WALEED Hanafi used to buy second-hand IT equipment from a global asset auctioneer, called GoIndustry-DoveBid, over the Web.

Used products were cheaper. The chief information officer of Global Refund Group, which provides travellers with tax refund and currency conversion services, no longer does so today.

The reason: too much hassle for too little gains.

Second-hand IT equipment have to be re-certified for fresh warranty and support. Products without support are not going to fly with corporate users. This may bring the cost of second-hand ware close to the price of a brand-new one.

Lee Boon Chuay, country manager of GoIndustry- DoveBid, said demand among local firms is almost non- existent today as prices of brand new products have dropped and people would rather buy new equipment. There's also a risk that used goods may break down more easily.

Hewlett-Packard, however, sells refurbished servers and computers worldwide, including in Singapore, via its HP Renew programme. The re-manufactured products are 15 to 40 per cent cheaper than new ones. They also come with the original warranty and support that a buyer of its new products gets. HP refurbished goods bring in global revenues of over US$500 million (S$706 million) every year.

This story was first published in The Straits Times Digital Life on 20 August 2008.

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