Common refurbished laptop scams in India (and how to avoid them)

Most sellers are honest, but a few tricks come up again and again.

1. The spec swap

The listing says "i7", but it's a very old i7 — or it's actually an i5. Avoid it by checking the generation, not just the tier, and verifying with msinfo32 on arrival.

2. The hidden hard drive

Sold as "500 GB storage" without saying it's an old spinning hard drive. Avoid it by asking specifically: SSD or HDD?

3. The dying battery

A laptop that only runs while plugged in. Avoid it by asking for battery health, or running a battery report on arrival.

4. Pay first, laptop never arrives

Common with Instagram and WhatsApp-only sellers who insist on UPI to a personal account. Avoid it by using Cash on Delivery or a proper payment gateway.

5. Fake or pirated Windows

Avoid it by checking Settings → Activation.

6. "Warranty" that doesn't exist

Avoid it by getting warranty terms in writing, plus a GST invoice.