Buying a refurbished desktop is a great way to get more value for money. But like any product, the quality and service provided by different suppliers can vary greatly.
To increase the chances of having a great experience, we made this checklist of 6 essential things to check before choosing a supplier or an individual device – plus a few extra checks you may want to make as well.
Pure IT’s Refurbished Desktop Checklist
1. What Warranty Is Offered?
The length and type of warranty offered by the supplier is an important consideration. Look for a warranty that is at least 1 year in length, with 5 years or lifetime warranties being the best option. Also make sure to find out whether the warranty covers all hardware, including batteries.
Now let’s look at the different types of warranty. Some warranties, such as Return to Base (RTB) and Collection & Return (C&R) require you to send the item back for repair, which can take days or weeks. Advanced Replacement warranties involve sending a replacement unit and collecting the faulty one, so you’re not without a laptop for an extended period of time. Meanwhile, Next Business Day (NBD) warranties involve sending a replacement unit or an engineer on-site the next business day. Pure IT offers an NBD Advanced replacement warranty.
2. What Is The Return Policy?
As with any big purchase, it’s a good idea to make sure the supplier offers a no-quibble return policy. This will ideally stretch to 14 or 30 days, so you can return the product if you’re not satisfied for any reason.
3. Has The Product Been Refurbished Properly?
Not all refurbs are created equal, and the refurb process can vary widely between suppliers.
As a result, it’s important to understand what changes have been made and what tests are performed to ensure functionality. It’s also a good idea to ask if your supplier only uses genuine parts when repairing, or if they use cheaper compatible components.
4. What Condition Is The Desktop In?
The condition your refurbished desktop arrives in will go a long way to deciding whether you feel satisfied or not.
Suppliers can vary greatly in the way they grade desktop conditions, so it’s important to ask about a supplier’s grading description and what each grade means.
You can also ask if they have pictures of the units. Or for bigger orders, ask them for a free sample to test in your own environment. Pure IT offer free samples to all public sector organisations and businesses.
5. What Cosmetic Improvements Have Been Used?
To make sure more of their stock is “Grade A” condition, many refurb suppliers carry out cosmetic improvements on the desktops they sell.
This can include painting cases to cover up scratches, but be aware that this may not be as scratch-resistant as the original paint finish. Another option is skinning a laptop with a vinyl sticker, which won’t scratch as easily but may start to peel around the edges over time. In addition to this, suppliers may also buff and polish cases to remove minor marks.
At Pure IT, we buff and polish almost every desktop to make it look clean and fresh and use a painting process for desktops with deeper scratches. Unlike our laptop refurbishment process where we DO NOT paint and instead replace any scratched or damaged panels; we feel the decreased scratch resistance isn’t as much of an issue for static desktops.
6: Packaging
It’s important to consider how the desktops are packaged.
While we hope that every supplier uses suitable packaging for single unit orders, you will find a bigger difference between how a good and a bad supplier packages larger orders.
Ask the supplier how they package their orders. You are looking for a supplier with packaging that keeps the desktops safe in transit, reduces waste and costs, and minimises the amount of material to dispose of.
Bonus Check: Computrace Status
As part of the refurbishment process, does the supplier actively check every device for Computrace being active?
Computrace is a security software offered by Absolute. If it is active, it allows the registered owner to remotely lock and, if desired, wipe the device at any time. As a result, you must check if your desktop is registered on the Absolute system and get it removed if it is currently registered there. Pure IT checks every device and takes care of this for you.
Failing to do this can mean you:
1. have a surprise one day with a locked device or
2. have an unknown service accessing your files, settings and usage data
A Few Extra Things To Check
- Does the model have all of the ports you need?
- Are a keyboard and mouse included?
- Does the supplier have a high number of reviews?
Overall, by considering these factors, you can ensure that you choose a high quality refurbished desktop supplier. That way, you can enjoy the immense cost benefits with far less risk of ending up disappointed.
If you have any questions about sourcing the most suitable refurbished IT hardware for your team, please get in touch with our friendly team.
