Behind Your Refurbished Laptop

Date Posted: 29 October 2026 

We test every refurbished laptop function by function and grade it on its cosmetic condition and battery health before we list it. Each one has been securely data-wiped, and each one comes with a 12-month warranty.

A laptop displaying a keyboard test while a technician presses its keys.

A keyboard test at the ACT workbench. The laptop behind it is showing a battery health reading.

What gets tested before a laptop is listed?

We test the things you rely on every day: typing a message, plugging in a screen, joining a video call, waking the laptop from sleep. To be sold as refurbished, a laptop has to pass every test we run, including these:

  • The screen has no major cracks. A few minor dead pixels can be acceptable within the grade.
  • The keyboard has no stuck keys, and the trackpad works.
  • The charging port and the USB, HDMI, Ethernet and Thunderbolt ports work, where the model has them.
  • Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connect.
  • The microphone, speakers, camera and indicator lights work.
  • Power, restart, sleep and hibernate work.
  • The hinges aren't stuck or loose, and every panel is securely attached.
  • The battery holds charge within the standard for its grade.

The full checklist is on our refurbishment process and quality grading page. If a laptop fails it, with a problem like a broken hinge, a swollen battery or a management lock that can't be removed, we don't sell it as refurbished.

A laptop that passes every check can still be the wrong fit for an unusual setup. If you depend on a particular display, docking station or piece of specialist software, lodge a Help Centre request before you order. Tell us which laptop you're looking at and what it needs to work with, and our team will reply by email.

A technician working on an opened laptop at a green workshop bench.

A technician at the ACT workbench.

What does the grade tell you?

Grade A and Grade B laptops pass the same functional tests. The grade describes two things: how much cosmetic wear the laptop shows, and how healthy its battery is.

  Grade A Grade B
Cosmetic condition Minor signs of wear Moderate signs of wear, such as scratches, dents or keyboard imprints on the screen
Battery health 80% or higher 50–79%
Functionality Passes every check Passes every check

Battery health measures how much charge the battery can hold compared with when it was new. It doesn't tell you how many hours you'll get, because screen brightness and what you're running change that. If you often work away from a power point, choose the grade with its battery band in mind: Grade A means 80% or higher battery health, Grade B means 50–79%.

Some laptops get a vinyl skin on the lid as part of cosmetic restoration. When one has been applied, the listing says so in the specifications. The grading page has photos of real Grade A and Grade B laptops.

A clean start for the next owner

Every device is securely data-wiped before it reaches our warehouse. We then scan the drive for bad sectors, remove activation and management locks (Windows, iCloud and MDM), confirm the laptop isn't BIOS locked, and make sure it starts up with no previous user accounts.

Where a laptop is sold with an operating system, we supply it as a fresh installation or with a system restore partition. The listing names the operating system.

Warehouse racking and rows of computer workbenches inside ACT's warehouse, with staff faces obscured.

Storage racking and workbenches in ACT's warehouse.

Packed to travel

We pack protective material around the laptop before we seal the box. Delivery is free Australia-wide on just about every product on our website. Where a product or shipment is heavy, large or bulky, a delivery fee may apply, and the product's listing says so. For bulk orders, we confirm delivery costs when we quote. Our shipping and pickup FAQ has the details.

Hands placing protective packing material inside an open cardboard box.

The packing bench in ACT's warehouse.

If something goes wrong

Every refurbished laptop is covered by our 12-month return-to-base warranty. If a fault turns up, lodge a warranty claim through the Help Centre and our support team will work through it with you. Our Warranty & Returns policy sets out what's covered.

Before you order

  • Specification: do the processor, memory and storage suit what you run?
  • Condition: have you read the grade, and any vinyl-skin note?
  • Inclusions: is a charger listed, and will you need any other accessories?
  • Operating system: is it the version you need?

If anything's unclear, lodge a Help Centre request before you buy.

Buying for a team? Tell us how many devices you need, what they'll run and when you need them, and our sales team will quote for the order. Request a business bulk quote.

Browse our refurbished laptops, or work through our refurbished laptop buying guide to narrow down the specification you need.

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