Two years ago I needed a way to refresh more PC's and Laptops at my company without spending more. New Dell laptops were great but expensive and over the years we had accumulated many Latitude C series parts. The C series ran from the CPX C600 C610 C400 and C640 models before their new D line of Latitude laptops were
released. The docks, drives and many other parts are usable in any of these models so we decided to take advantage of this and purchase used Dell laptops. eBay was where we sourced these. Over the years I've learned some valuable things about buying these expensive items. Here are some tips and some recommendations of sellers I've found to be very reliable.
Know what you are buying.
Don't just go by the model and specs of the machine. I'm seeing two types of units out there. Those that are complete PC's sold as used units. Also refurbished units that have no serial number on the bottom or in the bios. These units can be had at very good prices and so far I've found them all to be in great condition. The problem is that without the serial you can't even get tech support from Dell and obviously there isn't a warranty. If you don't mind this from the right seller these are great. For my use at my company it just isn't worth the appearance of a model with no serial number. I'm passing on these for now.
Always pay using Pay Pal or some other service that lets you use a credit card.
Even when you use a credit card on Paypal your covered by the dispute and charge back protection provided by your credit card company. I've had two instances where the seller did not ship my laptop and I had to dispute the charge with my credit card company. In both cases I received a credit back from my company and had no trouble from Paypal. Before disputing open a formal case with Paypal as they require that before you do a charge back. I'm not sure what the consequences would be but better to appear as if you are trying to use their system.
Buying regularly? Try to form a relationship with a couple reputable sellers.
After doing business with a handful of sellers I trust I now completely bypass eBay. The sellers love the money they save on fees and I can often have them hunt down mint condition Latitude laptops. Some will even customize the laptop to your specs.
Check the sellers feedback.
Look to see that the seller regularly sells Dell equipment. This tells you two things. One that they are a reputable seller and have a history of people who bought the exact same item and were happy. The other thing is that if you see positive feedback regarding non-similar equipment you can assume that they will have no spare parts or service ability. If you see many sales of similar Dell equipment you can be sure that if you have a problem and notify them right away they will probably be able to fix your laptop.
Ask about warranty or warranty transfer assistance.
If you are lucky the unit you purchase will come with some warranty left from Dell. However Dell will not transfer the warranty into your name unless you have the original owners name and address. If you can find a seller willing to provide this you just struck gold! Note, this is not common at all. You can still get Dell to service an in warranty unit but they won't transfer the ownership to your name.
Buying Servers? Look for Dell refurbished units with a warranty.
I don't know how it works but there are many resellers of Dell Servers that are new or refurbished from Dell. These come with the Dell warranty and are transferable. When the server arrives its in the original Dell box still sealed up. The price can't be beat and I've never had a problem. My suspicion is that for those with the right connections, Dell will sell you volumes of over production and refurbished units far below pricing you'd see in their Dell Outlet site. http://www.scsistuff.com is a great vendor for this type of buy.
About The Author
John Gall is a full time IT Manager and self employed IT Consultant in Minnesota. He runs several hobby web sites related to technology and travel from http://www.gallconsulting.com
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How A Notebook PC Can Transform Your Small Business Profits
By Sabir Rizvi
Notebook PCs have greatly added to the increased advantage that small businesses enjoy in this era of the Internet and fantastic small business fairytales that come true, virtually overnight.
These wonderful little portable computers have put amazing power in the hands of many smart small business entrepreneurs, allowing them to make even faster decisions and take swifter action, leaving much bigger competitors in the dust and tied up in their own bureaucracy and slow decision-making processes.
Notebooks PCs now make it possible for a single entrepreneur to answer emails, update blogs and sites as well as fully transact business, even when he is on a trip. This dramatically enhances the lean and mean aspects of small businesses.
Probably the single most important thing that a notebook does for a small business entrepreneur is to further enhance the advantages already enjoyed of quick decisions and rapid response. Not to mention increased efficiency without the need for a larger work force.
For instance while on a trip out of town to solve a certain client’s problem, a small business owner traveling with his notebook, can still get lots of other work done for different clients. These days high speed mobile internet connections and internet facilities at airports, public places and virtually everywhere also enable the entrepreneurs to do all what they could have done in their offices, while still on the go.
In essence what this means is that with the right notebook system, a small business executive today is not tied to his office all the time. Most of his tasks can be executed while on the move and this includes the crucial job of supporting his clients. His notebook can comfortably and powerfully help him deal with business essentials. Indeed we already have quite a number of small business owners who have thrived tremendously by taking advantage of this new way of doing business.
This high tech work style of doing things eliminates the high costs and inefficiencies associated with having to be in the office to get certain things done or requiring higher staff levels to accommodate increased business that is only seasonal in nature. This in turn allows a small business to charge even less for their services and products which often results in increased business volumes delivering dramatic leap in revenues and profits.
Sabir Rizvi is a seasoned IT professional who writes for Network Equipment Reviews, an online guide for buyers of networking eqipment. Visit the website to read more of his articles and reviews at http://networking.alwaiz-arts.com
