Computers, Secondhand

How easy is it to hunt down a new or second-hand computer bargain?

When you buy a new computer, you get a Ferrari every time - speed, looks and a price tag to match. Not everyone needs or can afford this, especially if you're looking for a basic computer for the kids, e-mails and occasional word processing.

So, in the spirit of classic BBC show, Bargain Hunt, we checked the 'value' market. There is no shortage of places to look: computer fairs, second-hand dealers, internet auctions and classified ads are abundant.

Unlike antiques aficionado, David Dickinson, we didn't want a return on our investment - just reliable kit at a reasonable price. Read on to learn how to avoid the traps waiting for bargain hunters.

Fair Trade?

Computer Fairs are not for the faint-hearted. We attended a couple of British Computer Fairs (BCF) events and were struck by the noise as small traders hawked everything from memory modules to second-hand laptops. No sooner did you look at a stand than you were bombarded with offers of help.

Finding what you're looking for can be like searching for a needle in a haystack. Harder still is spotting a rogue - one former trader told us that unscrupulous dealers abound at some fairs. 'They are like a glorified boot fair. I have stopped doing them because they have got shadier and shadier,' said our source, who declined to be named.

Return to base

Computer Fairs

Pros Plenty of choice and you can try before you buy.

Cons Noisy, bewildering, and traders aren't always easy to trace if you need a refund

Overall Bargains abound for the experienced. Always get a receipt with a physical address.

If things do go wrong, there's no guarantee that the trader will be back the following week. 'The continuity of traders is becoming less and less,' said our insider, a fact acknowledged by the BCF. 'You always get a certain amount of new traders because [fairs are] brilliant for people that want to start companies. There is a certain amount of risk involved because they are new to us,' said Steve Chamberlain, spokesperson for the organisation.

And, Steve points out, smaller traders don't have the cash to give refunds if something is 'not suitable' as opposed to faulty. 'Small traders are less likely to offer a refund,' he said.

Yet, with the right precautions, fairs are a cheap source of components, such as memory. Another benefit is that most traders, from our experience, are happy for you to turn on and use computers, monitors and so on.

A little common sense can minimise risk. You're better off at an organised fair than buying out of someone's car 'The first thing to look at is who is organising it. Is it a car boot fair or is it being held in a hotel lobby, for example?,' advised Carol Brady, a trading standards officer (TSO) for Kent County Council.

Try and buy from local traders or ask the fair organiser who are regular attendees. When you buy, make sure you get a printed, Vat receipt (the BCF has a universal receipt at the back of its show catalogue) - and remember your rights if goods are faulty.

Electric Avenue

Tottenham Court Road

Pros Choose from 90 stores with a known address to return faulty goods.

Cons Not all retailers handle complaints well.

Overall Plenty of choice but it remains to be seen whether the fair trader scheme will take off.

With more than 90 electrical shops, Tottenham Court Road has a reputation as an 'electric avenue' and its permanence may make it more attractive than a fair. In reality, traders don't always handle complaints well.

'When a member of the public walks into one of these shops, they think that they are dealing with a single trader when if fact they could be dealing with as many as eight or nine different businesses,' says Justin Miller, principal TSO for Camden.

'People that are returning goods to a shop are often faced with some YTS kid who simply tells them that they can't return the goods,' says Miller, adding that complaints about the area have been a 'significant' concern.

Camden Council has launched a Fair Trader Scheme to sort out Tottenham Court Road. Under this voluntary code of practice, traders promise that the store manager will deal with complaints within 28 days.

If they can't, the complaint is referred to Camden Council. The trader must accept its decision but customers are free to pursue matters if they are still unhappy. However, at the time of writing just three traders had signed up: Shasonic (London) Ltd, Unique TCR Ltd and Hi-Fi Care Ltd, who have eight stores between them.

Netting a Bargain

Web auctions make it easy to buy second-hand equipment. When we checked eBay it had 4,000 programs, 1,000 computers, 7,000 components and 3,000 peripherals at tempting prices.

The offer on eBay of a laptop tempted Mr Jeewoth to pay £1,500. He was overjoyed with his bargain - but it never came. Realising he'd been scammed, Mr Jeewoth e-mailed eBay. It didn't reply for four weeks, until we chased it up. Even then, eBay said it couldn't help as he had conducted the deal outside its service. This is because he had e-mailed the seller (in Italy) to arrange to send the money via the Western Union transfer service. The seller collected the cash but never sent the laptop.

False Identity

This case highlights the risks of buying this way. The biggest (and in hindsight, most obvious) is that you have only the seller's word that they are who they say. This one claimed to be an authorised Apple dealer - but Pete Ziverts, spokesperson for Western Union, says a 'false ID was presented to pick up the funds'.

EBay claims that confirmed frauds are rare - less than 0.01 per cent of items listed. But it takes no responsibility for sales.

'Do not assume that the offer, sale, purchase, export or import of any item is valid and legal simply because it is listed on our website. We are not responsible for ensuring that buyers and sellers actually complete a transaction,' says a disclaimer on the site, under the heading 'eBay is only a venue'.

Pros Ratings give an indication of the seller's reputation.

Cons You don't know who you're buying from and are covered only up to £120 if things go wrong.

Overall Be careful when making big payments online.

That's Classified

LOOT etc

Pros You can meet sellers and try goods before you buy

Cons You have limited rights when you buy this way.

Overall If you're happy that what you're being sold works properly, you can often track down a bargain.

Like eBay, classifieds are strewn with second-hand equipment - and the comparisons don't end there. As with eBay, a minority of advertisers aren't all they seem. 'Some traders don't always declare that they are because they are trying to avoid tax or they are trying to avoid taking responsibility if something goes wrong,' says TSO Carol Brady.

You have fewer rights against private sellers - (see 'Your Rights Explained'). 'I can advertise a Dell Pentium computer with a certain specification and, as long as that is all that I say, it doesn't matter if you get the computer home and it is not working,' said Brady. Before using classifieds, she recommends buying the paper over a period of weeks to see if phone numbers recur - those that do are likely to be traders.

Second Hand Advice

Buying computer equipment from these sources can make sense, especially if you don't want the latest models.

In spite of the connotations of the 'boot fair', computer fairs are the best place to pick up equipment. You can touch it, check it works and, if you pick your trader carefully, get a refund if things go wrong. The same applies to the stores that dominate Tottenham Court Road.

Auctions and classified ads are riskier and you have fewer rights. So find out as much as possible about the seller before you buy - and, as always, if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Your Rights Explained

When you buy from a shop, computer fair or online, you are protected by the Sale of Goods Act, 1979. Anything you buy must:

fit the description used in any advertisement or packaging
be of satisfactory quality
be fit for the purpose for which it is sold.

These rules apply when you buy from a business, whether the goods are new or second hand, with the proviso that you can't expect a second-hand computer, for example, to be in the same condition as a new one. Quality depends on the price paid, appearance and any description - so if a computer is advertised as a Pentium 4 machine, it should conform to this specification. And if it's faulty, you have the right to return it.

The rules are different when you buy from a private seller. As long as the computer belongs to the seller, they have to make sure only that the goods fit the description. So if they don't say that a computer is working, it does not have to be as long as it meets the described specification.