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General discussion

buying laptop on Ebay???

by ProbuSoft Jul 15, 2006 12:39PM PDT

I know there was a thread a few days back on whether it is a good idea to purchase a laptop on Ebay. I have one question about this--can I still get a warranty from the manufacturer if I buy the item through Ebay? Do I need any additional info, such as where the buyer originally purchased the item?

The laptop I'm interested in is a Sony SZ220, and although I'm extremely nervous and skeptical about buying through Ebay, the seller has a 100% feedback rating and if the price stays around where it is, (which would save me app. $400 off the sale price of $1750 currently at Best Buy) I might be tempted, provided I can still get a warranty directly from Sony. Any thoughts or insight would be much appreciated.

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4 Posts
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I'm Skeptical Too
by goldberg3971 Jul 15, 2006 3:16PM PDT

Even though he has 100% feedback he could do some stuff to it. In the descriptions they might lie about it being unopened and sealed in the original box. They might have used it but it will still look new and unopened. On the other hand, you can get it for cheaper there.

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buying laptop on Ebay???
by TGSNERI Jul 16, 2006 5:00AM PDT

Trust me...I learned the hard way. They are buying refurbished goods from the manufacturer without transferable warranties. When you try to go back to the seller...no good on most accounts. I have a laptop with a bad mouse/touchpad assembly that keeps beeping once it gets warm. Bad move on my part.

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Exactly
by goldberg3971 Jul 16, 2006 8:41AM PDT

Just because they look new, it doesn't mean they're not refurbished. It may still look good but you find out it's a load of crap. With broken key caps(like on a Dell E1705), faulty everything! Buying it from the manufacturer means you know it's new and coming fresh from the factory.

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I've said it once, and I'll say it again!
by NickMets7 Jul 16, 2006 6:54AM PDT

Ebay, done right, is a fantastic way to get great stuff for a low price. I've bought all of my notebooks on eBay, and never really had any problems. And most of the people are just persons who are selling NEW laptops, or ones that they no longer need. Indeed, you must be wary of this when searching for one. Some DO try to scam you with non-working pieces of junk, or ones that have been refurbished, but usually this is stated in the auction. You CAN get a warranty from the seller (usually short) but you can also ask the seller to provide you with all the recipts, etc. and find out if the warranty is transferable to another person. You should ask the seller first, and also find warranty details on the Sony website.

- Nick

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