Name the first online auction site that comes to your mind. Can you even think of any besides eBay? For most of us it's the only online auction site that matters, but if you're browsing through eBay to find great deals on computers, you may be better off using an alternative auction platform.
Why look somewhere other than eBay?
- Less competition when placing bids.
- Less dependence on PayPal.
- Avoid common eBay scams.
If you need a very specific item and price isn't a top concern, by all means keep using eBay. The site is so massively international that you won't find a better selection of items anywhere else. However, if you're curious to see what's out there besides eBay, you won't regret checking out these sites.
Dell Auction
Dell is a popular brand if you don't care about building your own computers. Purchasing their computers at retail price can drain your wallet pretty fast, especially if you customize your order, but you can save a lot of money by going through Dell Auction instead.
With Dell Auction, you can bid on refurbished Dell laptops and desktops that have been restored to fit Dell's quality specifications. It doesn't cost anything to place bids and each purchase comes with a 30-day satisfaction return policy.
As you might expect, the selection here is somewhat small since they only serve up Dell products. However, I've seen a number of great laptops and desktop systems priced under $200 so there's a lot of money to be saved here. Listed prices do not include shipping.
Regional Availability: United States.
uBid
Though uBid has expanded to include many different auction item categories, they've always had a strong root in computers and computer-related products. Here you'll find plenty of affordable equipment from top-name brands like Dell, Lenovo, HP, and even Apple.
Like eBay, uBid has two types of product listings: Auction and Buy Now. At the time of writing, I see dozens of awesome computer auctions that are about to end between $100 and $200. The Buy Now products are just as affordable but typically limited to 1 stock.
If you're looking to buy a computer at auction, you really can't pass up uBid. The combination of price and variety is unmatched by any other site.
Regional Availability: United States.
Public Surplus [No Longer Available]
Public Surplus is a place where public agencies can put up surplus merchandise (otherwise known as overstock) for sale at super cheap prices. All sellers on Public Surplus are required to register and pay regular fees, meaning this site isn't an open auction where anyone can sell anything they want.
You'll find a lot of variety in items but each item won't have too many stocked, so if you lose an auction you likely won't have another chance. The good thing is that not many people know about Public Surplus, making it easier to grab that particular item that caught your eye.
Regional Availability: United States and Canada.
Liquidation
Like Public Surplus, Liquidation is a place where overstock is auctioned off at incredibly cheap prices, except Liquidation's range stretches all over the globe. There are dozens of computer systems on sale at any given time, sourced mostly from the United States but able to be shipped to most countries.
Liquidation has a clean website layout that makes it easy to find what you want at a price within your budget. Items are graded on conditions like New, Used, Refurbished, Returned, or even Salvaged. The selection is somewhat small but it's the perfect place to find those once-in-a-blue-moon deals.
Regional Availability: International.
Conclusion
The next time you need to buy a cheap computer, consider buying from an online auction site that isn't eBay. You'll run into fewer auction snipers, the products tend to be more reliable, and you'll be distancing yourself from those common eBay scams.
If you really don't like eBay and want to know what else is out there, check out these awesome eBay alternatives.
Know of any other computer auction sites? It'd be great to hear about them. Please share with us in the comments!