When shopping online for electronics like laptops, many of us look for the lowest price.
But that low price might come with unexpected complications if you're not buying directly from the retailer.
Gretchen Niebling discovered this the hard way when she purchased a Dell laptop through Amazon, hoping to save money compared to buying directly from Dell.
"It was a little less money than buying it straight from Dell," Niebling said.
While the new laptop arrived in a sealed Dell box within days, problems arose when she attempted to register it for warranty coverage.
"Dell told me it's not my laptop. It's in China. I said no, it's not in China, it's right here," Niebling said.
It turns out the laptop was already registered to a Chinese company.
Watch a frustrated buyer learn her laptop was not really sold by Amazon:
Why your warranty coverage may be denied
Dell denied her warranty coverage request because she had purchased from a third-party seller rather than directly from Dell or an authorized retailer, and had not gotten the serial number transferred to her.
According to Dell's website, this is standard policy. The company's warranty web page explains that customers who purchase through Amazon directly get full warranty coverage.
But if you buy from an Amazon Marketplace third party seller, you need to have ownership transferred to you.
But when Niebling contacted the Chinese seller requesting a transfer, she hit another roadblock.
"They said they can't do that, because they buy in bulk," Niebling said.
Both Amazon and Walmart operate marketplaces where they sell items directly, but also host independent sellers and manufacturers on their platforms.
How to protect yourself
Samantha Gordon with Consumer Reports recommends carefully checking seller information before making a purchase.
"You want to make sure that they are coming directly from Amazon or directly from Walmart. That gives you a little bit more of a guarantee," Gordon said.
Gordon suggests looking for specific clues that might indicate a third-party seller.
"You can look for things like if the item is used, if it just says 'used' that might be a third party item," Gordon said. "If the item has a shipping fee, it might be coming from a third-party seller. Amazon and Walmart tend to offer free shipping, especially on bigger ticket items."
While the Chinese seller promised Niebling a year of coverage, she remains concerned about potential future issues.
"It seems to work fine. But I do worry," Niebling said.
Her advice to other shoppers is simple: always verify who you're buying from before completing your purchase.
That way you don't waste your money.
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This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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