10 Things to Know Before You Buy Refurbished IT
Buying a refurbished device can help you save money, but don't go into it blindly. These tips will help get you a good deal and will avoid you being ripped off when buying refurb.
There's a simple reason to buying refurbished tech instead of brand new - saving money.
Here's a quick rundown of what you should know before you click the BUY NOW button on a refurbished piece of IT Tech. If you can't get these questions answered to your satisfaction, then look for another supplier that can.
Who Performed the Refurb?
In general, sticking with a reputable Refurbishing IT Company is the smartest move. They'll have the right packaging and parts to make the product as close to new as possible. Look for "factory-certified" or "factory-refurbished" to put your mind at ease.
At PPS Africa we have a stringent procedure whereby we thoroughly inspect, test and refurbish all of our machines with a 25-point procedure.
Is It a Refurb or Open-Box?
A typical open-box tech product is either a demo or is one that was purchased and opened, but returned before it was ever used. Maybe the buyer or recipient didn't want it anymore or maybe the packaging was damaged, so it was returned as a precaution, even though the contents worked fine.
You may not be the first owner with an open-box but you could be the first user.
Technically, we'd argue that to be a "true" refurb, a device needs some kind of repair, cleaning or reconditioning. Terms like "pre-owned" and "reconditioned" are often used for refurbished Tech.
Does It Come With All the Stuff?
A lot of Refurbishing IT Companies sell devices with accessories like a mouse, keyboard, AC adaptor which they will specify in their ad, or you can simply purchase these items separately from them.
It's also possible you could get the product in something close to the original packaging.
What Condition Is It In?
Keep in mind that a good refurbished product has:
· been treated right by its previous owner;
· been appropriately reconditioned and refurbished by the retailer;
· gone through a rigorous testing process before going on the market.
The good news is that there is an entire grading scale in place regarding the cosmetic quality of refurbished devices which are:
Grade A = Excellent: the best cosmetic quality for a refurbished item.
Grade B = Good: the devices present obvious signs of use with light signs of wear but no scratches on the screen.
Grade C = Fair: there will be visible scratches and moderate cosmetic defects.
At PPS Africa, we mainly sell B-Grade laptops, desktops and servers.
Are the batteries in good condition?
One of the primary concerns about buying a refurbished laptop is the degraded battery life. The capacity of your computer's battery decreases over time, so buying a refurbished laptop may mean that the battery you receive doesn't have the runtime of a brand-new battery. However, we test the batteries in our refurbished laptops before they leave the factory to verify that they have a minimum of 30 minutes of runtime. We do however also offer our customers a new battery at cost when they purchase from us.
Does the Product Still Have a Warranty?
Don't buy any product, refurbed or brand new, that is advertised "as-is" because that takes away any implied warranty a product might have. When buying a refurbished product-of any grade-it's crucial to get a warranty. While refurbished devices are typically tested thoroughly, a warranty will protect you if anything goes wrong or if the refurbished device you've purchased doesn't have the cosmetic quality you expected.
Also, confirm the length of the warranty as this is very important. Warranties are usually 6 - 12 months and can also be extended with a minimal cost.
What's the Return Policy?
Buying refurbished is exactly the kind of transaction where it should go without saying. When you receive the product, do a thorough inspection of the device.
Should you not be completely satisfied with your purchase from PPS Africa within the first seven days of receiving it, we'll gladly arrange collection of the product(s) at our cost and provide you with a 100% refund.
At PPS Africa we set and maintain the very best standards in all areas of our service. Our experts deal with this process exclusively, devoting the upmost care and attention and as a result product reliability is just as high as a brand-new product.
You can be confident of getting a laptop that's as good as new for only a fraction of the price!
Refurb is the Future! Why not join the Future?
