Refurbishment Process & Quality – Australian Computer Traders

At Australian Computer Traders, we believe in complete transparency. When you shop with us, you know exactly what to expect. All our refurbished laptops and devices go through a strict refurbishment process and detailed quality grading system. When purchasing a device from us, you’ll receive a product that has been fully tested, professionally refurbished, backed by our 12-month warranty.

This page gives you an in-depth overview of how our laptop & desktop devices are graded, as well as the differences between each grade, and what our refurbishment process includes. For information regarding our phone & tablet grading & refurbish process, please visit our guide here.

Refurbishment Process Overview

Our step-by-step process ensures that you’re receiving a reliable, fully functional device that meets our high standards — whether you choose Grade A, or Grade B.

Every device at Australian Computer Traders is:

Professionally refurbished by qualified technicians
Fully tested for functionality and performance
Securely wiped to remove all previous data
Loaded with a fresh, fully licensed operating system
Supported by our 12-month warranty

What Do the Grades Mean?

We offer two grades to help you choose the right laptop for your needs and budget:

Grade A: Great condition – minor signs of wear, fully functional.
Grade B: Good condition – moderate cosmetic wear.

Every laptop, no matter the grade, is professionally refurbished and fully tested.

Device Grading

Category	Grade A	Grade B
Overall	Professionally refurbished, with minor signs of previous use	Professionally refurbished, with moderate signs of previous use
Physical	May have faint body discolouration Up to 2 minor scratches or marks on screen that are not visible when device is on. Up to 5 dents that are not visible from under 30 cm away. All key prints are clearly readable. Minor scuffs/scratches under 5 cm on the lid or bottom. Cosmetic enhancement using vinyl skins if required.	May have faint body discolouration Moderate marks to screen that are not visible when device is on. Up to 5 dents that are visible from under 30 cm away. All key prints are clearly readable, but have moderate signs of previous use. All key prints are clearly readable, but have moderate signs of previous use. Moderate scuffs/scratches on the lid or bottom.
Performance	Fully functional. Battery health is 80% +	Fully functional. Battery health between 50% and 79%

A Grade Laptop Examples

These are real examples of A Grade laptops – minor cosmetic wear, clean overall condition, and fully functional.

A Grade – Open View

A Grade – Lid View

A Grade – Bottom View

A Grade – Side Ports

A Grade – Alternate Ports View

A Grade – Front View

Vinyl Skin Cosmetic Restoration

In some cases, we professionally apply a high‑quality vinyl skin to the top lid of a refurbished laptop as part of our cosmetic restoration process. This enhancement:

Conceals minor cosmetic blemishes or wear
Restores a clean, uniform appearance to meet our Grade A or Grade B standards
Aligns with our commitment to sustainable refurbishment and the circular economy

We always disclose when a vinyl skin is applied in the specifications section on the product listing. This process does not affect the laptop’s performance, battery health, or warranty — every device still meets our strict refurbishment and testing standards and is covered by our 12‑month warranty.

B Grade Laptop Examples

These are real examples of B Grade laptops – can have moderate cosmetic wear such as scratches, dents, or keyboard imprints in the LCD screen, but still fully functional and covered by our warranty.

B Grade – Moderate Scratches

B Grade – Faded/Dirty Microsoft Surface Keyboard

B Grade – White Dots on LCD Screen

B Grade – Corner Dent on Apple MacBooks

All Devices Must Meet the Following Criteria to Qualify as Refurbished:

✅ Fully functional with no cracks, all panels securely attached
✅ Hinges are fully functional, not stuck or loose
✅ Power, restart, hibernate, and sleep functions work correctly
✅ Screen has no major cracks (minor dead pixels acceptable per grading)
✅ Touch screen or digitiser works (if applicable)
✅ Full hardware test passed
✅ Charging port and USB/HDMI/Ethernet/Thunderbolt ports work
✅ Card readers, SIM readers, and CD/DVD drives (if applicable) are functional
✅ Keyboard is fully functional with no stuck keys
✅ Trackpad and mouse are fully functional
✅ Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity work
✅ Touch ID, Face ID, or fingerprint recognition works (if applicable)
✅ Activation lock removed (Windows, iCloud, MDM, etc.)
✅ Device is not BIOS locked
✅ Functional microphone, speakers, camera, and indicator lights
✅ Hard drive securely wiped and checked for bad sectors
✅ System restore partition or fresh OS installation provided
✅ Battery holds charge within the acceptable grading standard
✅ Device launches as new with no previous user accounts
✅ Device is not blacklisted
✅ Device is ready for use in the correct geographical region

Examples of Devices That Would Not Pass Our Grading Process

Below are real examples of issues that do not meet our strict quality standards. Devices with these defects are excluded from our inventory to ensure only high-quality products are sold to our customers.

Devices that fail our quality check often show: