20 days of discounts: refurbished laptops

Fancy a 15.4-inch Macbook Pro for £580 below the usual asking price? Or how about saving £255 on a dual-core Acer laptop? If you are happy to purchase a refurbished product, then that is the kind of saving you can unearth.

Refurbished products are items that have been returned once sold. Items may come with minor cosmetic flaws, such as small scratches, but are sold in full working order – you also have the usual legal protection under the Sale of Goods Act and many refurbished goods sellers provide a warranty (see the ‘Non-new goods and your rights’ information below).

The best bargain when we visited the Apple website was 31 per cent off but the deals – which also extend to iMacs, iPods and iPads – are regularly refreshed. To see what is available, visit the Special Deals section on the Apple home page. For PCs and tablets, type Dell Outlet into Google, or visit Acer, Euro PC or go to PC World and type refurb into the site’s search tool.
Total saving: £580

Refurbs, second-hand goods and your rights
If you are buying expensive items through a refurbished or clearance scheme, it is sensible to check the product comes with a full warranty. Provided you are buying from a business rather than from an individual, the Sale of Goods Act still applies regardless of whether you are buying brand new bargains or refurbished, second-hand or clearance items.

This means the items must be as described, of satisfactory quality and fit for purpose. If it is not, then you have the right to return the goods. If buying online, you are also protected by the Distance Selling Regulations, which allow many goods to be returned without reason. The law allows seven working days to exercise this right.

Greater care needs to be taken when buying second-hand items from private individuals. In this case, neither the Sales of Goods Act nor the Distance Selling Regulations apply. Instead, you may need to take the issue up with the seller directly. If buying via Ebay, see its Safety Centre page for more advice in this area.