Would you sell a troubled laptop on Ebay for peanuts or cannibalise it and sell single components?

SimonFF

I have an old laptop which is awaiting the last rites. It boots up but it only charges when the laptop is off, the motherboard is cracked, the chassis is cracked, and many more niggles.

I'll take the HDD off and mount it on a caddy. The screen works, the wifi card also works, so is the RAM.

I could take the bits that works and sell them on Ebay (for peanuts) or I could sell the laptop also for peanuts, obviously as scrap. The next recycling centre for dead laptops is miles away.

Would you risk selling a faulty laptop and then getting a negative review or would you just sell the good bits?

DE_612183

why not just sell it highlighting all the flaws with it - buyer can't complain then, and the likely buyer is someone who can either fix it or break it up themselves.

I think there is a "condition" status on ebay "for parts only"

soolin

Sell it for parts or spares- 'not working' make sure you list in the correct category - ie laptop parts, not laptop. Be brutally honest, state firmly and clearly that you are not selling it as a working laptop, merely to be cannibalised for parts . If it has such little value as to make it unsellable once postage is factored in - offer it up on facebook marketplace for free on collection. I've saved a lot of 'dump' runs by giving stuff away free as there is always someone who thinks they can turn a profit from a freebie.

SimonFF

DE_612183 said:

why not just sell it highlighting all the flaws with it - buyer can't complain then, and the likely buyer is someone who can either fix it or break it up themselves.

I think there is a "condition" status on ebay "for parts only"

soolin said:

soolin said: Sell it for parts or spares- 'not working' make sure you list in the correct category - ie laptop parts, not laptop. Be brutally honest, state firmly and clearly that you are not selling it as a working laptop, merely to be cannibalised for parts . If it has such little value as to make it unsellable once postage is factored in - offer it up on facebook marketplace for free on collection. I've saved a lot of 'dump' runs by giving stuff away free as there is always someone who thinks they can turn a profit from a freebie.

I thought so, but I read that Ebay will side with the buyer no matter how honest your description is.

I'll try to put in Freegle as well, but beggars are choosers nowadays. I have a lot of valuable items on both Ebay at 99p cash and collect and Freegle for free and nobody wants them.

soolin

SimonFF said:

DE_612183 said:

why not just sell it highlighting all the flaws with it - buyer can't complain then, and the likely buyer is someone who can either fix it or break it up themselves.

I think there is a "condition" status on ebay "for parts only"

soolin said:

soolin said: Sell it for parts or spares- 'not working' make sure you list in the correct category - ie laptop parts, not laptop. Be brutally honest, state firmly and clearly that you are not selling it as a working laptop, merely to be cannibalised for parts . If it has such little value as to make it unsellable once postage is factored in - offer it up on facebook marketplace for free on collection. I've saved a lot of 'dump' runs by giving stuff away free as there is always someone who thinks they can turn a profit from a freebie.

I thought so, but I read that Ebay will side with the buyer no matter how honest your description is.

I'll try to put in Freegle as well, but beggars are choosers nowadays. I have a lot of valuable items on both Ebay at 99p cash and collect and Freegle for free and nobody wants them.

I've won a few SNAD claims made against me where buyers don't bother reading the description. That's why it is important to list in the correct category and make sure you complete as many of the item specific categories that you can, stating in all appropriate specifics that this is not working.

People often lose SNAD claims as they list in the main category, so under laptops - then leave virtually all the item specifics blank - leaving the buyer to read the description. If you are in the correct category to start with then buyer already should note the condition, and the item specifics will assist. 

jon81uk

I sold a laptop (over ten years ago now) where I had removed the hard disk but listed it as "for parts" as the power supply was fried. I just clearly stated it did not work and was for parts only, I think the buyer wanted it for the screen and it went for £70.