There's a pawn shop near me. They sell a lot of electronics from iPods to PCs. Has anyone every purchased a computer from a pawn shop? If so, what was your experience? I am seriously thinking of getting buying something.
I have actually purchased two lap top computers from pawn shops. I think it is okay to do as long as you have researched the particular computer you are planning on buying before you buy it. Make a note of style/model of the computers that are available and google them. Check out the reviews and ratings. This will ensure you do not get stuck with something that is known to have problems. In my opinion, a crappy computer is a crappy computer whether it is new or used and the same goes with a good computer.
When it comes to 2nd hand electronics its always best to buy from someone you know. If you ask around you'll probably find someone who'll want to offload their older electronics because they want to buy a newer model. With electronics from a pawnshop you really don't know the story behind the gadget. What if the person who owned it did not take care of it or if some parts have already been replaced and so on.
I have never considered buying a used laptop from a pawn shop. I have purchased a used laptop from the Goodwill and I consider it to be one of my best purchases. It really depends on the brand. There are some brands that I wouldn't even buy new. I would definitely test the computer thoroughly and look for any type of visible damage.
If the pawnshop offers some sort of warranty, like if you find any trouble after 7 days then you are eligible to replace it, then I would suggest that you go for it. If you're not knowledgeable about pc troubleshooting and building pc's, then it's best if you would just buy from a trusted store.
I wouldn't buy any electronic from a pawnshop. Rather, if I want a secondhand computer or anything similar, I have friends who operate cyber cafes. They usually know people who're selling used computers so if the need arises I just call them up and ask them if someone is selling something. Most of the time there's always someone willing to sell his old machine to get a new one that's faster.
I have and, i think that it is really safe and ok. The main thing for me is to just check that the computer is fully functioning and get ample time to test out all the major things before trading in your money
I was reluctant when I walked into a pawn shop that had a wide variety of laptops and PCs available. Surely they would all be virus ridden or have a hard drive near the end of it's life. When I really looked into them though, I found out they actually had a lot to offer at a very reasonable price as well. I ended up buying a Compaq Presario laptop that I've had for over 2 years now. One thing I would recommend though is that you completely wipe what is on the drive and start from scratch if you can. By this I mean completely restore the computer. As long as you play around on it and do some research before you buy it, you should be fine.
As for me though I sometimes by second hand products I can't buy them from any shop unless I have a close relation with the sellers. I always make sure when buying used goods I buy them from people I have know for long to ensure I can return it as quickly as it becomes a burden to me. This notion catch my attention a time back i bought a laptop from a pawn shop around our place thinking I was safe only to reach home and find it was malfunctioning, returning it back to find that the ticket I had been given for security purposes did not own their company name. I had no otherwise but only to count my $200 as unplanned charity.
If you're going to buy something second hand, then you should buy something that's been refurbished rather than something that's already had half it's life span lived.
My mum has purchased two laptops from a pawn shop. The first one was 300 dollars and it was alright when she first got it, not nearly brand-new but it was decent. A year later it just barely ran (believe me, she gave it to me once it hit the bucket). The second one she had was better, though she paid 100 dollars more for it than the former. Sadly it didn't last long, but that was her fault, not the PC itself. Be cautious when buying from a pawn shop. Though they wipe the computer back to it's factory settings (or the one here does), laptops only run well for a few years before they start to lose their luster. I'd honestly pay the extra 1-200 for a brand-new laptop that will last you much longer for the money you're paying.
If they are a countrywide, credible pawn shop then yes. If they are smalltime never. PC hardware is strained after use. The more strain a PC has the less lifetime it has. You never know if a person ran their computer 24/7. As in it could unexpectedly die the next day (if you were that unluckily)
I would prefer to purchase a used computer from an computer store. They have a reputation to protect, so you know it will not have any viruses and will work as expected. Th ey will also be able to provide support if anything goes wrong.
Computers generally have a life span of between one year and four, depending on how well it's been taken care of. If you do, make sure you reset it to it's factory settings first.
Hmm.. I'm sorry for being so uninformed (might be due to my not-so-perfect-English), but what is a pawn shop? Do they like re-sell computers, or what?
I've purchased a desktop computer from a pawn shop. If you are getting it for a very cheap price, I'd say it's worth it. They are probably going to be as good as any source when it comes to refurbished second hand gadgets. Of course, it's much better if you actually trust the pawn shop to begin with.
I have done in the past, it was years ago and I would buy old computers that were not available in shops anymore, but some drug addict was so desperate for a fix they had cleared out their loft and sent along an unwanted Commodore, Spectrum or Amstrad CPC 464 console. I haven't done it for years because they tend to sell laptops with keys missing now.
