4 Things To Know Before You Buy a Refurbished PC.

Refurbished laptops are cheaper than brand new laptops, and a high-quality refurbished laptop doesn’t look or perform any differently from a brand new machine.

Refurbished laptops are used laptops that have been inspected, cleaned, repaired, and made ready for sale to a new user. The original manufacturer of the laptop refurbishes factory refurbished laptops. Third parties also refurbish and sell. Refurbished laptops typically sell at a significant discount compared to new laptops with similar specifications.

Refurbished and used laptops are not the same, but some refurbished laptops have been used before. In other cases, someone might have removed a computer from its box for some reason, at which point a seller can sell it as refurbished but not as new. Laptops purchased, opened, and returned to the store are prime candidates for refurbishment. Before a laptop is sold as refurbished, it is usually inspected for any wear and tear, tested to make sure it’s fully operational, repaired if necessary, and cleaned. In some cases, internal components will be replaced or upgraded even if they are still in working order. The laptop is usually factory reset, with a fresh operating system installation.

Refurbished laptops will save you money, but are they good?

Here’s how to find a good refurb:

1. Identify Your Source

When choosing a refurbished laptop, it’s very important to consider the source. If a laptop is factory refurbished, it was refurbished by the same manufacturer that initially made the laptop. It may be an open-box laptop that’s essentially new and has just been tested to make sure it works, or it may have been sent back as defective, repaired, tested, cleaned up, and made available for sale at a discount. Manufacturers usually provide detailed information about their refurbishing processes and offer the best warranties.

Some retailers have refurbishing or renewal programs, where the retailer refurbishes laptops or contracts with third parties to do so.

• Warranty Clause

Warranty periods vary from one refurbisher to the next, and some laptops don’t come with any warranty at all. New laptops usually come with a one-year warranty, and that’s what you should look for in a refurbished model. Even though refurbished laptops aren’t technically new, they’re sold as “like new,” so the refurbisher should be willing to stand behind the product as if it were.

• Product Condition and Information

The condition of a refurbished laptop usually depends on if someone previously owned it and, if so, for how long did the old owner used it. The best refurbishing processes will return a used laptop to a like-new condition, but there may be some cosmetic issues like unrepairable scratches or dents. The refurbished laptop should be clean and as free from physical blemishes as possible. Ultimately, the refurbished laptop should look and operate like it did when it was new. It may have outdated components and performance compared to brand new models, but it should work about as well as when it was built.

• Box Product or Not

An open-box product is a product that was purchased and opened but was not used. The product was returned to the seller before it was used for one reason or another. The main reason buyers return products is if the package was damaged or if they are returning it as a caution issued even if the product worked okay.