If you need tips for buying second hand laptop, you do not need to be worry. There are second hand laptops from various manufacturers with different condition and specs that you can consider to look at.
There are times when our wishes do not go along with our wallet, including when we want to purchase a laptop. It is common to find a situation where a laptop price is shooting high that the budget we have prepared is not enough. When you are into this kind of situation, you do not need to be worry. Online or local computer shops will provide you a great solution, second-hand laptops. There are laptops from various manufacturers with different condition and specs that you can consider to look at. If you are a smart and careful buyer, you can end up with getting a good quality laptop with a great deal price.
So, in order to make sure you are getting the best deal high quality product, here are buying second-hand laptop tips for your guidance:
1. Ask the guarantee validity
People are selling their laptops for so many different reasons, like facing a financial difficulty, getting bored or simply the laptop specs do not provide the owner’s need. One thing that you have to do is asking about the guarantee. Is it a shop guarantee or is it an authorized distributor guarantee? To make sure this, you can also check the warrant card. Some well-known computer brands, such as Apple and Lenovo, provide a facility to their costumers, where the costumers can have the warranty checked through the official websites.
If you put a importance on the guarantee, you can look for some business laptops with a warranty validity up to 3 years. It is recommended that you purchase a second-hand laptop with at least 3 months warranty left.
2. Check the LCD screen
One of the most expensive components in a laptop unit is LCD screen. Therefore, checking the LCD screen is a must before you decide to purchase it. One easy way of doing this is by changing the wallpaper into a black background and check if you find any dot, which is not in black color. After doing this, you can reverse the background into a white color and check to see if there is any dot, which is not white. When you find any dot with different color, it is better for not taking a risk because different colored dots commonly indicate that the LCD is not too good. Other than the dot, you also need to check if there is any line on the screen. If the line does not dissapear, it is also a sign that you should pick another unit.
3. Check the physical appearance and functionality of the laptop
The look of the laptop can give you a picture of the previous owner and how he/she maintained the laptop itself. If you buy a second-hand laptop from local stores, it is most likely that the laptop has been cleaned. However, you can check if there is any defect on the unit because it dropped or fell. Such scratches are quite obvious to see.
If you suspected that the laptop has been dropped before, you can just directly ask the seller, whether your suspection is true or not. You might not always get the truth here, so it is best if you can just pick another item when you find any doubt.
When it comes to check the functionality, parts to pay attention are keyboard, webcame, USD, memory card slots and optic drive. You need to have a thorough checking so that you are sure all funtionalities of the laptop work well.
4. Check the battery
One of the most difficult things to check is probably the battery. With some brands, like Lenovo ThinkPad and Apple MacBook, you can easily check the battery condition because there is a software to reveal how many times the laptop battery has been charged. Most batteries are designed to be lasting for 1000 charging times.
If you cannot find such software in the laptop, what you can do is connect the unit to the charger and run some applications. When you are doing this, you should check the battery indicator on the screen. If the indicator shows that the battery is significantly dropped, it is most likely that the battery is already in a poor condition and you need to buy a new battery for your laptop.
5. Price expectation
How much a normal price for a second-hand laptop can be tricky if you do not know the price in the market. Most commonly, if the laptop is still produced, the price difference can be around 20-30% from the new unit. It will of course depending on the condition, brand, completeness and warranty as well.
For the unit types that are no longer produced, determining the price can be more tricky. It is common to find that the successor model with more advance specifications is even tagged at the same price range. However, decreasing 35% of the last price will be the most ideal bargain to consider.
6. Transaction methods
If you are buying the laptop from internet forum, COD (cash on delivery) will be the best payment method to take. You pay the seller after you see and check the laptop on place.
If you are staying out of town, you can consider using a trust worthy dealer to represent your transaction. You should definetely avoid any seller who push you to send the money first, unless you already know the seller in person.
Buying second-hand laptops requires precision and patience. You should never purchase a laptop because it is cheap. It is a must to do a thorough checking on the unit before you decide to purchase it. Hopefully, these buying second-hand laptop tips can be useful references for you.