Buying second hand is a gamble, but
it’s one that can pay off if you take care. We give you his best guide to
navigating the rough waters of the secondary market
The fast pace at which the computing
industry moves means that there’s always a new and desirable piece of
technology just around the corner. A bigger monitor, a better graphics card, a
more powerful CPU. The fast turnover may be the bane of those who like to stay
on the bleeding edge, but if you’re content to have a more mid-field system, it
has a huge advantage. If you’re willing to buy components second hand, you can
potentially get hold of big upgrades and recent components for a fraction of
their price as new.
The
fast pace at which the computing industry moves means that there’s always a new
and desirable piece of technology just around the corner.
Buying second hand isn’t without risks, of
course. You have no idea how well hardware has been treated before you buy it,
and getting a refund for components that are dead on arrival could prove tricky
if you’ve bought them in a private sale.
Beware, in particular, of those listing
components as ‘untested’ with no returns, for such claims (which mostly legitimate)
are also an easy way for the unscrupulous to offload hardware that they know is
broken.
To protect yourself, try to use systems
that rely on a measure of user moderation and feedback. Be careful of buying
used components at computer fairs where the chance of contacting a seller again
is slim to non-existent. If you can buy hardware with its warranty intact, it’s
worth doing but remember that you might need the original receipt.
The second-hand market can also work for
you, of course. There are plenty of ways to sell hardware as well, allowing you
to recoup the cost of nearly new purchases should you find that an upgrade you
want comes around a little too quickly.
To help you navigate the unfamiliar waters
of the second hand market, we’ve put together this short guide to the various
types of second hand sale, examining their advantages and disadvantages and
hopefully reassuring you that buying and selling in the secondary market isn’t
quite as risky or as difficult as you might think.
Classifieds
Classified ads are, historically, a good
place to buy or sell anything second hand although it does depend on the
source. Sites like Craigslist and Gumtree are basically unmoderated, meaning
that they’re not just full of people selling duff items, they’re full of people
who are looking to actively commit fraud! Obviously, not everyone using those
sites is a crook, but there’s almost no way to tell the good from the bad until
you’re actively engaging with the process. Make sure to follow the rules of
common sense: don’t pay by cash or bank transfer, keep copies of
correspondence, make sure you see proof of postage if you’re receiving goods
and make sure you send anything you sell by registered post, so that you can be
sure of a safe delivery!
Gumtree
Website
Of course, if you want to engage with a
more reliable classifieds system, we obviously have to point to Micro Mart’s
own classifieds listings, which you’ll find towards the back of every issue.
The good thing about our listings is that you’re only ever dealing with
computer enthusiasts, so people are broadly knowledgeable about what they’re
buying and selling, which means prices are fair and buyers are unlikely to be
dissatisfied with the goods they receive.
Nearly New Goods
Many manufacturers and retailers allow you
to buy ‘refurbished’ or ‘open box’ items from their online stores. Whatever
phrase they choose to use, the terms cover items that have been returned by
another customer and put back on sale after being checked by the retailer.
Crucially for any buyer, they’ll be as much as 20% cheaper than buying the
hardware new, representing one of the best ways to get an instant second-hand
bargain on nearly new products.
“The secondary market isn’t quite as risky
or as difficult as you might think”
The big question, of course, is why the
item was returned or refurbished in the first place. If you’re buying from a
retailer, rather than the manufacturer, you’re most likely to see ‘open box’
items. This could mean an ex-display model, something that was purchased, used
once and returned simply because the buyer didn’t like it, or faulty hardware
that the retailer hasn’t bothered to properly investigate. Mostly, it’ll mean
some minor aesthetic fault, such as a scratched or dented exterior even just
damage to the packaging. The important thing is to try to determine the item’s
history before you buy it, particularly whether you can return it or whether
there’s a valid warranty.
Many
manufacturers and retailers allow you to buy ‘refurbished’ or ‘open box’ items
from their online stores.
However, the danger of buying faulty goods
is substantially reduced if you buy so-called ‘factory refurbished’ items from
the manufacturer. In some cases, you’re actually less likely to get a faulty
product than if you buy new: when manufacturers sell items as factory
refurbished goods, they haven’t just put a returned item into the box, taped it
up and put it on sale; they’ve often subjected the hardware to a full testing
procedure, which sees portions of its internals and/or exterior replaced
entirely to eliminate any damage, faults or signs of use.
Apple famously ensures that a refurbished
item has undergone testing far more rigorous than anything a ‘new’ product goes
through before it hits shelves, meaning that its refurbished tablets, laptops
and systems are a fantastic bargain. Not every manufacturer and retailer is as
painstaking, but the rule does apply generally: if an item is returned, the
seller has had to investigate and potentially repair any fault before putting
it back on the shelf a second time, so any outlet with a reputation to uphold
is likely to have been thorough.
For these reasons, refurbished goods are a
smart way to buy ‘new’ hardware, and particularly in the case of complete
systems and consumer electronics where faults are hard for novices to locate
but easy for companies to repair. To illustrate, a Nexus 7 tablet costs $319
new, while a refurbished example can be picked up for as little as $256. If
anything, the former is more likely to fail, but because someone else has
handled the latter, it instantly loses a huge chunk of its value. If you can
stand knowing that you’re the second owner of the device (or some part of it,
at least), then you’ll easily save a lot of money.
