Are refurbished laptops just as good as new?

A refurbished iPod is just as good as a new one because it's all flash memories, no moving parts.

But a refurbished computer has moving parts, namely the HDD. I would assume that since it's been used at least once, it must have some wear and tear damage on it, even if it's still usable, meaning the longevity might possibly be shorter.

But that's my theory. Are refurbished laptops just as good as new laptops?

 

Yes.

90% of refurbished computers actually have no issues. The customer didn't want it, buyer's remorse, too slow, wrong color, didn't suit their needs is the most common reason why computers are refurbished. Also defective users that claim the computer is defective, and in actuality they didn't know how to use it also contributes.

The 10% of the time, something actually is defective. The manufacturer or a 3rd party then refurbishes it, ensures functionality and resells it typically 30-60% off brand new price.

I bought a refurbished Dell Latitude 13 over 3 months ago, no problems whatsoever. Though my E6410 did have to go back to Dell, Dell made the return process very easy.

I would stay away from 3rd party refurbishers, I only buy manufacturer refurbished laptops.

 

Its possible that a refurbished laptop is better than new.

This is because it has one thing going for it that a new one does not, someone actually tested it as working.

 

If you opt for the certified refurbishers by the manufactuer then most likely it will be just as good as having a brand new model so you shouldn't worry. Most certified refurbishers will have checked and retested the laptop to make sure it's in good working condition before putting it back on the market again. As Tsunade_Hime pointed out, some models may not even be used at all for a variety of reasons so theoretically you may end up being the first person to use it.

Another bonus is that you get much better value and save a lot of money by opting for a refurbished model as IT goods generally depreciate very heavily so you don't lose out much should you opt to sell it on later. You may also get higher specifications and upgraded warranties packages with some refurbished models compared to the brand new equivalent too.

 

Apart from being cheaper, I personally wouldn't risk buying one, especially for a main computer... I would miss the "out of the box experience", knowing that no one has touched/opened/recovered/readjusted/repaired it. The smell of new, the lack of fingerprints... or with 2 words - being virgin

If I was to buy something NOT new, I'd rather go for second hand. Would feel better about buying something someone would have taken care of, instead of something that was unwanted for whatever reason.

Although Tsunade is generally right that often electronics are being returned for no particular reason, I would still suspect technical defects that no one would have spent hours or days to look for and repair if not directly reproducible or obvious ... - the easiest way to get rid of something defective is to put a 20% price off tag on it - better than invest hours to look for a problem.

But that's just me
My 2 cents

 

It depends on who is the refurbisher of the laptop, tier one computer companies do thorough checks on the laptops or desktops before they are sold off again. While, some small computer stores or ebay sellers, just clean the outside before onselling them. The latter usually are less reliable sources of refurbished computers, they are more like used second hand computers.

Regarding hdd, it really depends on how old it is, also flash memory have a nominal working life too... hdd can be replaced cheaply nowadays, whilst flash memory can't be. Furthermore, i would be less inclined to get a refurb ipod, since the battery will be the weakest link in these stuffs.

 

I wouldn't by a laptop from eBay listed as "seller refurbished", but I would buy a refurb from Dell, or sealed in box refurbished from eBay.

I bought an Asus G50Vt-X5 refurbished sealed in box off eBay and it was perfect. I also recently purchased a Dell Latitude E6410 from the Dell Outlet, it was at an awesome price and it came with a 3 year warranty. It also arrived in excellent shape.

Summary: Refurbs are AWESOME(most of the time )

 

You ever bought one? I've bought 6 from Dell. You would have never known they were not new. Same thing like with a refurbished iPod.

 

Well, many manufacturers offer scratch and dent, and some of them are in really horrible condition whereas some will be absolutely pristine, really luck of the draw with scratch and dent. And that's why you order certified refurbished or previously ordered new from Dell's outlet.

 

Refurbished laptops = Preshrunk Jeans

 

For a little less than $700, I got the laptop in my sig refurbished from Lenovo Outlet. That's a hell of a price, and it hasn't let me down yet.

 

Actually, I've ordered 2 scratch and dents from Dell. I was leery about doing it at first, but then heard good things about them and how minor the damage really was. On mine, I could not believe how minor the scratches were. One had two parallel 3mm long scratches on the palm rest that were hardly noticeable. The other had limited swirl marks on the glossy lid (that were easily polished out).

 

Some times they actually get new part replacements that were updated after the initial product run. So for example, you could get a version B3 video card, instead of the original B1 that the product originally shipped with (that was just an example) which might have small improvements.

 

No... as I said I wouldn't. Non-virgin is non-virgin even if it looks like new
I'd rather buy second hand or better - brand-new.
A matter of personal choice.

 

I just got burned buying a refurbed Alienware M11x. The system looked fine, but when I took it out of the box, one of the screws on the bottom was stripped so it rattled around. Unfortunately, I can't get the machine replaced because I need the money for some unexpected household repairs that have cropped up in the meantime. C'est la vie.

 

i disagree most reburbs i have seen come with 0-90 day warrenties compared to the 1-2 years brand new ones come with but that is something you just need to look into

also saturn what are you talking about...a loose screw? who cares? a loose screw causes the harm. i actually have taken screws out becuase i get tired of removing 10-15 screws to open my computer.

 

What? Dell should have a 21 day return policy on the refurbs. I would call up Dell or talk with them on chat to get a refund/replacement.

Most likely it was an M11x with the hinge issues and was never repaired right.

 

I dont have any data to go by.

However it stands to reason that there are fewer problems with refurbished as opposed to new. there are no longer manufacturers defects because someone has tested it.

 

You didn't mention where you bought it from? Was it from Dell or somewhere that you have contacted to work something out?

 

You certainly should check warranty before buying as it is often short for refurbished computers.

Some are sold with long term warranty though. My elitebook (bought refurbished) had a standing warranty of almost two years.

 

The ones I've bought from Dell all had a 1 year warranty just like buying a new one.

 

Alot of manufacturer refurbished models sold to retail stores only have a 90 day warranty as they are specially priced for retail, but most manufacturer refurbished models FROM the manufacturer have the standard 1-3 year warranty.

Every mainstream Latitude model has a 3 year warranty included.

 

I bought a scratch & dent Studio 1558 (from an eBay seller, but it was in a sealed Dell box and had 360 days left on the warranty, so the eBay seller was just a middleman).

The lid had a noticable chip in it, the palmrest had 2 scratches in it, and the keys and Windows/Intel/EnergyStart palmrest stickers had some unidentifiable crud on their edges.

As I was planning on changing the lid (to add broadband antennas), and keyboard (to add backlighting), I just swapped the palmrest at the same time. Even with all of that, it was a steal. I further upgraded it to create the system in my signature:

 

Terry,

The system in your signature does look impressive, but how much did this 'steal' cost in the end?

 

Too much. It just sort of grew (the "dreaded expansion of the goals").

The original notebook had the i7-740 CPU, 1080p panel (but glossy, not matte), 6GB, 500GB hard drive and 9-cell battery. It also had a DVD recorder and a WiFi card (but not the one I'm using now). It was $699 scratch & dent from Dell.

 

lol nice spending 3/4 of the laptop cost on a 256 GB SSD.

It's been 3+ months since my Latitude 13 came in, no issues to report whatsoever!

 

Well, I hope you enjoy it for a good long time.

I have been there/done that myself - but I'm (much) older now.

A little advice?

Don't let the cost of this system prevent you from upgrading to a newer/better platform (as they present themselves). If you need the power the new systems can offer, simply swallow the cost you've already paid and get the technology (tools!) that you need to get your work done effectively and efficiently.

Just don't repeat what you've done here again, okay?

 

Guys --

For "scratch & dent", is it generally a small spec of paint, or is it like getting your car keyed by a psychotic x-girlfriend kind of "scratch"? I was considering that category from the outlet, but I have my doubts.

Some of them are 10% less than certified refurbished too.

 

It depends, but in general, unless you are getting a significant discount, DON'T.

I got my SZ as a demo unit, works great, but I paid 2/3rds normal price. Had something been wrong, I could replace anything on it and still been ahead.

On the other hand, my old SX, was a refurb I got from a customer, it was a Sony factory refurb, but still had a fried modem, which was built onto the mobo. Another customer of mine bought a refurb Hp tablet. In 4 years it ate 3 hard disks. One drive, okay, ou got a bad drive, one drive every 15 months, and you have to suspect the system. I used to buy S.F.F. refurbs/off lease systems for customers, and soon found they were bad as well. They consistently had problems, regardless f brand. However, my personal sff refurb/off-lease server has been great.


They can be deals or complete hassles.
Know who you are dealing with, and know what it will take to fix any problems before you buy.

 

From Dell scratch&dent for me it was like a small spec of paint kind of deal. The regular refurbs I would not have been able to tell they were brand new. I don't have any idea about any other vendors though or if my results were typical though.

 

I hope so. Despite getting well-used (driving cross-country in an open-wheel race car [see my avatar] tends to be somewhat rough on them), my previous systems (see below) still work, they're just not fast enough these days.

I expect I'm older than you, actually...

The previous system was an HP dv5139us from 2006, IIRC. The one before that was a Latitude C640 which was so long ago, I'm not sure when it was acquired.

When I upgrade the system I travel with, the previous one moves into the garage/shop where I don't mind it getting dirty.

 

Refurb from the brand companies like HP, Dell and Lenovo are pretty good in terms of quality and price. While, there are some online sellers whom are passing off used machines as refurbs and jacking up the price in the process, which are not so good.

My friend have encountered a store that sold him a T410 as brand new machine, when in fact it was used and had lot of private data from the previous owner (and lot of minor scratches). When he took the machine back to the store, the guy refused a refund and told him that the store never sold him that particular machine.

 

I was able to get an (after calling no less than 4 times trying to get through to the "return department") RMA, and the system is going back. I meant to say that I couldn't get a replacement because I need the money more.

 

Hrm, well next time try Dell Chat. They gave me a direct line to the return department and I had a really nice representative. They issued me an RMA in about 5 minutes and the label was emailed to me the same day.

 

I don't think there will be a next time, but if there is, I will definitely do that.

Weird thing is, the system was scheduled to arrive at Dell today, but in UPS' infinite wisdom, they tried to deliver at 6:30 a.m. Obviously, the warehouse wasn't open yet, so there's been an exception put on the package that they'll try again tomorrow. I hope this was just a fluke because I really, really don't want to have this sent back to me, meaning we'll have to repeat this process again.

 

Well Hopefully the new laptops have had the breakin test run in the factory before they are released to be sold.

 

Sorry to hear that your refurb didn't work out so well Saturnotaku. I've purchased several refurbs from Dell and they've all been good deals so far. So don't write Dell off too soon

 

I said in the M11x order-status thread that I'm actually angling to get a netbook paid for by work. That means most likely a Lenovo since we use them at the office. I'm hoping they'll go for an X120e. Small, reasonably powerful, and very professional looking. My boss is onboard. He just has to convince the brass to make it a reality.