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HOW NOT TO GET BURNED BUYING A LAPTOP

The most important thing when buying a used laptop from eBay is RESEARCH, and not just on eBay.

Pull up some ads from Walmart, Frys, Best Buy first.  Many NEW laptops can now be purchased for as little as $399 (as of 01/2007).  Keep this in mind when deciding what you want to pay for a used one.  New laptops range anywhere from $399 to $4,999........the latter being on the extreme side, and aimed at gamers who want the very best.  Normal range of new sales are between $599 and $1399.

If you are not the "tech" type person, and don't really know much about computers.....call a friend who does, and have him/her help you with your decision.  MANY eBayers prey on those with little knowledge of computers, making obsolete pieces of JUNK sound fabulous and state of the art.   Here are some examples I've found in ads just today......

1) "6 Gig hard drive!!! EXCESSIVE space for all your programs"  ( 6 Gigs was excessive in 1996, today a single game can use up to 5 Gigs).

2) "Windows 98 SP2 !  Fully updated!!!"  (As the name suggests, Win98 is an OLD operating system, it is no longer supported by Microsoft. Security updates are no longer made for Win98, and many of the programs you would buy today will not run on Win98. ).

3) "128 MB memory!!!"   (For an old, out of date computer.......128MB is fine.  For Windows XP, it is not enough and will make your laptop run slow, sluggish, and even crash when running certain programs.  256MB should be considered a minimum for Windows XP, 512MB+ is favorable)

4) "Internet ready!!!"  (If you see this term used in the subject line.......keep looking.......this seller is looking for a sucker.  This is the term used by many sellers wanting to unload a piece of crap that, YES, can access the internet........but do little else.  These machines usually sell for around $100 on ebay, and are worth maybe $20).

5)  "Genuine Pentium 233!!! Massive computing power at your fingertips"  ( There is NOTHING massive or powerful about a processor this slow.  The seller is preying on the fact that many pc buyers do not know much about pcs. This is an OLD pc ready for the grave yard, and to sprinkle it with roses like this seller has should be criminal).

Stay away from laptop ads that state "untested" or "as is". This is a seller who KNOWS the laptop is faulty, and wants to unload it anyway.  The "as is"  line is inserted to protect him from having a claim filed against him once the buyer realizes he bought faulty equipment.  For items such as parts..... I can see saying it is untested, but for a laptop, how hard is it to plug it into the wall and see that it loads???

When you find a laptop that looks like a good deal, spend the extra time and do a Google search for that make and model.  You will quickly find out what year it was made, what the cost is (or was) new, and if that particular model had any prone defects (Certain Compaq models were prone to having the solder on AC jacks break, making it impossible to run/charge. Certain Sony's have batteries that like to catch fire....I'm sure everyone has heard about this on the news).

Be prepared to buy a new battery.  Unless stated "NEW battery"......expect to buy one eventually, if not immediately.  Laptop batteries just don't last long if used regularly.  Just a fact.  If you buy a used laptop, more than likely it's battery is used also and has limited life left in it.  A new battery will generally last 2-4 hrs between charges. Good news is that you can buy a new battery from eBay for roughly half of what the Laptop manufacturer want for one.

If possible,when buying a used laptop, look for a "factory refurbished" model.  These have been tested and gone over by the manufacturer and have had any faulty parts replaced.  Refurbs also generally come with some kind of warranty.... a definite plus when buying anything used.

Bottom line is do your research, and get help if you don't understand the jargon.  I can't stress this enough!  Many people buy what they think is a "deal", only to go right back out and buy a new one shortly after, once they see they can't do some of their favorite tasks or play their favorite games.  Some of the ads I've seen on eBay put the best used car salesmen lines to shame.  

Good shopping, and Good Luck!

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