I was thinking of buying The HP Pavilion DV6-1030us in the refurbished section on the Futureshop site (Link below). I wanted to know how buying a product from online works? Can someone help me, and does Futureshop only take used items after a certain period of time, or will they not take it back if its scratched or used to much? Another question is if the laptop will be the same when on buying it new, or will that person who had it earlier, hacked it and changed things around (for example, the graphics card) and when I get it, I can't use it.
http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?lo
Thanks
Hi there, refurbished is similar to new, but not the same. Usually what happens is that refurbished laptops are made by taking two laptops of the same model and swapping out none functional components. E.g. lets say one laptop went back to HP with a faulty motherboard, and another went back with a bad hard drive. You can swap out the hard drive from the first and put it in the second, and now you have a fully functional laptop again.
Refurbished laptops may have a minor scuff, but anything that actually shows is usually repaired or replaced (HP has spare components for fixing these sorts of things). The ones that I've seen are usually like new.
Now then, when purchasing online, you can make your purchase and Future Shop will ship the laptop to you. If it comes and you're not satisfied with the condition of the laptop, you can simply call Future Shop's customer service number at 1-800-663-2275, or you can return it to any Future Shop location across Canada. Note that laptops have a 14-day return policy, so make sure you return the laptop within 14 days if you do not like it. Future Shop will not accept returns after 14-days for laptops, even if it's in pristine condition. In addition, Future Shop can refuse the return of a damaged laptop (so don't go scratching it up or dropping it). If the laptop came damaged, you are best off by taking the laptop in within a couple of days of receipt.
Finally, be aware that refurbished laptops only come with a 90-day warranty. For this reason, I usually recommend purchasing some sort of extended warranty for refurbished laptops. You can choose whether you get that warranty directly through HP, or whether you purchase the Future Shop Product Service Plan when you purchase the laptop. 90 days simply isn't long enough of a warranty for any laptop in my opinion.
I hope this answers your questions, but feel free to ask if you have any other questions. Note that I've purchased several computers via the Future Shop website and have never had any problems with them.
Absolutely! If memory serves, you can use up to three gift cards, or two gift cards and a credit card.
And sorry, I just prefer that you know all of the pros and cons about refurbished computers. You can save a lot of money by buying refurbished, but there are some limitations you need to be aware of (e.g. the shorter warranty period).
Usually, there are no concerns with buying refurbished, and I know of people who have bought refurbished and when they got their computers, they've been more than happy. And if you do purchase it and then don't like it, it's not a problem to return it within the return period.
