Things you didn’t know about buying a ‘new’ laptop or smartphone, or refurbished
Last January, I was in Brazil. Totally in my element and then….bam… battery couldn’t charge anymore. It stopped doing anything at all. Nada. Sitting in the middle of nowhere with your best Portuguese staring at a black screen in the mountains of Minas Gerais. Fortunately I was with a Brazilian friend of mine from Sao Paolo, so we went looking for a solution in the small town where we were. And lo and behold, we found a charger that did charge my battery. Totally happy.
However, when I got back home, I kid you not, the charger no longer worked. Not again I thought! This was the umpteenth time my laptop failed in the past year. As a freelance online marketing communications specialist who needs to be able to work from anywhere, a laptop and smartphone are the all-important tools. They just have to work. Point. So unfortunately for me, it was now really time for a new work laptop after several patching sessions and over four years down the road.
Greener choice for laptop replacement
Once I returned from my Brazil trip, I went looking for a replacement. Since I like to make greener choices whenever possible (which is also why I travel less than before), it also made sense for me to look first at a party offering a “refurbished” or used MacBook. Refurbished.co.uk came up in my search even then. I got excited because in addition to obviously offering a greener option, they also plant a tree for every order. They are doing this in cooperation with StaatsbosBeheer in the Lage Vuursche nature reserve in Baarn. The Utrecht Hill area is close to my heart, because as a child I used to come there quite often. Starting in September, you can see this project on their website. It’s nice to see that in addition to giving a more sustainable option for a not-so-sustainable product, they also want to invest the money they make in a green future.
Difference between refurbished and pre-owned
What is actually the difference between refurbished and pre-owned? The starting point is the same: products were used in both situations. The difference lies in that with refurbished products are completely checked to see if it still functions properly, for example, and also parts are replaced or repaired if necessary. A thorough data cleaning is also included with a refurbished product.
Warranty at refurbished.co.uk
What’s most important to me, and that’s something you don’t get when you buy it on, say, Marketplace, is: warranty. When you buy a product through Refurbished.co.uk , you get a 2-year warranty. That’s the same if you buy a new laptop. Are you still a little unsure if you are getting good quality? Through Refurbished.co.uk it is only possible to join as a known supplier after a strict inspection. This way you can be sure that you are getting quality.
For me, the choice was clear, if I were in the Netherlands year-round and didn’t need my laptop for work, I would definitely buy a refurbished laptop or smartphone! When Refurbished.co.uk makes it possible to offer warranty abroad as well (for me, for example, Barcelona and Brazil would be absolutely fantastic), they will definitely have a loyal customer when my current smartphone or Macbook breaks down!
What I ended up with in the end? A new Macbook Pro, and hopefully it will last so long that I won’t have to buy anything else for at least the next 5 years!
– This blog is in collaboration with Refurbished.co.uk -.