Would You Buy a Used Computer On Ebay?

laurencewins

11 years ago

I would never buy second hand electronics of any sort. However, if that's your idea, try Gumtree or maybe Craigslist.

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rodsav 11 years ago

I would try craigslist in your local city or the classified section in your newspaper. That away you can see what you are buying. I also wouldn't buy a used computer that is more than several years old.
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Domkonit

11 years ago

Never buy second hand electronics. There which can be broken the next day already. Better even to save a little and buy than a new

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travlinguy

11 years ago

I recently got a screamin' deal on a used computer from a guy with a computer shop. Found it on CraigsList. eBay, maybe. It would depend on the seller's return policy.

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Yogini

11 years ago

I have seen some in thrift stores and you can plug them in there to test but you'd want there to be some return policy which many don't have- they can be very inexpensive though.

Debbie

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mulder68

11 years ago

Well I have sold my old Laptops and a server on eBay and never had any comlaints. I just guess it depends who you buy from. There is a lot of rubbsh on eBay but there are some genuine sellers too. You just need to be careful

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Raydal

11 years ago

Never buy used electronics? Are you crazy? Used electronics is about the
best group of items you should buy used. Electronics are either good
or bad never "used". I know, I've been an electronics technician
for many years. A computer would quicker go obsolete than "break".

Just read the reviews and buy a good brand but used. Best money
you can spend. And, no, I'm not selling any.

-Ray Edwards

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Daniel Elss 11 years ago

depends on seller rating. I haven't bought anything used but have gotten good deals on new items.
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Sarevok

11 years ago

Hell no.

I have more computer science degrees than bill gates and enjoy building my own.

(my PCs smoke xbox 360, will smoke xbox one, and ps4).

no big deal, just sayin

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JohnPeters1983

11 years ago

Thanks guys...Are ASUS good laptops...they seem like decent prices on them. Just looking for something cheap because my PC crashed and I still have my iMac but want to use Parallels with my PC.

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DubDubDubDot

11 years ago

Look for a seller that seems to specialize in used computers, offers a warranty and free shipping. Free shipping on the initial purchase is important because you'll be paying only return shipping in the event of failure. So between the warranty and free shipping you can assume it has been tested and works.

You mentioned a laptop. Is that necessary? You'll get more bang for your buck with a desktop. You can go as old as a P4 2.4ghz HT with 1gb RAM and what was at the time a decent graphics card (something in the area of GeForce 5600). Computers don't go completely obsolete as fast as they used to. You won't be able to play HD videos on YouTube with that setup, but it'll be really cheap, won't hiccup over general use and cost will be $50-$100. Then whatever for a monitor. Look on Craigslist for that or even the whole setup. If you wanted something with more power then a Core 2 Duo 3.0ghz with 2gb RAM will run you like $250.

If you absolutely must have a laptop, then you want a Core 2 Duo 1.6ghz to 1.8ghz with at least 1gb RAM. That will run you around $150-$200.

Just keep an eye on the description and make sure the HDD and OS is included.

There is nothing wrong with buying used computer stuff on eBay. I buy used individual components fairly often. I've never had something not work.

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seasoned

11 years ago

I would not buy a desktop! A laptop is even WORSE!

Steve

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AprilCT 11 years ago

Tiger Direct, I think, sells used. You'd have to check them to see what, if any, guarantee they offer.
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- Joe Mobley 11 years ago
  
  I have bought from Tiger Direct before and am very happy with their prices. They have a huge amount of information for every product. A very good resource.
  
  I have no financial relationship with Tiger Direct other than the items I purchased.
  
  Joe Mobley
  
  Originally Posted by AprilCT
  
  Tiger Direct, I think, sells used. You'd have to check them to see what, if any, guarantee they offer.
  
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TravisO

11 years ago

Originally Posted by JohnPeters1983

Looking to buy a used PC...short on cash! Would you buy a laptop on Ebay or do you have any other suggestions? Any suggestion for a decent laptop for a great price?

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There are some advertising websites in your locale maybe. You can buysecond hand computers there, not inernationally.

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tagiscom

11 years ago

I have a way of getting a demo model from a reputable computer store, etc.

Not sure if you could do it with Apples, though.

Just ring, etc all the computer stores in your area, or state, and find the ones, that have a broken screen or missing key.

You can usually find a video on Youtube that will show you how to replace it, and extra keys are available on Ebay, etc.

From what l have seen, since l seriously looked into this option after seeing what l wanted, in a large department store with a missing key, (some people steal them).

Replacing the entire keyboard seems pretty easy, the screen is probably a little trickier, but of course you would save more.

So, it is a win, win, they get rid of stock that won't shift, you get a Laptop at a greatly reduced price, then a week or so later get the part in the mail, and do some simple work!

You might even be able to get a warranty with it as well?

Shane

PS also looked into second hand computer stores in the city, but too dodgy.

I ended up just biting the bullet and getting a new one.

Good luck.

Shane

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seasoned

11 years ago

Originally Posted by tagiscom

I have a way of getting a demo model from a reputable computer store, etc.

Not sure if you could do it with Apples, though.

Just ring, etc all the computer stores in your area, or state, and find the ones, that have a broken screen or missing key.

You can usually find a video on Youtube that will show you how to replace it, and extra keys are available on Ebay, etc.

From what l have seen, since l seriously looked into this option after seeing what l wanted, in a large department store with a missing key, (some people steal them).

Replacing the entire keyboard seems pretty easy, the screen is probably a little trickier, but of course you would save more.

So, it is a win, win, they get rid of stock that won't shift, you get a Laptop at a greatly reduced price, then a week or so later get the part in the mail, and do some simple work!

You might even be able to get a warranty with it as well?

Shane

PS also looked into second hand computer stores in the city, but too dodgy.

I ended up just biting the bullet and getting a new one.

Good luck.

Shane

RISKY!!!!! ANYTHING could be wrong. ESPECIALLY, if the screen is bad. AND, a bad screen may be bad because of something else. The screen could be FINE!

A bad keyboard may be bad because t was designed poorly.

Steve

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TimothyTorrents

11 years ago

It depends.

If you just want a basic computer to use for web browsing and word processing than I don't see anything wrong with buying a second hand computer.

But, if you want a high end computer for gaming or what not, it is best to buy one brand new.

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bizgrower

11 years ago

I've had good luck with refurbished stuff with warranty from a local, reputable vendor.
Usually comes with a new, upgraded hard drive anyway.

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Patrician

11 years ago

i would almost never buy used electronics - but did buy one once about 4 pc's ago, from a dealer (that would be my advice an established business not an individual - just a little security implied at least lol -

i got it at i think it was probably eB - it was a-ok - except ironically i had to spend $200 to figure out it had a screw loose on the mother board. yep that was all it was that didn't work - and i was not about to go through the whole return-ship-re-ship routine. so i brought it in to a real guy. After that it hummed along just fine for a few years - never any problem

and like the guy says up in this thread (the etek) - they get obsolete -

but it just isn't something in this day and age i would go thru to risk buying used especially with no physical shop to goto - in the worst case -- unless i was flat broke then maybe, or had the money to gamble, usually never (never gamble with more than you can afford to lose).

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Igor Fridrihs

11 years ago

Hey,

Do not buy used laptop, buy used desktop. At least you can repair it if anything happened and it does not cost a lot.

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Jason Kanigan

11 years ago

No, but I would from Amazon.

Funny. I trust the Amazon reputation rating much more...that comes from having a lot more buying experiences with Amazon as well. Buying from a real company rather than an individual is also a big deal. The hassle of returns for a company is usually better than with an individual.

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senthu

11 years ago

I find that I'm always weary when I'm buying things online or second-hand, especially electronics.

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tagiscom

11 years ago

RISKY!!!!! ANYTHING could be wrong. ESPECIALLY, if the screen is bad. AND, a bad screen may be bad because of something else. The screen could be FINE!

A bad keyboard may be bad because t was designed poorly.

Steve

Yep, good point, a cracked screen could mean they dropped it?

So, l would still go with one of the keys missing, because as said before, some people do knock it off, for their own missing key on their keyboard, because the cat ate it or something?

But it is relatively easy and cheap to find and buy the entire keyboard for your Laptop, and you can even change the colour if you like!

So, still a valid option.

Shane

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seasoned

11 years ago

Originally Posted by tagiscom

Yep, good point, a cracked screen could mean they dropped it?

A screen that has a bad row or column, or doesn't light could be due to a controller, pcboard, etc... problem.

So, l would still go with one of the keys missing, because as said before, some people do knock it off, for their own missing key on their keyboard, because the cat ate it or something?

Most I saw were due to a bad type of keyboard. I tended to see only TWO brands affected. NEITHER sold well at the time so FEW had them, BESIDES, the keys were still there!

But it is relatively easy and cheap to find and buy the entire keyboard for your Laptop, and you can even change the colour if you like!

DON'T BET ON IT! HOW could YOU say anyway? Many, perhaps all, companies, etc... are DIFFERENT! And they certainly WON'T make new keys just for YOU. Keyboards for laptops are VERY differet from others. They have to be the right size, shape, thickness, and type They have to have the right connectors.

HECK, I had to replace a diskdrive on a laptop once, and got one that had 50% more space. It was a STANDARD laptop drive. Unfortunately, it was about 1mm too tall! The result? There was a noticeable bulge in front, because the keyboard was now in the way. It worked FINE, but still it shows how tight some things are.

Steve

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Dan Riffle

11 years ago

Look, it depends on your risk tolerance. I almost always buy used or refurbished electronics. I haven't had a single issue in over fifteen years and the money I've saved has made any potential duds irrelevant.

That being said, I'd wipe clean any used computer and do a fresh install.

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yukon

Banned 11 years ago

The only PC brand I buy is HP & I've bought refurbished HP PCs directly from HP.

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tagiscom

11 years ago

Most I saw were due to a bad type of keyboard. I tended to see only TWO brands affected. NEITHER sold well at the time so FEW had them, BESIDES, the keys were still there!

Ok, well l kept my eye on a quality Toshiba, i3 or i5, that had a missing key, and after months of keeping my eye on it, the price overall dropped.

So, it was a quality product, but no one would buy it, because it was a demo model, and had a key missing.

It had also been through several specials, with no movement, so someone coming in and making an offer would probably be met with open ears!

DON'T BET ON IT! HOW could YOU say anyway? Many, perhaps all, companies, etc... are DIFFERENT! And they certainly WON'T make new keys just for YOU. Keyboards for laptops are VERY differet from others. They have to be the right size, shape, thickness, and type They have to have the right connectors.

HECK, I had to replace a diskdrive on a laptop once, and got one that had 50% more space. It was a STANDARD laptop drive. Unfortunately, it was about 1mm too tall! The result? There was a noticeable bulge in front, because the keyboard was now in the way. It worked FINE, but still it shows how tight some things are.

Steve

Ok, calm down; l can say this because l researched it, and found this particular models, keyboard can be easily bought, and relatively easy to install.

Well, l have build a few PC,s, so relatively easy for me!

Obviously after researching a group of stores to find the missing keys, one,s, and finding the quality ones, the next step is to research online, to make sure the keyboard is easy to purchase and install!

Then if you are ok, with a demo, get it, probably at a greatly reduced price!

Shane

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Jennwith2ns

11 years ago

I didn't realize eBay was still a thing.

And no. If I get refurbished electronics, it's from Geeks.com. They rock.

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kingshad

11 years ago

Depends on the price. Offer me an acer laptop for 10$ and i'll surely buy it. :p

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Michael T. 11 years ago

Noooo...I never bought any second hand electronics
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rawhide

11 years ago

Got some great computers off Ebay,Will check the prices first them most of the time they will be cheaper sometimes. Yea Craigslist is also another good one.Yea Tiger Direct is good one too.
RoberT JoneS

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Ace24

11 years ago

No I wouldn't trust it ... Build your own

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webcosmo

11 years ago

I would buy from eBay as it`s got a great user protection, actually in January i bought a laptop for a great price, 1/4 the price from new, so i'm very pleased and i will buy again.

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seasoned

11 years ago

Originally Posted by webcosmo

I would buy from eBay as it`s got a great user protection, actually in January i bought a laptop for a great price, 1/4 the price from new, so i'm very pleased and i will buy again.

Well, I bought a NEW motherboard from a dealer. I built it into a GREAT system. three years later, the WHOLE system would be worth ALMOST what the board was worth a few years earlier. Computers ARE quickly devalued. THAT is why you see SO few pentium class processors today. Even PENTIUMS are rare. In fact, a lot of software wants the hardware to be like a pentium, the software to be like the last pentium, and have more speed, etc...

Say what you want about atom processors, they STILL have better software than the pentium and are faster, Of course the hardware on the pentium is better, but they had to cut corners a bit to get the speed with the lower power requirements.

Steve

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KimW

11 years ago

You want Pentiums? I got a garage full, make me an offer.

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seasoned 11 years ago

Originally Posted by KimW

You want Pentiums? I got a garage full, make me an offer.

NO, I said pentium CLASS! The OS most use today at the office is WIN NT class, but I don't want WIN NT either!

BASICALLY, things like Linux weren't really possible until the 80386. Intel FINALLY decided to put a decent memory management unit into the processor, and fix the switching between memory modes. Things like VM were complicated until the 80486 when they decided to take MM one step better and provide VM support. Like the memory mode support in the 80286, they had problems, and they were mostly fixed in the pentium. As I recall, most of the differences between then and now are not necessarily consistent. That is why they have 32 bit software, and may offer amd and intel variants.

Steve
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SandraLarkin

Banned 11 years ago

If you can muster around $300 or so you can get a fairly great desktop PC that is new.

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Carny

11 years ago

I don't see anything wrong with getting a laptop on Ebay as long as the particular seller has good feedback and preferably, a return policy, just in case something goes wrong in the first few weeks.

Before I went that route, I would probably look for a refurbished laptop on Amazon or Best Buy though. You can get something decent for around the $300 area.

It all depends on exactly how much you want to spend, and what you need to use your computer for.

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sivricmarijan

11 years ago

I don't think so! I want to see used product before I buy it. Why don't you buy a new one?

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Illion

11 years ago

Normally I never buy used electronics. Always brand new and usually with extended warranty depending on item and value.
Turns out this past year my sister is a complete newb, somewhat illiterate but somehow managed to get an email account. Since I was often interrupted to check her email for her I decided to get her a laptop for her to clunk around on and learn from.
Ha! I got the perfect dual core used laptop from eBay for like ( I can't even remember) 100$ or something ridiculous. Thing runs better than my Toshiba!! I loved it. Great deal I thought. Plus the seller was awesome.

I had a certain criteria though. The operating system had to match the sticker on the bottom of the machine and since it was an older laptop I wanted all original installation disks (older laptops don't all have a recovery partition) so that I could format it before giving it to my sister.

I only dealt with sellers who had a 98% rating or more and bought local 9within my country) so to avoid customs charges.

With careful sleuthing, alot of time and much patience I was able to acquire a used laptop from eBay that runs great with absolutely no issues. Great deal so as a rule no I wouldn't buy a used computer on eBay but I did and it all worked out just great for what I wanted it for.

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J50

11 years ago

No and I'd never sell one either, that is with the hard drive intact. With the right recovery software you can access all kinds of files you believed you had deleted off your machine. Such a bad idea.

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momofangelgirl

11 years ago

I went this route twice and was sorry I did both times. Took forever to get my money back from the junk I was sent. I would suggest saving up and getting a brand new computer. It isn't worth the hassle. I'm the type that loves to save money and I often shop at thrift shops and yard sales, so you can believe me that if there was any other way, I'd do it. Unfortunately, used electronics are often junk.

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Gary Pettit

11 years ago

You might be able to get a free one on Craigslist...you never onow..give it a try

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Benny L 11 years ago

I would get a desktop if I were really hard up. Everything is easily replaceable on them. If you're willing to scratch a little and don't see your situation improving in the immediate future, I would suggest building your own. It's not hard, there's tons of free resources, and an upgrade path is easy as pie.

You do NOT need the latest and greatest. $300 should get you a serviceable computer for whatever you need to do to make some money. Sure, it won't be flashy, and you'll appreciate better hardware when you can afford it. But the only thing standing in your way at that point will be you.
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momofangelgirl

11 years ago

I've had bad experiences every time I purchased used electronics. Never again. Just try to save up your money until you can afford a new one.

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Would You Buy a Used Computer On Ebay?

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