How to tell if a replacement part is refurbished or new.

[thinkpadhk]

Hello all.

If you've been following my posts about my experiences with IBM service, you'll know that they sent me a replacement hard drive and keyboard.

Questions:
1) How do I know if the hard drive that IBM sent me is a new one or a refurbished one?

2) How do I know if the keyboard they sent is a new one or a refurbished one?

If anyone can answer I'd really appreciate it.
Thanks!
hk

[RS_003]

I would say watch for marks on the harddisk and keyboard?
Is its scratched? And stuf like that.

[Leon]

if it is refurbished, by law, IBM will put a sticker on the item stating that it is is...

[Steve007]

2) How do I know if the keyboard they sent is a new one or a refurbished one?

If it's got fragments of potato chips, flakes of dried skin, coffee spill stains and and worn-out lettering I think it's safe to say that you've been given a used one.

[slagmi]

Ibm used parts are clearly labled with a sticker.

'user replacable' parts such as batteries and ultrabay drives are labled with a white sticker that says 'Used Equipment'.

'service tech replacable' parts such as planar boards are labled with an orange sticker that says 'Servicable Used Part'.

[Marc_G]

I wonder what the big deal is. Either a part works, or doesn't. IBM needs to replace defective parts with parts that work.

I'm working on a T30 that has a replacement motherboard that was "used." The old one had the memory bank problem. The serviceable used part they put in to replace the bad one, though "used" operates properly. I'm happy.

If a hard drive is "used" but operates according to spec, who cares if it is brand new or was used before?

With a keyboard, there is an aesthetic issue, but if the keys do what they are supposed to and the keyboard is clean and appears "like new," who cares if it actually was used, probably briefly, somewhere else?

Just my two cents.

[Steve007]

I wonder what the big deal is. Either a part works, or doesn't. IBM needs to replace defective parts with parts that work.

I'm working on a T30 that has a replacement motherboard that was "used." The old one had the memory bank problem. The serviceable used part they put in to replace the bad one, though "used" operates properly. I'm happy.

If a hard drive is "used" but operates according to spec, who cares if it is brand new or was used before?

With a keyboard, there is an aesthetic issue, but if the keys do what they are supposed to and the keyboard is clean and appears "like new," who cares if it actually was used, probably briefly, somewhere else?

Just my two cents.

You raise some valid points. I have to laugh at people who scream and cry just because they haven't been issued brand new parts. As long as it works......

[Leon]

in any case, like it or not, it is IBM's right, under the terms of your warranty, to utilize used parts

[KillaByte]

On my trip to the IBM museum last week the guide told us that it has always been IBMs policy to ship working machines, not brand new ones.

[thinkpadhk]

Thanks for the help everyone!
I guess my parts are new then. Yay!

Marc_G:
Uhhh... I guess you don't work in the tech industry. There's such a thing called "product life cycle". To put it simply... [censored] eventually "wears" out and stops working after a while.

For instance. I design semiconductor chips. We do extensive reliability tests on them to see how they degrade in time. We tell our customers that our chips are good for 40,000 cycles etc.

So if you're getting used parts, their that much closer to "wearing out" of their useful life cycle. Granted... the chips are usually designed to have enough margin to last for years and years and years.... but you get the point.

[Marc_G]

Hi ThinkpadHK-

I understand your point. Actually I am in the tech industry and I did think about this point when I posted. But, in my experience things like keyboards or hard drives either fail fairly quickly or last a good long time. If the keyboard is in good enough condition to qualify as a refurb part, it probably has gotten little use ever. Probably from a return or something. And I've had two HD's die on me, both in the first month of practical use, the others (about two dozen, starting with a 5 MB drive for an Atari computer!), lasted until they were obsolete.

Further, the computer manufacturer gives a warranty that basically says the computer will work X years, right? So if they replace the original component which has failed (thus, the original component is "used") and they replace it with a working "used" part that probably got less use than the original one, I don't see any ethical problem. Frankly I'd rather get a burned in component than a brand new one for stuff like this.

There are certainly exceptions, like backlight tubes and other components that have a relatively short life.

Fundamentally the used components that get put into serviceable stock are usually lightly used. This forms part of my attitude towards accepting used parts in this context.

Marc

[CoolRunnings]

I don't really care as long as it works personally... The only exception I can think of off the top of my head would be the LCD or the battery. If those go bad, I want a new one....