Should you buy a new, preowned or refurbished laptop or PC?

To answer this question, we need to explore (among other things) exactly how much `bang for your buck` each option gives us.

 

We begin with a very rudimentary internet search to find a brand new, mid-high end HP laptop, brand new for the handsome sum of £549, reduced from £699. This model has an up to date Intel i5 processor, 8GB RAM and a 512GB SSD.

As we searched for a refurbished laptop we very quickly stumbled across an Acer laptop with an up to date Intel i7 processor, 8GB RAM and a 1TB SSD. This could be had for £390 

Finally, we found a preowned Dell laptop from a private seller. It was a slightly lower spec but not by much. The Intel i5 processor was still up to date but only almost as powerful as the HP but it still had 8GB RAM. Where it fell a little behind was with it's 256GB SSD. However, the price? A much more affordable £219. 

All of the models had a 14" FHD screen, Windows 11 preinstalled and all of the accessories required, such as chargers etc. included. They would work as intended straight out of the box without issue

 

You'd be easily forgiven for thinking that the £219 Dell laptop is the way to go and on the face of it, it certainly looks like it is. In terms of performance vs. price it comes out on top. But that isn't the only thing we need to consider when buying a laptop. Even at £219 it represents a significant outlay for most of us so we don't want to get it wrong.

There are two massive disadvantages when you go down the preowned route. You are buying off a relative stranger and while the majority of sellers are honourable, there is certainly a minority who just want to get their hands on some of your hard earned cash and will tell you anything they think you want to hear to do so. That means you need knowledge so you can see through all of the spiel. You need to know know both what you want and what you're looking at. Right now there are literally hundreds of PCs advertised as "gaming" PCs which are nothing more than 10yr old office PCs made to look nice. Every year after Christmas the calls from parents. "Why is it so slow?" "Can it be upgraded?" No. And the reason is simple - they didn't know what they were buying and took the seller at their word. 

The second disadvantage is the guarantee, or rather lack of one. If you buy it online you're likely not to even be able to see it or test it in advance but even if you do the deal in person, if it goes pop on your way home you have very little chance of seeing any of your money again. The old adage of `buyer beware` rings loudly if you find yourself in that situation. When you buy anything from a private seller there is always an element of risk.

 

If we delve a little deeper in to the refurbished market we can see that it is mostly small IT enterprises that work to refurbish models that have seen better days. There are quite a few advantages to this but they mostly add up to the same thing and that's that the business needs customers. Of course, do your research and check out reviews etc. there will still be bad apples out there, but a reputable small business relies on it's customers spreading the word after a positive experience. From eBay feedback and Facebook pages to good old fashioned word of mouth, it needs to be positive. That means they usually try and do everything they can to help you. If you don't have the knowledge, they'll assist you. If you don't know what you need, they'll talk to you. In the end they'll offer you the product that best suits your needs. Both a private seller and a salesman in a large corporation just want to get a sale any which way they can and move you on. The owner of a small business needs you.

Generally most refurbs these days come with guarantee too. The model we found had a full 12 month guarantee and you could even return it for up to 30 days from the purchase date if you changed your mind.

So far we've seen that buying preowned is a little bit risky if you're not incredibly clued up and even then there are no guarantees but buying refurbished usually means you can get what you need and with some peace of mind too. Why on earth would anyone want to spend an extra £159 then?

Well there are a few reasons. Even if a small business offers you a guarantee, if that business goes bust or disappears the day after your laptop gives up then there's not a lot you can do about it. That risk is still there with a big named retailer but it is lower.

Much less relevant these days but still a factor is speed. If you need a laptop right now, it is easy to go to your nearest retailer and you can have it in your hand 10 mins after you arrive. There are some retailers who offer refurbished models off the shelf, but the best bargains are found online and that means you have to wait for delivery.

Lastly would be the history of the laptop. When you peel that plastic off the screen for the first time, you know that no-one has ever pressed that `on` button before. You are the very first to use it and all of it's components are brand spanking new. When buying anything second hand you cannot be sure of it's history. It's perfectly possible it's had a life of hard computer abuse and you'd never know about it.

So what is the best way to go? Well, our suggestion would be to go down the refurbished route. It's essentially a compromise between the risk of a preowned mode and expense of a brand new one. Sure a refurbished laptop may have had a hard life but modern components are incredibly robust and the seller will have replaced anything that wasn't performing 100%. It should come with a guarantee too. Yes, there is a risk the business could disappear but these days there's just as much risk with any retailer. The advantages of buying new are just not relevant enough in the modern world to justify such an increase in expense

 

 Whichever avenue you chose though, be sure to do your research...