Buying Certified Dell Refurbished from Ebay

Hello all.

I actually posted this on Dell Shipping Order Status and Customer Service Issue forum, but with no replies, so I am posting it here hoping you could post some of your past experiences.

I just ordered my Dell Precision M4700 from Ebay.
Dell Precision M4700 I7 3740QM 8GB 256GB SSD 1080P Backlit FP USH Webcam 7 PRO | eBay

The seller stated that this is a Dell factory sealed certified refurbished M4700 and that the 3 year warranty is good until Sep 3rd of 2016.

The seller seems to have good reviews from past customers.
It is just that this is my first time buying a refurbished electronic of any sort, so I am understandably pretty worried right now.

Question 1: Could you be able to share your past experiences with Dell Certified Refurbished? Should I be expecting obvious scratches and other cosmetic damages?

Question 2: Are there significant quality differences between "Ordered New" and "Certified Refurbished"? Is "Ordered New" worth the extra money over the regular certified refurbished?

Thanks!
I am just really anxious about how the certified refurbished from Dell is going to turn out!

 

I bought a couple of refurbished Dells from eBay and my past experiences have been great so far. The refurbished Dell Precision and Vostro notebooks I bought from eBay were immaculate throughout, nothing was scratched or broken and ran perfectly fine. The packaging is a bit different as the unit was sealed with some sort of cellophane film rather than the typical foam pads but it was safe and secure nonetheless. The bonus is that they are much cheaper than ordering directly from Dell for the same spec and occasionally you get upgraded Dell warranties thrown into the deal too.

Of course not all refurbished machines are perfect, good eBay sellers typically grade these machines in terms of condition. Grade A usually means perfect throughout (like new), Grade B means it may have some tiny cosmetic flaws like tiny scratches or dents even. Grades lower than that could mean chassis damage, broken bezels or missing items. It doesn't hurt to get in touch with sellers if you're unsure about the condition before buying.

 

I just ordered a Latitude E6530 direct from the Outlet, but from all the research I've done, most people have had pretty good luck with getting good units. My unit should be here Monday, so I'll let you know how it checks out. Can you get it with Pro Support for a little piece of mind? As far as Ordered New and Certified Refurbished, the former should have never been turned on (maybe not even opened?), refurbs something opened and possibly tried out, returned within the return period...but not really "used". Dell should (and I actually just asked someone the same question) be gone through to make sure everything is up to spec, with no or very little cosmetic issues (then you'd be talking Scratch and Dent). Honestly, unless the laptop has a lot of problems, it is a great way to save a lot of money...I saved more than $600 over the same system purchased brand new. I will post my impressions after it arrives and I've had a chance to check it out.

 

This is the link to the Ebay address I bought the Precision from
Dell Precision M4700 I7 3740QM 8GB 256GB SSD 1080P Backlit FP USH Webcam 7 PRO | eBay

As for Dell Outlet, since I am in Canada, I did not want to deal with the whole US shipping transfer thing.

 

I dont know about ebay but this was my experience. I purchased m6600 in US outlet from EU and my carrier to mys home country was a friend who was computer literate. I did my fair share of research as 1000$ is alot of money for me (price i paid for my m6600) and time before i get machine in my hands was around 2 months. General consensus I got about precisions and latittudes was: regardles of refurb designations they will work. S&D, Certified new or certified refurbished will either have minor defects or none and machine will work. Conesensus about ebay seller was - additional layer of testing. I went directly from Dell due to fact that machine was purchased under my name from the start and transfer to my country would be easier.

(1000$ was price without SSD, WiFi and bluetooth - which were aditional 80$ (ssd), 5$ (bt) and 20$ (intel 6300). First next maxhine with everything in outlet after coupons was around 1150$.

 

Pretty decent deal, fantastic when you compare to new ;-)...the Dell Outlet has something similar at the moment, but with a 750 GB standard HDD instead of the $200 more SSD, but it's Scratch and Dent, not Certified Refurbished if that matters, for similar price. The inventory for the M4700 fluctuates really rapidly, so keep checking back if you don't see what you want on Ebay.

 

Good to hear, robs10!

I just wish I knew "Ordered New" category existed when I ordered the Certified Refurbished. My laptop crapped out on me. during a University term and I had to order a laptop as quick as possible.

Anyways, any other experiences with Certified Refurbished? Hopefully they are positive.

 

Nothing worse than having to buy something under a time limit ;-). I'm sure your Precision will be great...I would say (at least until I know for sure when mine comes Monday) going with a refurb saves enough to be worth a little worry. Ordered New must be approaching cost of just ordering a new one, though I haven't a clue by how much. Nice thing about either is they ship faster than configuring a brand new one yourself.

 

I actually just bought the same laptop and it finally came in today. It only comes with a standard OS re-installation CD, so if you want to upgrade your OS, you better download all the drivers in advance. Laptop is in excellent condition with no apparent wears and a valid warranty. Everything is working properly, no problems so far.

 

Great to hear positive stories. I asked my Outlet rep about an OS disc and he said I could get one from tech support..

FedEx showed up today with a BIG box, which I thought had both my refurb E6530 and U2412M monitor, but it was only the monitor. I would say the only difference I can tell so far between this refurb monitor and a new monitor is the stand was assembled, where I think I had to assemble the new 23" Ultrasharp I bought with my Vostro. It also doesn't have that New Monitor Smell ;-). But for a total cost of $240, including 3 years Pro Support because of the laptop, I can live without it...Love the1920 x 1200 aspect ratio!

*Update*
Refurbished E6530 showed up Monday. Other than a couple very minor scuffs on the back two corner edges, it's flawless. It's loaded with every option except a Hybrid/SSD HDD instead of a true SSD, no mobile broadband, and 8GB of RAM, for under$1000 (with the 20% Outlet coupon).

*Update of the Update*
I actually purchased another 6530 before this one, and decided to return it when I found one exactly like it but with a Quad i7 instead of a DC. Dell Customer Care emailed me a UPS Return label, I handed it to my UPS driver and within a week, had a full credit to my AmEx card (no restocking fee since I purchased another Outlet system). Customer Care rep was very nice and kept checking back with me to let me know the progress of my return. With all the bad experiences that I read about Dell, I wanted to let people know about a good one .