All to often we’re asked ‘why should I buy refurbished?’, when really the question you should be asking yourself is ‘why am I spending so much money on a new laptop?!’ If you ask customers why they prefer to buy new laptops they’ll highlight performance, reliability and updated software as key factors in their decision making.
Refurbished laptops are often perceived as weaker on these fronts, unreliable and operating slowly, they’re seen as a risky choice. Concerns about refurbished laptops are often unfounded, as long as you find a reputable supplier. Many refurbished laptops offer performance and reliability that is equivalent or even exceeds that of buying new, all at half the price or less!
Buying New – Positives and Pitfalls
Modern & Up-to-Date
Lets take a look at the benefits of the buying brand new top of the range business models from the likes of Dell, HP or Lenovo, which can cost anywhere between £600 and £1200. These models have all the latest hardware to ensure the laptop is fast, assuming it has the right components for your requirements.
Reliability & Support
Brand new laptops are going to be reliable for 8 years or so, however there is quite a high failure rate in the first year due to manufacturing errors with the components (around 5%). After this first year you should have a very reliable system to enjoy for the next few years with Dell and HP offering fantastic warranty support should you encounter any issues.
Initial Outlay
It’s worth remembering with these laptops that in order to get high quality models with decent performance you will have to invest a lot of money. As we have already mentioned, brand new laptops come with a high initial failure rate (1 in 20 laptops) during the first twelve months, which can be particularly grating when you have spent so much money.
Does it Deliver?
Another risk with brand new laptops is being mis-sold performance as you are dazzled with high-spec processors and lots of RAM in a laptop without a SSD. Paying top end prices for components that don’t deliver as part of the whole can be extremely frustrating.
Refurbished Laptops – The Pros and Cons
Value For Money
The clearest advantage of buying a refurbished laptop over a brand new laptop is the fact that you get high quality business models for around half the price or even less in some cases. You can purchase high or very-high performance laptops that are refurbished for around the same price as a brand new bottom of the range laptop. Such cost-effectiveness allows you to make the most of your budget and stretch it to buy more equipment than you would otherwise be capable of.
Quality & Reliability
Buying from a reputable high-end refurbished hardware supplier ensure you will receive consistently high quality along with an excellent warranty and ongoing support should you encounter any issues. As the laptop is refurbished you will bypass the high failure rate of the first year we mentioned earlier, ensuring you get 3-5 years from the laptop with an extremely low failure rate and complete peace of mind.
Beware Buying From the Wrong Refurbishers
Making the wrong choice in who you buy refurbished laptops from can have a huge impact on the value for money you receive. The reliability of the laptops you purchase may be questionable if your supplier has not taken the necessary care to select laptops that have been barely used and serviced correctly. The laptops you end up with may not have the software you need or expected and might be in poor physical condition. Following on from this, if you have not chosen your refurbisher wisely you may receive limited support from them and customer service that leaves a lot to be desired.
Finding the Right Refurbished Laptops
First of all it is important to speak to an expert to discuss and explore your requirements and establish which laptops are most suitable for you. You should also do your own research into any laptop suppliers you are considering to ensure that they are both reputable and reliable. As we have discussed already, choosing the wrong supplier can lead to problems both short and long term. Another option is to try out a single refurbished laptop if you are unwilling to take the plunge with a huge order, this gives you the opportunity to assess its performance and whether it lives up to your requirements.
If you’re interested in buying high-quality laptops that offer real value for money then Pure IT Refurbished can provide the advice and expertise that you need to make the best choice. All of the refurbished laptops we supply are tailored to each customer’s requirements and come with a five point guarantee that includes a minimum 1 year warranty and an outstanding support service that has earned us a 5 star customer service rating.
