Why your second-hand kit is worth so little
We are often asked by customers if we will buy back their old equipment. And they are often disappointed by the answer. And the reason is, essentially, the price of new equipment.
If you pop in to any of the well-known high street retailers, you will be able to pick up a new laptop for £230. It won't be that good (and we'd never supply a unit with a specification that low). But it is, nevertheless, new - with a warranty - and probably faster than the second-hand one under consideration. So how much could we ask for the old unit? In other words, how much would you be prepared to pay for it? £100? £120? Some times we get offered something really nice, and we can ask £200, but it's rare.
In order to prepare it for sale, we have to completely clear out the hard drive (data protection and all that), re-install Windows, find all the drivers (for an obsolete unit), and do all the updates. That (on an old machine) is easily 4 hours. We physically clean it, then test the battery life, check it connects OK to the Internet. And then put a 30-day warranty on it. So, given that we're going to sell it for £100, how much should we offer for it second hand? Do the sums - but it's not much...
If you pop in to any of the well-known high street retailers, you will be able to pick up a new laptop for £230. It won't be that good (and we'd never supply a unit with a specification that low). But it is, nevertheless, new - with a warranty - and probably faster than the second-hand one under consideration. So how much could we ask for the old unit? In other words, how much would you be prepared to pay for it? £100? £120? Some times we get offered something really nice, and we can ask £200, but it's rare.In order to prepare it for sale, we have to completely clear out the hard drive (data protection and all that), re-install Windows, find all the drivers (for an obsolete unit), and do all the updates. That (on an old machine) is easily 4 hours. We physically clean it, then test the battery life, check it connects OK to the Internet. And then put a 30-day warranty on it. So, given that we're going to sell it for £100, how much should we offer for it second hand? Do the sums - but it's not much...
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