When it comes time to replace your computer hardware – your actual computer mouse, tower, keyboard, speakers, laptop or smart phone – it may be difficult you understand why you should spend top dollar for brand new parts. Especially in our current economy, with jobless rates hovering around nine percent and companies and small businesses continuing to lay off employees due to decreased demand for products and services, few families have the means to plop down a credit card at their local technology store. To make matters even more complicated, it seems like when you do finally purchase that brand new piece of computer hardware, it’s obsolete before you can even get it out of the box and learn how to use it! Luckily, these days, purchasing recycled and refurbished equipment – everything from speakers to music players  - can save you big bucks, and oftentimes are just as great as buying brand new, without that big purchase hangover.

Of course, like buying any pre-owned products, it’s important to keep a few key rules in mind before you make a nonrefundable purchase on electronics. One great tip is to be wary of unidentified online retailers. Keep in mind that if a deal seems too good to be true over the Internet, it most likely it. These days, it’s too easy for scammers to create false profiles promising lightening fast connection speeds and like-new mobile devices, but by the time a dilapidated, antiquated, unusable product arrives at your home, your check is cashed and the seller’s profile has been sneakily deleted. Use your common sense – and remember that if a seller refuses to have a phone conversation with you or won’t disclose any information about his location or a product’s origin, it’s safest to steer clear.

Honest sellers do exist online, but you need to be careful when dealing with the for the first time. Oftentimes, a trustworthy parent will open a merchant profile to sell his or her child’s perfectly good cell phone. Those are smart bargains, because teens these days demand the newest products – so their used ones are almost brand new! Use your head and follow these rules, and you’ll save your family lots of electronics dollars!