Best Tips for Buying Refurbished IT Hardware - CXtec

The refurbished IT hardware market has gained massive momentum over the years. Enterprises are continually looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint, boost cost savings, and extend hardware lifespan. This is where buying refurbished assets (e.g., server, storage, voice equipment, networking hardware, etc.) proves to be a better investment for a company’s IT infrastructure over new hardware. Other reasons that are driving the popularity of refurbished IT hardware include:

• Enhanced hardware performance
• Better aftermarket warranties
• Flexible third-party maintenance (TPM) contracts
• Superior support services

While refurbished IT hardware packs many advantages for enterprises, organizations must research well to ensure they buy the hardware that delivers optimal performance, accelerates overall efficiency, and successfully meets their specific business needs. It’s equally crucial that enterprises partner with a reliable, knowledgeable, and reputed vendor for high-quality IT hardware, advanced replacement warranties, and huge savings. 

Factors To Consider Before Choosing Refurbished IT Assets Over New Hardware

Refurbished IT hardware is aged, returned, or faulty hardware that undergoes strict quality checks and rigorous repairing to restore it to a ‘‘like new’’ hardware condition. Before investing in refurbished hardware for their IT infrastructure, companies must consider a few essential factors. Outlined below are some pre-considerations that will help enterprises choose the right refurbished hardware for their IT operations:

• Warranty: Third-party maintenance (TPM) vendors offer warranties in the refurbished hardware market. While every vendor has its individual warranty policies, companies must ensure that the warranties offered are comparable to or better than the warranties provided by OEMs. Most warranties offered by reputed TPM vendors provide cover against hardware malfunction, damage, and defects. They also cover the cost of hardware replacement and repair. Companies must carefully understand the full scope of the aftermarket warranty provided by the vendor. They should ask detailed questions about guidelines or policies that they don’t clearly understand, such as the length of the warranty, types of repair services covered, replacement procedure, details about hardware quality, etc. 
• Testing: When buying refurbished hardware, the quality and performance of the hardware is a major deciding factor. The cost-saving benefits don’t matter if the IT hardware cannot meet the necessary business requirements. This is why companies need to ensure that the hardware they’re purchasing has been carefully inspected by a trustworthy vendor for any faults, and damages, to ensure high-quality and reliable performance. Refurbished IT hardware can work just as well as the new one if it has undergone multiple rounds of rigorous testing, diagnostics, and repairing. If the refurbished hardware is not properly tested and improved, it can fail in a demanding IT environment. One way for companies to confirm the credibility and quality of refurbished hardware is through certifications. A certified IT asset means enhanced performance (comparable to OEM standards), safe and secure data erasure, and an extended hardware life cycle. 
• Vendor Legitimacy: Choosing the right vendor plays a vital role in purchasing refurbished IT hardware. Companies must choose a reputable vendor with vast experience in the industry to ensure their overall expertise and reliability. Companies can also assess the vendor’s legitimacy by checking customer reviews, testimonials, reliability ratings, and industry-recognized certifications. Similarly, a credible TPM vendor is generally transparent and open to answering questions about the source and owner of the pre-owned IT hardware offered to ensure its quality and performance.
• Support Services: For quick diagnostics and troubleshooting of faults or issues in refurbished IT assets, companies should ensure the TPM vendor provides access to a dedicated team of manufacturer-certified, well-trained, and brand-agnostic support engineers. Companies should check on the response and assistance timelines provided by the vendor to ensure they quickly respond to their inquiries related to refurbished hardware and the issues encountered. 

Unlock Optimal Performance and Maximum Value From Your Refurbished IT Hardware

Companies can purchase a high-performing and superior quality refurbished server, networking, voice, and storage equipment by choosing a solution and vendor that offers a higher return on investment, reliability, and stability. As the largest secondary-market hardware provider in North America, CXtec has been a leading and proven partner for companies across different industries since 1995. Its exclusive brand of certified pre-owned equipment, equal2new®, is the premier choice for authentic, cost-effective, high-quality, and reliable refurbished IT equipment. 

It offers many benefits for customers purchasing refurbished IT hardware, including a vast inventory of top brands in stock and ready-to-ship products. Companies can save 40% to 90% compared to manufacturer list prices, optimizing their IT budgets. Apart from huge cost-savings, equal2new provides an impressive lifetime warranty with an advance replacement for timely troubleshooting. To ensure refurbished hardware successfully meets manufacturer specifications, it offers a 99.51% reliability rating where each hardware unit undergoes thorough industry-leading testing, reconditioning, and certification process. Also, every customer gets a dedicated account manager for quick response times for inquiries.