Is a Second Hand Laptop Worth Buying?

Laptops are a necessity in many people’s lives. We use them to work, play games, connect with friends and more. Unfortunately, laptops are expensive to buy, repair and replace if they can’t be fixed. A second hand laptop is the perfect solution if you’re looking for a lower cost laptop that works well. Read on for tips to purchase and protect a great used laptop.

A used or second hand laptop can be a fantastic investment if you know what to look for. First, look for a laptop that is on the newer side. The older a laptop is, the worse its battery life will be. Trust me, it gets old having to plug your laptop in constantly. Second, buy a laptop that comes with at least a 30-day seller warranty. There is nothing worse than spending hundreds of dollars on a device that malfunctions. A seller warranty enables you to return it or get it repaired on the seller’s dime. It also enables you to add on a 2-year or 3-year Upsie extended warranty. Lastly, what condition is it in? A laptop that is in fair condition might be tempting because the price is lower, but it’s in fair, rather than great or like-new, condition for a reason. A beat-up laptop means that it was treated poorly and will likely not last as long.

Laptop repairs can be expensive. On average, it costs between $120-$150 per hour to fix a laptop! A screen replacement, which is a common occurrence due to dropping your laptop, will cost between $150-$600 depending on the repair shop. Luckily, you can get a warranty on your laptop, which helps cut costs dramatically.

Refurbished laptops can absolutely be insured! Upsie offers two and three year warranty plans for used and refurbished laptops. The only requirement is that the laptop must come with at least a 30-day seller or manufacturer warranty when you purchase it. You then have up to 60-day after the laptop purchase to get an Upsie warranty.

You can purchase insurance for your used laptop online from Upsie. Head to their site and navigate to the laptop page. Select your brand of laptop, if it’s new or used and the price you paid before taxes and discounts. Post purchase, activate your plan by uploading a copy or picture of the laptop receipt and enter some basic information about the device. This way you don’t have to save the receipt; Upsie stores it for you so making a claim is quick and pain-free.

Upsie is better than AppleCare for new laptops and for refurbished laptops. To begin, Upsie’s prices are lower. Upon first glance, it might look like Apple’s refurbished MacBook AppleCare prices are lower, but read the fine print. Apple’s deductible cost $99 for screen damage or $299 for other damage. Upsie’s deductible price is only $25. Second, Apple only covers two incidents of accident damage in a three-year period, so if you drop your second hand laptop once per year, you’re out of luck that third time. Upsie does not limit the number of claims you can make; instead, you are covered up to the purchase price of the laptop. This means that, if your laptop cost $1,000 and you made two claims worth $200 each, you have $600 remaining in claims that you can make.

Not all companies cover accidents, like drops and spills, under used warranty plans, but Upsie does. Upsie knows that accidents happen, maybe more often than we’d like to admit.

Purchasing a warranty for a pre-owned or used laptop has many pros and only one con. Let’s get the obvious one out of the way first: you might not need to use your warranty. However, the chances of you needing to use a warranty on a used laptop versus a new laptop is much higher.

When you have Upsie, making a claim is simple because they already have your laptop information. Fill out a form on their website or call the claims line directly 24/7/365 to start your claim. A real human will walk you through the claims process quickly and efficiently. After your claim is approved, they will even schedule an appointment at a local repair shop for you. However, if you want to ship it to Upsie’s certified repair shop instead, you can do that. The Upsie representative will send you a box and shipping label so it arrives at their facility safely.

In the end, investing in a second hand laptop is a great idea. You’ll save money on your laptop and can still protect it with an Upsie warranty. If you want to learn more about Upsie, you can contact them on their website or send them a message on Facebook or Twitter.