Disappointment loomed when I informed a customer the warranty on her laptop expired seven months prematurely. “Don’t laptops come with a one year warranty?” she asked. I was shocked when we found out the $600.00 machine she purchased online only came with a six month warranty that expired five months after it was received.
After she left, the store technician and I did some research to find out why her computer’s warranty was truncated by seven months. Based on our customer’s research she explained to us that the exact same model from other vendors did have a one year warranty; however, we discovered many models from the online vendor that didn’t list any warranty.
My technician peeled the serial number sticker off the bottom of the customer’s laptop only to discover another serial number permanently affixed to the base. Oddly, the number was one digit off from the stickered number. We were left wondering the reason for two serial numbers until we realized the customer purchased a refurbished machine without knowing.
But how does someone not know they’re buying a refurbished computer? I went to the biggest online store and found similar rebuilt computers that appeared to be new until I read the complete description. Buried at the bottom was a message stating the computer was refurbished. Oddly, the website didn’t list any warranty information.
The same model I researched is currently sold by the largest brick and mortar retail store chain for $80.00 more including a one year warranty. The difference between the two laptops is one is new and the other is refurbished. Just so we’re on the same page, the word refurbished is a synonym for the word used.
With a lot of research and a call to an expert, I discovered many of the machines being sold online are truly used and remanufactured. For one reason or another laptops purchased in box stores are returned to the manufacturer who then fixes them for resale. Generally they’re packaged with the original accessories and resold as “refurbished.”
The reason manufacturers refurbish is to recoup losses from warranty claims. Why they’re mostly sold online seems a little heartless. Selling them online is faceless and puts a barrier between the end customer and manufacturer. Although the online stores are generally managed by the manufacturer, not having a storefront to make returns almost guarantees the manufacturer no future headaches.
While I was asking my expert friend all these questions I kept wondering about the five month warranty. Apparently the warranty for refurbished equipment is from the date the unit is received by the online vendor because they are the factory’s customer. Six months is a standard refurbished product warranty; however, the warranty starts once it’s received by the online distributor.
Apparently almost all manufacturers of major consumer electronics function the same way. No matter if it’s a TV, laptop or cell phone, huge volumes are processed and resold through secondary markets at deep discounts. Consumers are left with equipment they believed to be brand new that fails prematurely.
A penny saved may not always be a good thing when consumer electronics change so rapidly. We as consumers have to pay more attention to online descriptions before we press the “buy it now” button. My suggestion this holiday season is to purchase lower cost items online and make large purchases at brick and mortar stores. Not all items sold online are refurbished, so it’s a good idea to know what you’re buying before you pay.
(Jeromy Patriquin is the President of Laptop & Computer Repair, Inc. located at 509 Main St. in Gardner. You can read past articles at www.LocalComputerWiz.com.)