how can a person determine who purchased a used computer that is for sale?

I want to know if there is a way to determine if a person selling a computer is the rightful owner. I am looking for a netbook with XP and not much in the way of bells and whistles. My concern is determining if I am buying a used one from a rightful owner. Is there a way to look up the serial number on it and determine who bought it? thanks..

 

Well,the obvious one is a receipt from the store in which the original owner purchased it. Other than that, a signed receipt, from the seller, (Driv.Lic. I.D., or something). Yes, otherwise you're basically just making a character judgment.

 

Also take into consideration the condition and the price.
If it sounds too low a $ for it, I would steer shy from it. (I don't like getting my fingers burned either.)

 

No there's no real way anyone can trace the laptop you've stolen 'JK' The serial number/barcode is a one off if you contacted the manufacturer of the laptop they can tell you where the product was sold they won't of course and if you did find the store it was sold at they definitely won't tell you who the customer was.

I believe the police can but I guess they rarely do, of the stats I've seen on laptop theft in various countries around 95% are never recovered,they are highly prized for fraudsters because of this and because they hold their value and anyway usually the windows sticker and serial number have been peeled off meaning the laptop would have to be stripped down to run any kind of trace,it would take a lot of police time and resources.

I'd be more concerned with the laptop working properly,you should check it has a genuine serial number and windows hologram underneath and get a receipt.

TBH I'd rather be lumbered with a suspected stolen laptop than a broken one,either case is bad but at least if you think its stolen you still have a laptop,if its broken then as far as the law is concerned over here it's considered 'sold as seen' and you end up with no laptop or money.

You could take the laptop to the police station just after you've purchased it to see if its stolen but I doubt even Ned Flanders would be that honest

 

Ricky, I certainly have not stolen a laptop and did not appreciate the insinuation as the first sentence of your response. I happen to be in the market for a netbook and just don't want to be the victim of buying a stolen laptop was/is my concern.

I'm admittedly not as computer savvy as say a 12 yr old today having graduated college with a slide rule in hand:-o Plus, I value my being a Luddite in a society obsessed with electronic devices. Truth be told I want the netbook to use to read cd's of info I've downloaded, look at pdf's, and in general use offline. My main use for the Internet is to download information on topics of interest then sit reading it for a few days. I want to use a netbook because of the portability to use it during commuting (lighter, longer battery life, more easily stored in my work bag) to work. Since I won't be typing on it, just using it for reading the functionality of the keyboard is'nt of paramount importance to me.

Someone recently offered me a netbook for sale but could not prove ownership through a receipt of purchase. This is why I posed my question about buying a used netbook. maybe I'll just find a new one on sale now that all the shopping is done. Thanks to all the replies, even though most answers I had already figured out on my own.

 

I don't believe Rikky was insinuating anything.
You notice the JK (Just Kidding) right after?

 

I know that I, personally, don't store all receipts and documents for things I buy.

 

I guess i will wait for a sale to find an xp loaded netbook and buy a new one. I would'nt feel comfortable using a pre-owned one from an unknown, to me, source. Thinking that these type computers must get stolen all the time on college campuses for a quick resale buck. Thanks for all the replies, i did not understand the computer lingo>jk< so excuse my ignorance.

 

If you do decide to buy a second hand laptop, check inside the bag before handing over any money, not like this twerp:
http://www.lep.co.uk/community/victim_forked_out_300_for_sack_of_spuds_1_2796256

dave

 

What a pack of spuds LOLLOLLOLLOLLOL