Digital Inclusion Wales

One of the most common expressions we hear when people call us to enquire about refurbished

Computers is : “I don’t know anything about computers”.

I’ve been hearing that refrain for 11 years and after selling over 50,000 refurbished systems in that time I’m still amazed that there are people out there who still “don’t know anything about computers”.

But, there are – lots of them. People, who through unfortunate circumstances, have never had the opportunity to buy and learn on a computer.

It’s always been possible to buy refurbished computers at a fraction of the cost of a new system but the problems have always been : i) getting the word out there that they are available and            ii) Overcoming the phobias and myths about refurbished computers.

People will spend £000’s buying a second hand car but will baulk at buying a refurbished computer (don’t you think refurbished sounds better than 2^nd hand or pre owned) that can cost less than £100.00.

It’s all about perception. A computer system for £90.00 sound too good to be true and when they say it’s too good to be true, it generally is. But, not in this case !

Systems are available from £75.00 upwards, Laptops from £100.00 but, Caveat Emptor – Buyer Beware !

If you are looking at a refurbished system, these are the rules

1)     Make sure you are dealing with a reputable company that has a track record and can provide testimonials from local customers. You need to be dealing with a company that is still going to be around to support you and honour your warranty.

2)    Make sure they are a Microsoft Registered Refurbisher. That way you can be sure that your Windows and Office licences are genuine and valid.

3)    Make sure you have a warranty of no less than 12 months and that the warranty does not require you to return the system to the supplier which can prove expensive and time consuming. A replacement warranty is the best, if available.

4)    Make sure the supplier can tell you the history of the system. Where it came from and how old is it ?

5)    Deal with a company that is certified to ISO9001 at least and ISO27001 preferably. That way you know you are dealing with a company that has demonstrated its professionalism in this industry.

6)    If at all possible buy a Tier one system. That is manufactured by the top manufacturers in the business : Dell, HP/Compaq, Fujitsu, Sony, IBM/Lenovo, Toshiba.

(Their build quality is top class and the returns on warranties that we record are less than 4% on Tier One. Other ‘no-name’ systems tend to record 15% plus returns – so we don’t sell them).

7)    Make sure you get an Anti-Virus and Firewall package included in the price. Viruses, Worms, Trojan Horses etc., can cause you damage that will cost more than your system to repair.

8)    Make sure that the supplier has their own qualified and experienced support staff who can support you whatever the issue is

As I mentioned earlier, we have supplied over 50,000 refurbished computer systems over 11 years but, if I have learned nothing else, I have learned that there are people out there who are mystified by computers but really keen to get to grips with them and we have to be there to explain even the most mundane problem to them.

We have built our reputation on customer support and understand their needs. If we had ‘sold and run away’ we would not be here today.

We are more than happy to talk to you about Digital Inclusion, whether you are an organisation or an individual.

Call me on 01443 434 675, look at the web site www.computerrecyclersuk.com or join in with this blog, I’d love to hear your opinions, concerns, gripes or whatever.

Cheers

Rich