[ Thanks to Ken Hess
for this link. ]
“It might surprise you to know that geeks hit the big
name computer brands first because they know that there are some
nearly unbeatable deals lurking just beneath the home page. Geeks
check out clearance items, special sales and refurbished units
— that’s right, refurbished. Don’t be afraid of refurbished
units because often refurbished means that someone opened the box
and returned the unit without ever powering it on. The manufacturer
can’t put it up for sale as new so it becomes part of the
refurbished list. Even if refurbished literally means refurbished,
you’ll still receive a full or near full warranty on the product at
significant savings.“When you’re looking for those special deals, tune-in to the
synonyms for inexpensive, such as refurbished, recertified,
remanufactured, returned and “pulls.” Always look for exceptions,
warranty information and language related to the sale for any
non-new product. “All Sales Final” and “All returns subject to a
15% restocking fee” exist to protect the seller, and you should
proceed with caution under these circumstances. Any vendor worth
dealing with will honor returns on dead on arrival (DOA) devices,
components and systems.“Some vendors prefer to work through online auction sites. Most
of the time these vendors are reputable but you should check out
their feedback and their overall ratings. Look for positive
feedback above 95 percent and a seller status of “Power Seller” or
similar.”