Amazon laptop seller feedback ???

[sak4kat]

I'm fixin' to get myself a laptop off of Amazon.com this fall/winter.  Has anyone had experience in purchasing a refurbished one on there before?  I'd appreciate any info that would help me in making the right purchase.  Thanks in advance.

[crisstar]

I never have but make sure you buy from a vendor that has good ratings (not all products are from Amazon - some are from third-party vendors). Always look at the warranty and read the reviews on the particular model you're looking to buy.

[ernica96]

I just got my laptop on July 18 - about 5 weeks ago.

I looked on various websites when I was making my decision- my two top choices were Amazon and ebay.

I just decided to buy a refurbished laptop from Ebay instead. It was a lot cheaper (only $180) and it was from a trusted brand (Adorama).
There have been no problems so far. It looks brand new and even came pre-installed with norton (free 30-day trial) and Microsoft downloaded (product code needs to be bought)

[davidh121]

Unless you have Amazon credit to expend I sometimes wonder how competitive Amazon prices are nowadays. Maybe I'm talking in the respect that my State has to pay sales tax, but I'm not very often impressed with the possible savings from Amazon compared to a number of other online retailers. Dell periodically has extra savings in their Outlet throughout the year, so I wonder if that might be considered a good alternative place to go to for refurbished ware.

[minioncookies]

I am always very nervous about ordering electronics online... You really have no idea what you are getting. It could be broken, working , unmanageable, only for parts, etc... I trust amazon. i really do i love ordering things off of amazon. The prices sometimes are steep.. So i always order when i have some gift card credit saved up. Every Little bit helps! I would deffinetly shop around before you decide to make your purchase because you could save some money. If you have your mind set on it i wish you all the best in luck recieving your laptop. I hope everything works out for you! cheers !

[TheRath]

Dude, I'm a Computer Tech and I would NEVER buy a refurbished ANYTHING.

[sak4kat]

Thanks for all the input so far everybody.  Yes, I would be making the purchase off Amazon with credits. So another Why not by refurbished?

[sdecaro558]

I haven't bought anything refurbished, but I did get a new Dell computer off of Amazon and I'm happy with it.  Hope this helps.

[Liquidfire_43]

Dude, I'm a Computer Tech and I would NEVER buy a refurbished ANYTHING.

I second this.... Never buy anything refurbished... It's probably the same junk when it was returned to the manufacture (or in a slightly better state)... It might not have any defects at the beginning, but it will quickly fall apart.


Unless of course it has 5000, 5 star review

[oldbuddy]

Saying you would NEVER buy refurbished is just plain ignorant, computer tech or not.

Today's computers are modular and if one module goes bad, it doesn't mean the rest is JUNK. If they take it back and replace that module, then run diagnostics testing on the refurbished unit and supply a decent warranty with a good name behind it, why not save 50% to 70% for a machine that could last for years?

The real problem is you may not get the latest and greatest model, but if you just need something to use at home to get online it should work fine.

I am not a computer tech, but I owned a computer business for 25 years and built them from scratch.

If you can afford a top of the line new machine, then by all means get one. But I would rather have a top quality refurbished computer than some off brand bargain machine I bought just on price alone.

[timvolley]

I haven't bought a refurbished laptop yet but I do like amazon and have a great experience so far with them

[sak4kat]

Thanks all for the input on making a laptop purchase off of Amazon.  The only refurbished anything experience I have is a refrigerator and that's because the landlord here just replaces them with rebuilt ones all the time.  I thought it was because he was just cheap; but after talking to other homeowners in the neighborhood I found out that the sulfer in the water is so high here in the wells...releases in the homes and destroys the copper components on the back of them.  Even a new fridge will go out in 4-5 years.  Tonight I prosper forward with shopping on Amazon for the laptop.

[darkxtsuna]

I have never purchased a used Laptop from amazon but my friend has and his CPU fried making him have to change a lot of parts aside from the CPU.

[mawhite63]

I bought an off-lease refurb Dell in 2009 from TigerDirect. It's still holding up. For about a year now I've been thinking of getting a newer, faster model, but right now it still works for me.

[jmccaskill]

I can't comment on Amazon refurbs other than I would be really careful as to the items warranty, return policy and general overall rating of the seller. If ANYTHING shows up even the least bit iffy I would not buy from them.

As to refurb computers, I have purchased a number of Dell laptops and Desk top units from Dell's refurb store, probably 7 in total. I only had one that was a problem unit and it arrived that way, it was promptly REPLACED by Dell without question and they even gave me $100 credit for my next purchase in their refurbished store. I agree with Oldbuddy on this one, a refurb unit can very well be as good as a new unit for a huge price savings.

Good luck in your hunt!