brand spanking 2nd hand laptop - how to tell? 3rd time lucky

Forums › Laptops and mobile computers › brand spanking 2nd hand laptop - how to tell? 3rd time lucky

nzkronic

6 posts

Wannabe Geek

#50170 23-Nov-2009 22:50

Hi I managed to purchase what I thought was a new laptop for a family member yesterday, after agreeing to buy the sales rep mentioned that I could take home the display model on the day or pick up a new one the next day. After asking the rep why he could not just go and get one now he mentioned that he would have to open up pallets out back and had to enter serials numbers and things...sounded weird but didnt really pay much attention as his english was not the greatest and came back the following day to pick the new one up.

Anyway picking up the laptop and taking out of its carefully repackaged box and hopefully unused battery I found that win xp booted straight to desktop with administrator as the user and realised that this laptop was probably the display model.

reasons why:

-notepad was still listed in the start menu (It had added itself their after I had opened it on the display pc to test the keyboard while in the store)

- "regedit" was listed as the last opened program when opening the run dialog (probably wiping all the history)

- in the recent documents a few pictures had been opened

- and mainly there are system restore points at regular intervals all the way back to August 09, (don't think a laptop sitting off in a box can make these!!)

The laptop works fine and pretty sure the battery is actually new as the display model did not have one attached but I did expect one that was unused, not used by customers in store for the last few months.

Do you guys agree that this is probably the display model and I should head back for some sort of a discount? or how I could definitely check that it has been used for a while? paid 1085 for it

rscole86

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#275667 23-Nov-2009 23:04

It sounds like a display model.

Do you have a bit more info, who is the laptop registered to? Where did you buy it? Brand? Are there recovery discs, or when you go to make them does it say they are already made?
Are there any windows updates installed?

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timestyles

424 posts

Ultimate Geek

#275677 24-Nov-2009 00:26

It is highly likely that it is a display model. Windows (Vista and 7) asks what username you want, also keyboard, country, etc. This happened when I bought my Toshiba last year. No doubt you can reinstall Windows using the various setup menus.

Kraven

708 posts

Ultimate Geek

#275701 24-Nov-2009 07:12

nzkronic:
- and mainly there are system restore points at regular intervals all the way back to August 09, (don't think a laptop sitting off in a box can make these!!)

That there pretty much confirms it. I'd take it up with the salesperson and if you don't get any satisfaction from him then talk to his manager.

My understanding is you asked for new and they haven't provided, so technically they have breached the Sales Of Goods act, which states that goods sold must match their description. I'm not a lawyer, though.

nzkronic

6 posts

Wannabe Geek

#275750 24-Nov-2009 11:06

Thanks for the comments, the laptop was a HP probook with a seperate 1 gig partition I assume is for XP recovery so no discs, have not yet checked who it is registered too. Brought from PB tech in Hamilton.

With the restore points usually at 2am or 11 at night over the last few months indicates that it is left running 24/7 while on display,

Anyone have any ideas how much of a discount I should ask for, performance wise I guess it still runs as good as new but really is not worth the price of a new one, I think I'll try ask for $300 back.

CYaBro

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#275754 24-Nov-2009 11:24

Being an HP Probook it should have come with recovery discs and also the Office 2007 60-day trial install disc.
All the probooks I have sold since July have come with them anyway.

rscole86

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#275768 24-Nov-2009 11:56

Like CYaBro said, it should come with disks, or it will have a disk creation utility. Check to see if this has been done. If it has, then theres another example of it being used.

I would just ask for a BRAND NEW replacement, and even open it there instore, to make sure you are both happy. I would not ask for a discount, and you are un-likey to get one, as they dont want to discount a display model more than once, ie take it off display sell it for cheap, then open another and do the same thing.

rattewisday

201 posts

Master Geek

#275778 24-Nov-2009 12:32

I would just demand a brand new replacement..

If you do decide to keep it I'd check the wear level on the battery and thoroughly inspect it for any damage..

freitasm

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#275784 24-Nov-2009 12:49

You ordered a new one and paid for a new one. There's no excuses. Get a replacement AND NEVER BUY THERE AGAIN.

If they don't do it, I'd go for the CGA.

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sarg

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#275792 24-Nov-2009 14:01

return the laptop and ask for what you purchased, a new laptop otherwise refund in full is required.

that would be an ecumenical matter

bigal_nz

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#277150 28-Nov-2009 07:54

Another cuning way to see how ong its been on for is look at the Smart data in the HDD parameters. It will have total hours "On" for hard disk.

nzkronic

6 posts

Wannabe Geek

#277183 28-Nov-2009 11:04

Thanks for the comments, took the laptop back and they gave me a new one right away, and the salesmen just blamed the girl for giving me the wrong one, (but he was probably the one to pack it up off display)

I guess they just try to flog of the display models to anyone they can. Did not know of the HDD params bigal but would have been interesting to see exactly how long it had been used for.

freitasm

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#277185 28-Nov-2009 11:19

Good! Paid for a new one, got a new one...

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timestyles

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Ultimate Geek

#277186 28-Nov-2009 11:23

"Never ascribe to malice that which can be explained by incompetence".