Question:
Is it a bad idea to buy a new laptop on eBay ?
anonymous
1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Is it a bad idea to buy a new laptop on eBay ?
Ten answers:
peanut 2
2010-11-14 01:53:49 UTC
It depends if your smart about it.

Ebay isnt the dodgey place everyone thinks it is.

Check out the seller. Dont buy off of someone who only has a few positive feed backs

But if someone has a 98% positive feedback with 300+ reviews surely that makes them trustworthy?
Analog
2010-11-14 03:38:42 UTC
It depends.



(long explanation, it'll make sense if you read the whole thing)

For business laptops, I'd say yes. The thing is, businesses get substantial volume discounts if they buy a lot of laptops. So if a company goes to Dell and buys 20 laptops instead of 10, then they can get them cheaper for each. They can take advantage of this easily by buying more laptops then required to get them cheaper for each, and then sell the extra ones on Ebay, and overall, pay less on the order.



Example:

A company needs 20 laptops. The laptop model they want to buy is $1000 each. If they buy 20, the laptop will cost $800 each due to the volume discount. If they buy 30, they can get them for $700 each. So basically, the what the company does is they buy 30 for $700 each, and then sell the 10 unneeded ones brand new on Ebay for $600 each. In the end, they pay only $15000 if all the laptops listed on Ebay get sold( very likely since they're brand new and $400 under MSRP). If they bought only 20, they won't get as large of a discount, and they'll pay $16000 on the end.



As a consumer, you can buy one of the laptops they sell for $600 and still get a brand new, functioning laptop for significantly less than new.



The main factor though is that it generally only applies to business laptops. Consumer-end laptops generally don't get volume discounts since consumers don't tend to buy in bulk, so the whole thing above doesn't happen. Still, there's no reason that you can't use a business laptop for consumer purposes. They work fine as a consumer laptop. I'm doing so right now. In fact, it might even be better, since business laptops generally won't sacrifice functionality for looks as often is the case with consumer laptops, and you'll usually get a sturdy laptop with great ergonomics.
mario a
2010-11-14 02:39:27 UTC
Ebay has really good deals! I sell Dell laptops on Ebay all the time. I have bought a few laptops on ebay too.

Some tips..



1.) make sure you check out sellers feedback.

2.) read the listing very carefully and ask questions if the your not sure about the listing.

3.) Pay will PayPal, never pay with cash. If you something goes wrong you cannot dispute the item if you have paid cash... Make sure the seller has a return policy if you not happy with the product.

4.) research, research.



I
vulpix_grant
2010-11-14 02:02:27 UTC
Do a Lot of Research first.



#1 - Check the sellers ratings, with Electronics I would not deal with anybody under a few hundred sales and 100% Positive Feedback. If their rated an E.Bay top seller then you shouldn't have any issues other then postal mishaps.



#2 - Pay with Paypal, they will investigate problems and maybe even refund your money if their are issues and you can prove them.



#3 - CHECK STORES FIRST! I am looking to buy a Asus T101MT Touch Screen Netbook. At Walmart.com they are $440 basically. On E.Bay, their closer to $500!?! So sometimes the E.Bay machine is not the cheepest bet.



Walmart.com if they have what your looking for is a good bet. I have had no problem with their site to store services. Home delivery can be iffy with any of the stores. Target once dropped off my Star Trek DS9 Series, $400 worth of DVD's on my front steps in the middle of the day! So if you get your laptop at a store and they offer site to store, I would do it.



Hope that helps. Also here is a Review Website with general info on the top rated Laptops. Battery Life, processing power, ergonomics, ect.



http://computers.toptenreviews.com/laptops/



www.Walmart.com

www.Target.com

www.Officedepot.com

www.Officemax.com

www.circuitcity.com
-
2010-11-14 02:02:07 UTC
I bought my Gateway Tablet laptop on eBay for a really good deal. It was used and I couldn't afford to go to Best Buy to buy a $300+ laptop. It was in excellent condition. If you're buying one that is used, make sure to ask as many questions about it as possible so there isn't anything left out before you buy it. Also, make sure they have good feedback too. Good luck!
jessica
2010-11-14 01:54:53 UTC
If you are going to buy a laptop on eBay then you check the person reviews.Look at the pictures carefully. Remember if it;s not what you you are intitled to a full refund.
anonymous
2010-11-14 01:52:33 UTC
Probably not the best idea.
loveyouoshinystar
2010-11-14 01:54:30 UTC
YES
anonymous
2010-11-14 01:52:46 UTC
Yes, you have no idea if it works or if it's Hot.
Mr. Smartypants
2010-11-13 17:57:44 UTC
If it's NEW, then I would think it's okay. A new laptop comes with a complete guarantee by the manufacturer, not the EBay seller. A refurb would also be okay, so long as it was refurbished by the manufacturer, not the seller, and it comes with the full warranty (which they usually do).



Used laptops are a dicey proposition even in the best of circumstances. Laptops can be dropped or otherwise abused, and the damage doesn't always show up right away. Plus they are much more trouble to fix, harder to disassemble and reassemble, and the parts are more expensive. In fact that's a good reason to stay away from laptops unless you actually need the mobility. (I know a lot of people who buy laptops, put them on their desk and never move them. I never figured out why someone would want a laptop for that kind of use!)



Otherwise, I think the best way to buy a laptop is to do some shopping, some research. I'd go to Dell and Gateway online and see what they have for how much, then compare it to the prices you can get from local dealers on a computer with similar features. I only mention Dell and Gateway because they sell a lot of computers online and they're considered sort of the 'baseline' against which other computers are measured.


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
Loading...