How much does your heart sink when you ask your dad/little sister/fancy person what they want for Christmas and they reply with ‘well my laptop’s on its last legs/I really fancy some proper good headphones/Oooh I'd love a digital radio?’ Because tech gifts are expensive, right? So expensive you’re probably going to laugh in your dad/sister/fancy person’s face and buy them a pair of socks and a soap gift basket instead, right?
Well, guess what. We have an idea for you. It’s called refurbished tech and it’s your new best friend. Refurbished tech is basically anything that’s been returned to a manufacturer or retailer because it’s faulty, or the original buyer changed their mind and returned it. Sometimes, things are sold as refurbished purely because their box was damaged, or the company over-ordered on stock. The manufacturer or retailer then repairs and reconditions said item (if it even needed fixing) and then sell it again. They can’t sell it with the rest of their new stock because it’s already been sold, but it’s as good as.
If you head over to the refurbished tech section on eBay you’ll find tech from laptops to juicers to gaming consoles (we know you want to) for up to 50% less than they cost new - and it all comes with a 12 month warranty.
Here are some of the best pieces of tech to buy refurbed on eBay.
Laptops that cost less than a smart new coat
From between £100 and £300 you can pick up a decent new laptop. There’s often Apple, HPs, Asus and Toshiba numbers on there that will easily suit all your Netflix/studying/music playing needs...
Find deals like:
An Acer l2” screen laptop, on eBay for £129.99. High street prices are closer to £329.99.
Speakers, so you don’t have to rely on your crappy radio at your next house party
A really decent sound system is one of those things you only think you need whenever you have mates over or are planning a big party, while the rest of the time the tinny sound coming out of your battery powered radio doesn’t really bother you too much. Take it from us, a decent pair of speakers will revolutionise your life.
**Find deals like: **
Pure Portable speakers, starting at around £29.95. Split that between your housemates and you’re winning - that’s less than half their usual price of around £71.
**Phones, so next time you lose yours you don’t have to go back to your sixth form phone.
**
Not that there’s anything wrong with your old brick, of course. But we know from personal experience how quickly the novelty of having an old phone that only lets you text, call and play snake can quickly wear off. When that happens head to eBay and find unlocked smartphone galore.
**Find deals like: **
This** **Samsung Galaxy Ace, which is only £36.99. If you’re a Pay-As-You-Go kinda person, even better - you’ll probably end up spending less on your phone that you have since you were about twelve. Elsewhere online this would usually set you back by up to about £155.
All The Household Appliances You Could Ever Dream Of
We don’t know about you, but we’re not fans of spending all our money on things like hoovers, irons and blenders. Over on eBay you can pick up all the household appliances you need for a fraction of their usual price. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous and grown up you could even buy yourself a fancy coffee machine.
**Find deals like: **
The Breville VFJ016 Pro Kitchen Whole Fruit Juicer, which is only £59.99 on eBay compared its normal £100 bought-new price tag. Winning!
A Nintendo Console So You Can Pretend You’re A Teenager Again
Or, if you don’t want to feel grown up at all and instead are looking for some light entertainment, we have just the ticket. eBay is full of refurbished gaming consoles.
Find deals like:
Enter exhibit A, this rather lovely coral pink Nintendo DS Lite that’s £28.99. Think of the gaming possibilities… plus, it’s a hell of a lot cooler than playing Candy Crush on your smartphone.
Inspired to start your Christmas shopping impressively early? Head to the refurbished tech section on eBay and get ahead of the game with some cash to spare to treat yourself!
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.