.

Warranty

Large computer companies will offer the exact same warranty on refurbished products as they will on new products. So as far as the warranty goes, you really are losing nothing by purchasing refurbished. If a warranty is important to you, make sure that you buy refurbished from the manufacturer rather then some independent reseller that refurbishes computers. This will give you the full warranty that you want.

Price

Computer manufacturers cannot sell any product as new unless it is truly 100 percent new. This means that customer returned computers, extra computers and previous generation computers, must be sold under a different name. So, manufacturers sell all these types of products with a refurbished label.

They also know that consumers will not pay near as much for refurbisheds computer as they would brand new ones. In turn, refurbished computers are often offered at rock bottom prices--often times up to 20 percent off the new price.

Here is a good example of when to buy refurbished: Apple originally sold a MacBook for $1600, new. The company also offered the same laptop for $1300 refurbished. A month later, Apple gets newer processors in and overhauls all of their notebooks. The original laptop is now offered at $900 refurbished.

Accesories

One question you may have with buying refurbished is: Do you receive everything that comes with a new computer? Yes. Computer manufacturers will provide you with all original documentation, user manuals, power cords and other accessories. The one downfall is that your item will usually come in a plain brown packaging rather then the original box.

References

• Apple refurbished policy
• Dell Outlet
• HP policy