Laptops Are More
Affordable Then Ever
<<<... -Check the photos. Are there any actual photos of the laptop? Generally, a scammer doesn't have the actual product in hand to take photos, but keep in mind that they can easily swipe photos from a personal website. The absence of real product photos does not indicate a scam, but it should be considered as a part of the bigger picture. -Check the time. Is the seller in a major hurry? Is it a 2-day auction? Legitimate sellers can also be a in a hurry, but if you feel that the seller is really rushing, make sure to take this into account.
-Check the deal. You know what they always say: "If it sounds too good to be true…" I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but totally unbelievable deals are just that – not believable. Bottom line: If you feel suspicious, listen to your gut. A private seller that is trying to come off as a retailer will probably have holes in their story that you can expose by checking for red flags.
A private seller trying to scam you probably won't have their ducks in a row well enough to pull off a swindle on an educated consumer. Know the Products. There is a difference between a used laptop and a refurbished (reconditioned, remanufactured) laptop. A used laptop is just that – used by another person for a certain period of time and now it needs a new home. Perhaps the seller has cleaned up the notebook for sale, erased the hard drives, and gathered up all the original manuals and packaging, but it's possible he has done none of that.
Refurbished, on the other hand, usually describes a notebook that has been returned to the manufacturer, repaired, cleaned-up, repackaged, and sent out with a short warranty period attached. These laptops are generally sold by an online retailer, so you often have the security of knowing you may be able to hold them accountable for problems (though you can't be sure of this – check their specific policies).
Of course, 'refurbs' also come with a higher price tag, but you pay for that added security. It's possible that a refurbished system will have some light surface scratches, but most often you can't even tell that the unit was ever used. Some things to keep in mind when shopping for a used (not refurbished) laptop: -You will probably need to buy a new battery. There are specific draining and charging procedures for laptop batteries. Chances are that the seller did not always follow these procedures (does anyone?). Make sure to account for the price of a new battery when you are shopping so you aren't hit with an unexpected after-purchase cost... more>>>