A Guide To Buying Refurbished Hardware

Following on from our previous post “Benefits of IT Hardware Refurbishment”, detailing the cost, reliability and environmental benefits of buying refurbished hardware, we will now consider what to look for in a supplier. It’s important to source a reputable and dependable supplier to ensure high quality standards, support and warranty options. A reputable trader will ensure refurbished hardware is tested to the highest manufacturer standard. Ensuring it is every bit as good as new, every time, with a warranty to prove it. Whether buying previously refurbished kit or seeking refurbishment for your existing equipment, quality accreditations, manufacturer-grade testing equipment, inclusion of equipment accessories and decent warranties should enable you to tell the good from the bad when it comes to suppliers:

Quality assurance

A supplier should be able to demonstrate some form of quality assurance. Be it a vendor-approved refurbishment service or the well-recognised ISO quality standards certification: ISO 9001. These services provide the reassurance that you will be receiving a genuine, high-quality product with the appropriate testing so you can be sure the equipment meets original OEM standards.

Refurbishment and testing facilities

You can gain further reassurance of quality by investigating the refurbishment and testing facilities of a supplier. Do they have a team of highly qualified engineers carrying out the refurbishment? Have they invested in the equipment they need to carry out high standards of work? Are all the appropriate safety precautions in place? And do they have the appropriate level of manufacturer-grade testing equipment? To give you the reassurance your equipment is fault free and restored to full OEM specifications?

Equipment accessories

Does the equipment come with all the necessary accessories such as rack mounts, cables and leads? Even if the equipment itself is of an excellent standard, it can be let down by the lack of supporting accessories. And this can lead to a lot of extra hassle and cost for you in trying to source such items from elsewhere.

Warranty

A good warranty demonstrates a supplier’s faith in the performance and durability of the product they are supplying. It also provides a safety net in the event of any problems if they were to arise. It is advisable to look for a warranty of at least a year on refurbished hardware.

Refurbished hardware support contracts

We have added this item in last as it’s not necessarily a must-have pre-requisite for a refurbished hardware provider. But it’s definitely a “nice to have”. Third-party support contracts often provide cover for refurbished products but it’s a bonus if this can be sourced from the same supplier as the equipment itself. As well as the obvious convenience, you gain the added assurance that your support supplier really knows your product and has the knowledge and capability to address any faults, to the highest standard, even past the end of your warranty period. Contact Us

Want to learn more about our WEEE, System Decommissioning and Lifecycle Services? Contact Us.