|
 Buying Second Hand Supplies & Equipment Although it is not usually thought of as a way of buying business equipment, there is potentially a great deal of money to be saved by buying second hand equipment. Second hand equipment is most commonly available from three locations: (i) Personal / Business Sellers These are individuals or businesses that have purchased a product and no longer need it. They can normally be found in classified adverts in newspapers or magazines, particularly those aimed at second-hand sales (E.g.: Exchange and Mart / Auto Trader). You will normally be able to view the product, but in the event of problems you have no real comeback with seller. Prices on individual sales are normally low, depending on the product, its age, and the seller's honesty in pricing. (ii) Shops There are many second hand shops, these sell goods brought in by individuals or businesses. They buy them very cheaply and then sell them on with a profit. In a shop, you will be able to view the item and possibly test it. In the event of a problem you will be able to take it back, although you will not have a full guarantee. Prices on shop sales are normally higher than buying from individuals; however you get better peace of mind in the event of a problem. (iii) Auctions Buying from an auction can be the cheapest way to buy a product; however, it is also the riskiest. Careful bidding can bring in products for far below their actual value, but there is a big risk that products will not work. As you will not be able to test the product, you have no way of knowing whether the description is correct. Many auctions sell goods as seen, which means if the goods do not work, you have almost no chance of getting your money back. Online auctions are similar; however in these you have no way of even seeing the product (apart from a possible picture). This means you cannot be sure of the quality of the item until after you have paid for it. However, most auction sites do have some cover in the event of falsely described goods being sold, before bidding you should always find out what your rights are for claiming your money back on faulty goods. Auctions can be a good way to bring in bargains, but caution must always be used to help prevent paying over the odds or buying broken / damaged goods.
Advantages of Second Hand Equipment
(i) Price Buying a product second hand will normally save you a lot of money off of the standard new retail price. You may have to search to find an appropriate item at the best price and condition, but good condition second hand items are normally much better value than their new equivalent. (ii) Availability If a product used by your business breaks, and it is no longer sold new, it may cause problems if you have to change models. However, by buying second hand, you may still be able to replace it. For example: You have £2000 worth of toner and spares for your photocopier which are useless if you cannot get that particular model. In this case, buying second hand is probably the only way you will get hold of the same model, saving you £2000 of wasted supplies and spares.
Disadvantages of Second Hand Equipment
(i) Less Backup As they have been owned previously, it is likely that a second hand product is too old to come with any guarantees unless bought from a shop which offers one with the sale. This means that in the event of any future problems, all service and repair costs will have to be paid for, if they are even repairable at all. (ii) Higher Risk Buying a product second hand is more risky than buying a new product, as you can not always be sure that the product is as described. Although a product may appear to be in good condition, there may be an underlying fault that is not apparent on inspection. If a product is faulty, you should be able to get your money back from a shop. However, although by law the goods must be as described and fit for their purpose, it will be almost impossible to recover money from an individual if the goods they have sold are faulty. (ii) Cosmetics A second hand product has already been used; this means that it could have cosmetic damage, spoiling the look of the product slightly. This should not affect the usage of a product, but if your office is seen by your customers, you may not wish to have scratched or dented equipment on show. Article Index
|
