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Secret to trying a laptop out at home

Secret to trying a laptop out at home
© Sevak Aramyan | Dreamstime.com

Here’s a tech-savvy tip most people overlook: Just like returning clothes that don’t fit, you can often return a laptop if it’s not the right fit for you. The key is understanding the seller’s return policy. I’ll break it down so you don’t end up with an expensive doorstop.

Know the basics

Here’s what to look for in a return policy that lets you take a “try before you buy” approach:

  1. Return period: These range from 15 days to 90 days.
  2. Shipping and restocking fees: Some sellers hit you with return shipping or restocking fees of up to 25% of a laptop’s original price.
  3. Surprises: You may have to keep every bit of the original packaging, or the clock on your return windows could start the second you hit “Buy,” not when it’s delivered.

So, where’s the best place to buy?

  • The best: Costco and Walmart both have a 90-day return window with very little in the way of fine print or picky policies.
  • The worst: Best Buy’s return policy is only 15 days. You get 60 days if you pay up to $180 for a My Best Buy annual membership. Don’t shop here.

What about Amazon? The return window is 30 days for laptops that didn’t start when they arrived, were delivered in a damaged condition or are still in an unopened box. If you open the box or it works, you’ll pay a 15% restocking fee. Pro tip: If you’re a good Amazon customer, hop into a chat with their customer service team and ask them to reverse the charge. This worked for me!

I asked my IT genius, John, to pick his favorite Windows and Mac laptops. He shops for the tech we use here in the studios, so you’re in fabulous hands.

Windows of opportunity

💰 HP 17 Business Laptop ($486): Powered by an i3 processor that gets the job done for browsing, banking and school or work. The 17.3-inch screen is also big without being bulky.

💰💰 Dell Inspiron ($616, 5% off): For about $100 more, you get a touchscreen and a slightly more powerful i5 processor. It can handle heavier-duty stuff, like casual gaming and programming.

💰💰💰 HP Envy ($1,129): All the bells and whistles, including an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, 32GB DDR5 RAM and a 1TB SSD. Zoom-zoom!

Pro tip: Nineite makes it drop-dead easy to install all your desktop apps in a single session. Best of all, it’s free!

If you’re a Mac person

💰 2022 MacBook Air ($749, 25% off): Has the still-powerful-but-older M2 chip and 8GB RAM, plus 256GB SSD storage and a 1080p HD camera. Solid budget option for browsing and streaming.

💰💰 2024 MacBook Air ($1,099, 15% off): A step up, with the newer M3 chip that’s faster and gets you more battery life.

💰💰💰 2023 MacBook Pro ($1,869, 25% off): Fast M2 Pro chip, a 12-core CPU and a 19-core GPU, and a Liquid Retina XDR display (really nice screen). With more memory and storage, it can handle video editing, gaming — whatever. Santa, are you paying attention?

If you decide it’s not what you want …

You’ll need to undo all the work you put into setting up your machine before you return it.

  1. Back up any data you stored on your new laptop, like photos and work or personal docs. An external hard drive or cloud backup is the easiest route.
  2. Sign out of every account, including apps you’ve downloaded and anything browser-based. Don’t forget your bank accounts, emails, social media and cloud storage.
  3. Remove your system login. For Windows, sign out of your Microsoft account. On a Mac, log out of iCloud.

✅ You’re almost there! Finish with a factory reset.

Factory reset a PC on Windows 11:

  • Open Settings and find System on the left. Scroll to Recovery > Reset PC.
  • In the popup, choose to remove everything.
  • Choose Cloud download > Next. Click through the messages warning you’ll lose your files, then hit Reset to finish up.

Factory reset a Mac running on macOS Ventura or later:

  • Click the Apple menu > System Settings > General.
  • Choose Transfer or Reset on the right > Erase All Content and Settings.

Factory reset a Mac running on macOS Monterey:

  • Click the Apple menu > System Preferences > Erase All Content and Settings.

Retailers keep track of ‘problem returners’

That’s a good reason not to buy and return five different computers. And it’s worth saying again: Read the return policy. Read all of it, even the boring stuff. (OK, it’s all boring. Read it anyway.) That’s the only way to know you’re not stuck with gotchas or tricky language when it’s too late to bail out.

🐏 I put horns on my laptop. You know, to improve its RAM. (Haha! I think this is the only time in my life I’ve used the ram emoji!)

Don’t get left behind – Stay tech ahead

Award-winning host Kim Komando is your secret weapon for navigating tech.

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

Tags: Best Buy, Costco, factory reset, fees, laptops, return policy, returns, shopping, Walmart

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