Where to buy used laptops when semiconductor chip shortage is undulating across industries pointing to limited inventories, dry store shelves and these interruptions could last for months.
Numerous divisions compete for a slice of the tiny silicon pie, from automobiles and gaming consoles to laptops and mobiles/smartphones.
At the same time, several companies have established long-term commitments to remote work, raising the need for work stuff a la laptops, secondary monitors and other chip-laden gizmos. To assist companies in steering these uncharted digital waters, here is a collection of top online sites from where to buy used laptops.
What are you searching for?
Let’s discuss more the twin objectives of this article. First, it’s designed to help you obtain the gear you require in an economic environment where vessel ships are heaped up outside ports where goods and services aren’t running as efficiently as they should. Second, it’s meant to help you conserve money when purchasing gear.
Keep in mind that used equipment, by the very essence of it has been earlier owned, comes in many various levels of quality.
Again, it depends on what you’re scanning for. Keep in mind that processors were far more maintainable back in the day. It’s a lot more effort to fix a broken MacBook Pro than a dust-filled column PC, and many modern phones are almost impracticable to repair.
Alternate sources for parts and components
Indeed, eBay and Amazon are the go-to locations for parts and components. In addition, you may take so much advantage of your Prime membership that you might think of Amazon as your cloud closet.
Thrift Stores
Charity/donation stores such as Goodwill and Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore stores can never show you what you might discover in these sites. The chances of obtaining a high-end laptop are limited but not improbable. While you are less inclined to find the specific laptop you desire, you will find many excellent resources for setting up or enlarging your home office. And don’t overlook that people often grant in bulk to these stores, so while you might not require to find a lot of gear, it sometimes occurs.
Usual Suspects
More and more have turned to eBay and Craigslist to find deals on used items. Facebook Marketplace is newer. But it is worth mentioning that eBay and Craigslist stand equally to Facebook Marketplace.
New tech gizmos are in high demand and limited stock as clients and companies alike vie for a slice of the silicone pie. These websites can assist fill the gap.
- Facebook Marketplace: Facebook Marketplace holds an electronics category, and people can buy sellers in their city or other towns. The distance filters enable shoppers to fix their location and then extend or shrink the search range based on the distance they’re willing to drive for an item, whether that’s one mile or 500 miles. Electronic product categories cover computers, printers, cellphones and other options. In addition, various buying filters, including price range and delivery method (pickup or shipping), help get an idea of product status and brand.
- Decluttr: Decluttr allows an online marketplace for buyers and sellers. Product divisions include cell phones, tablets, MacBooks, gaming consoles, iPads, wearables and more. A sidebar enables people to sort products by price, popularity, and product name on the desktop website. Additional filters would allow people to choose their preferred goods condition with choices including “good,” “very good,” and “pristine.” Other available filters incorporate operating system, memory, as well as a “tech deals” alternative.
- SellCell: SellCell may sound similar to a site specializing in sellers and phone products, but the marketplace also allows an expansive list of tech options to buy, including tablets, iMacs, wearables, MacBooks, and more. At first, the desktop site allows less agile filtering contrasted to the marketplaces mentioned above. For instance, when you select MacBooks, the site provides a more comprehensive roundup of refurbished and pre-owned commodities. You can then peruse individual segments based on specific MacBook designs.
- OfferUp: OfferUp touts itself as “the easier way to buy and sell locally” and possesses a broad spectrum of product classifications varying from pet supplies and collectibles to electronics. People can scan second-hand tech sections like speakers, cellphones, computers and accessories, and other products within the electronic and media desktop marketplace. Available filters permit fine-tuned results based on favoured price range or precise product conditions. These condition filters incorporate new, certified/reconditioned, used, and products sold for their parts. Overall, these filtered sequences can be sorted by “newness,” cost and closest spot.
- Gazelle: Gazelle highlights pages for buyers and sellers comprising a range of consumer and business tech. Product pages hold iPads, MacBooks, iPhones and other cellphone models. There’s also a clearance section, and this page offered free standard shipping during our search. The Gazelle desktop offers a traditional marketplace filter experience, and shoppers can fine-tune results based on storage, model, price, processor, screen size, memory, condition and more. In addition, the desktop says it offers live chat daily from 6 am to 5 pm (PT) for inquiring online shoppers.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are a lot of alternatives when it comes to purchasing gear, including some outside-of-the-box ideas. Just be cautious and don’t run for “too good to be true” deals. While buyers may be intimate with more comprehensive online offerings like eBay and Amazon, there are several other options to analyze amid the global chip shortage.