8 mistakes to avoid when buying a used or refurbished laptop

Buying a used laptop can be a great way to save a lot of money, especially if you’re looking to buy one that’s pretty powerful. The best laptops can be very expensive brand-new, so buying used (or refurbished) can shave off a non-trivial amount — and you still get to enjoy all the same features and performance advantages.

But buying a used laptop can also be fraught with risks. What if the seller lied to you about its condition? What if the battery has been cycled too many times? What if there’s a dead pixel or two on the display?