Selling an old laptop: The best options

by Pramith

Many users want to sell their old laptop because it no longer meets current requirements. How to prepare the sale of your laptop, choose a suitable purchase portal and conduct the negotiations effectively is explained in this article.

Prepare to sell your old laptop

Before you put your laptop up for sale, you should delete all data completely and clean the device especially well. Additional measures are required when auctioning or selling privately.

  • If available, you must delete your Google account so that the new user does not have access to your personal data.
  • For the first deletion of your data, you should reset the laptop to factory settings. However, because all files can be restored relatively easily afterwards, a second step is required.
  • You can safely and completely erase the hard disk with the programmes Secure Eraser or WipeDisk.
  • To get an extra high price when you sell, you need to clean your laptop properly and thoroughly so that your device looks newer and of higher quality.
  • You should pass on all accessories and, if possible, the packaging when you sell your laptop, as this signals a careful use.
  • If you want to sell your laptop on auction portals like eBay, you need to create an understandable description and an appealing photo, as well as set a desired minimum price.
  • Using portals such as eBay Classifieds, you can offer your laptop for sale at a fixed price and sell it privately.

Use buying portals

By working with special portals, you can sell your laptop faster and often more successfully than at auction or in private transactions. All purchase portals have both advantages and disadvantages. Noteworthy are the bonuses (in the amount of 5 or 10 €) that are often paid for taking out a newsletter subscription. Users get to keep the money even if they quickly cancel the subscriptions. The first three of the seven recommendable portals have the great advantage that they buy all brands of laptops. The last four companies limit themselves to Apple laptops only.

  • The Flip4New portal offers very positive conditions, because they buy all types of laptops and even defective devices. In addition, the shipping of all laptops is free, you get 10 € for a subscription to the newsletter and the purchase price is paid out after only 24 hours.
  • The company mySWOOOP considers all brands of laptops. Already after 24 hours, one receives the purchase price and 5 € for a newsletter subscription. However, the shipping of the laptops is only free from 30 €.
  • ZOXS buys laptops from all manufacturers. Unfortunately, laptops are only shipped free of charge from 30 €, and the payment of the profits made takes a few days.
  • CleverTronic allows free shipping of all laptops and offers 10 € for a newsletter subscription. After only 24 hours, the laptops sent in are paid for. On the negative side, this portal only buys Apple MacBooks from 2017 onwards.
    • Customers can send their laptop to CleverBuy free of charge and receive a refund of the purchase price after 24 hours. This company is limited to Apple MacBooks from 2018.
    • The portal reBuy pays 5 € for a subscription to the newsletter from a sales value of the device of 30 €. Unfortunately, only Apple laptops are bought. In addition, the shipping of the laptops is only free from 10 € and the payment of the purchase price can be delayed four to five working days.
    • The company WirKaufens allows free shipping of all devices. On the negative side, this portal only buys Apple and Microsoft laptops and the payout often takes a week.
    Gaming Laptop.

    Gaming Laptop.

    Selling laptops in seven steps

    First you need to determine the selling price of your laptop. Base it on comparable laptops offered for sale by the buying portals. You should ask about half to a maximum of two-thirds of the selling prices there for the purchase of your well-preserved, fully functioning laptop. You can complete the sale in the following seven steps:

    • Determine the features of your laptop: You can find the features of your laptop, such as processor and memory, on the invoice or in the device. To do this, right-click on the button at the very bottom left of the monitor and then successively on the three buttons Settings, System and Info.
    • Compare purchase prices: After entering the characteristics and current condition of your laptop (from “very good” to “acceptable”), you check the provisional prices immediately offered online by the main purchase portals.
    • Select purchase portal: You choose the company that has the best conditions and communicates the highest preliminary purchase price.
    • Print shipping label: You print out the shipping label sent to you by email and stick it on the package with the well-wrapped laptop.
    • Shipping laptop for free: You deliver your laptop to the purchase portal free of cost using a parcel service.
    • End price evaluation: The employees of the purchase portal check your sent laptop and you can agree or disagree with the final purchase price reported back.
    • Get money for sold laptop: If you agree with the final purchase price, the money will be transferred to you within a maximum of one week. If the final purchase price is too low for you, the portal will send the laptop back to you.

     

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