Looking for laptop for less than £350 from an actual shop?

x-Princess-Vikki-x

Hi guys,

I see there are some great bargains here from the likes of ebuyer and Argos clearance on Ebay. However I am looking for a laptop from an actual shop so I can check it out and also if a problem with it occurs I can just take it back within the year.

I am looking for a laptop rather than a little netbook and it must have more than 160GB hard drive, webcam and preferably bluetooth also for less than £350.

Has anyone seen anything that meets these requirements around? or know of any shops that sell cheap basic laptops?

Thanks.

Aiadi

x-Princess-Vikki-x wrote: »

Hi guys,

I see there are some great bargains here from the likes of ebuyer and Argos clearance on Ebay. However I am looking for a laptop from an actual shop so I can check it out and also if a problem with it occurs I can just take it back within the year.

I am looking for a laptop rather than a little netbook and it must have more than 160GB hard drive, webcam and preferably bluetooth also for less than £350.

Has anyone seen anything that meets these requirements around? or know of any shops that sell cheap basic laptops?

Thanks.

http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10001&catalogId=1500002451&langId=-1&searchTerms=LENOVO

Look at the big thread on top of this forum for details.

Donnie

Dear Princess Vicki

What you may not understand, is that you have even greater protection when you buy online than when you go into a shop.

Example: If you buy a laptop from Argos Clearance and decide that you don't like it, for any reason, you can send it back for a full refund. If you go into a shop, let's say Furrys for the sake of this illustration, buy a laptop and then decide you don't like it even one day after you buy it, Furrys will not take it back.

Secondly, if you buy a laptop from Argos Clearance and something goes wrong with it, say after 11 months; if they can't fix it within ten days, they will just give you a replacement.

Ask your high street shop if you would get the same service.

Take my advice and buy online.

This Asus is only £264. You can add Bluetooth for £4

If when the laptop arrives, it looks anything less than shiny and new, send it back. The box may be battered, but the laptop itself should be pristine.

So you have a laptop with a 1.3MP webcam and Bluetooth for £268. If anything goes wrong with it within 28 days, you can ask for a refund.

Argos may still have some in stock at £299. Look here.
But of course it will still be in a box, so you'll still have to take it home to try it.

Another good buy is this Toshiba Satellite L500-1XJ for £294. It's got more RAM. 3GB compared to 2GB and a bigger hard drive 320GB compared to 250GB, though the webcam isn't quite as good.
But you may be able to pop over to Furrys to see and touch a Toshiba.

The high street won't be able to match this on price nor service. This is a monsy saving website, so I have no difficulty in tell you this.

Aiadi

Donnie wrote: »

Windows 7 Starter and she still doesn't get her hands on it in the shop.

Best to go somewhere where she can see and touch them and then to buy online.
Though I think my recommendations are well supported.

It actually is wrongly advertised. It comes with W7 Home Premium and not starter. Excellent value for a non-refurb laptop. I like your Asus one as well but would never buy such an item refurbished (but that's just me).

Oh, they have actually corrected the description on Argos website.............

Donnie

Aiadi wrote: »

http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10001&catalogId=1500002451&langId=-1&searchTerms=LENOVO

Look at the big thread on top of this forum for details.

Sorry, it was at another model at which I looked. There are a few in the range.

With Argos she doesn't get her hands on the laptop itself in the shop.

Best to go somewhere where she can see and touch them and then to buy online...or in Argos.

Donnie

Aiadi wrote: »

It actually is wrongly advertised. It comes with W7 Home Premium and not starter. Excellent value for a non-refurb laptop. I like your Asus one as well but would never buy such an item refurbished (but that's just me).

Oh, they have actually corrected the description on Argos website.............

Have bought four laptops from them over the past year. Not a single problem and all were shiny and new.

You are just as likely to get a lemon or a faulty machine buying new, as they are untested. At least a machine that has been returned as unwanted will be tested before it goes out.
I'm quite happy to save £100 per machine when i know I get the same or even better protection than someone who buys new.

If I didn't think so, I wouldn't recommend them.

If you have an irrational phobia, that's ok, you can pay the full price for a 'new' laptop. But that doesn't offer you increased reliability. It just offers you an increased price.

So unless you have some experience with buying from Argos Clearance, your 'opinion' is not based on anything.

As I've outlined, in most cases, you get the same or better protection as compared to the high street or online retailers.

An exception would be if when buying new, the manufacturers warranty was for two years.

Either way, the Lenovo is also a viable choice. The Princess can plug in the same Bluetooth module. But if Princess V orders it then she decides she doesn't like the colour or the feel...guess where it is resold? It can't be sold as new again.

So I don't worry about the term 'refurbished' when it comes to Argos.

I look at the value offered.

Aiadi

You may be right but once you go through a horrible experience like I did a couple of years back with Dell's outlet and bought a refurb from them at more than a grand that then died a few weeks after the warranty had ended. I have had 4 other Dell laptops from new and never had a problem with them. Also I have to say that reading other posters comments here and elsewhere re the eBay outlet does not fill one with confidence. After all these must be returned for a good reason...

Aiadi

x-Princess-Vikki-x wrote: »

Hi guys,

I see there are some great bargains here from the likes of ebuyer and Argos clearance on Ebay. However I am looking for a laptop from an actual shop so I can check it out and also if a problem with it occurs I can just take it back within the year.

Well, you have now some options around what you've asked for (and some of what you did not want).

Hope this helps you choose........;)

Donnie

Aiadi wrote: »

You may be right but once you go through a horrible experience like I did a couple of years back with Dell's outlet and bought a refurb from them at more than a grand that then died a few weeks after the warranty had ended. I have had 4 other Dell laptops from new and never had a problem with them. Also I have to say that reading other posters comments here and elsewhere re the eBay outlet does not fill one with confidence. After all these must be returned for a good reason...

Maybe you can link to a few....

Google: New DELL problems

Argos Clearance problems

Can't really find the links to the problems to which you refer.

I sure that you can imagine the reasons why laptops get returned. For instance there was an situation were Toshiba laptops didn't automatically install the wireless driver.
Someone not computer savvy would have no idea how to put it right, think that it was not working and take it back.

Sometimes you will see that Clearance Bargains has 350 of the same laptop. You think they all broke?
Maybe a laptop came with the wrong wireless driver installed. So they need to be opened, the correct driver installed and sold as 'refurbished'.

Personally, I would not ever buy a DELL.

allan673

looking at the asus myself on ebay/argos, good price at £264.

has anyone ordered from here? as posters say on other sites you may receive a new sealed unit???

any advice please.

Donnie

allan673 wrote: »

looking at the asus myself on ebay/argos, good price at £264.

has anyone ordered from here? as posters say on other sites you may receive a new sealed unit???

any advice please.

Unlikely to be sealed. The box may even have some damage, but the unit should be in pristine condition. If not, return it.