found it was more complex.
Those who bought our used laptops were often staff members on the lower end
of our salary scale who did so because they had trouble affording a new
computer. For them the $200 or so we charged was very significant. When a
laptop we sold them stopped working after 6 months we didn't feel right just
saying "To bad, as is means as is!"
Another easy to underestimate effect of holding the line on this policy is
that it can become a negative internal PR issue for the tech department and
even for the school. Bad feelings can have very real effect when trying to
win support for new initiatives, etc. so holding the line on "as is means as
is" can be a Pyrrhic victory for the tech dept in the long run.
For these and the other reasons I mentioned in my other post, we have found
that selling our used laptops wholesale is much better than selling them
retail to members of our school community.
--
Tom Phelan
Director of Technology
Peddie School
P.S. If you do sell them retail and your state has a sales tax, you almost
certainly need to pay the sales tax.
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