Saving money is important to everyone and buying a refurbished computer may be the right choice for you.  However, recently we discovered that some claims of being refurbished may not be legitimate.

Being factory refurbished means the system has been completely checked out, cleaned inside and out and most importantly…the data (from the previous user) has been properly erased before the system is sold to someone else. We recently discovered at least one large discount store is simply restoring the hard-drive of returned computers without properly erasing the previous users data.  This is dangerous for both the previous user and the recipient of the refurbished system.

If you do decide to purchase a refurbished system, ask these questions before you decide to close the deal.

1. Was the machine refurbished by the original equipment manufacturer?
2. Is the hard-drive in the machine brand new, or has it been refurbished?
3. If the drive is refurbished, was the previous users data completely erased? Not simply reformatted and the operating system reinstalled.
4. Does the system come with a warranty of 90 days or better?

As a final note: If you should ever need to return a computer (new or refurbished) to a store, please make sure your data has been securely erased.  Not doing so could result in your personal information or files being restored by an unknown person in a near or distant land.  If you don’t know how to securely erase your data, we suggest you have reputable and certified system technician take care of it for you.  A reputable provider will give you a certificate of destruction.