Frequently Asked Questions
1. What forms of payment do you accept?
We accept VISA, MasterCard, American Express and Discover and PayPal for online payment. You may also pre-pay by personal or company check. Once the check clears, we will fill and ship your order. Make checks payable to "Laptops for Less".
2. How do you ship your products? How fast can I get them?
Laptops For Less ships all packages via FedEx. Our standard shipping service is second-day delivery (we do NOT send packages by UPS, Airborne Express, or other carriers). We use the US Postal Service for APO/FPO addresses only. We also offer next day a.m. and p.m. service at a higher cost. All orders in excess of $200 require a signature. If you are not home or at the office, a FedEx note will be left with a tracking number on your door. FedEX will reattempt delivery the next day. You may also call UPS and pick up your package at their service center.
To determine when your order will arrive you must consider the availability of the item and the shipping option you've selected. Most of the items we carry are in stock and will ship on the same day you place your order (if the order is placed before 11:30AM PST; excluding holidays) or on the next business day (if the order is placed after 11:30PM PST). Orders placed on Saturday and Sunday will be shipped on the next business day (usually Monday unless there is a holiday).
Shipping times vary by shipping method:
(Note: business days are Monday through Friday. Saturdays and Sundays are excluded).
FedEx 2nd Day delivery - Your order will be delivered within 2 business days.
FedEx Next Day PM delivery - Your order will be delivered on the next business day, usually in the afternoon/evening.
FedEx Next Day AM delivery - Your order will be delivered on the next business day, usually before 12 pm.
In rare cases when the item you've ordered will not be in stock (this is called a backorder), our system will automatically notify you if this is the case and ask you if you still wish to place the order. If you decide to place the order, you will then be notified by e-mail as to the exact delivery date. We will ship the item to you as soon as it is available. If you've placed an order for several items and not all of them are in stock, you can choose the "Ship Complete" option to ship everything together (thereby reducing the freight costs).
Please call us at (800) 556-4490 and have your invoice handy. If we cannot help you over the phone, we will issue you an RMA (return merchandise authorization) number. Please write your RMA down on a copy of your sales receipt and include that with the returned item.
Before calling we suggest:
- Charging the battery (if you bought a laptop or a battery) for 24 hours, even when the indicator shows that is fully charged.
- Do not be alarmed if the part number you receive is different from what you ordered. Manufacturers frequently use multiple interchangeable part numbers.
- If you bought a modem or a network card, please contact your Internet service provider, or network specialist for configuration.
- If you bought a PCMCIA-CD-ROM, make sure you powered on the unit. Some of these units need a separate AC adapter connection or batteries. The owner’s manual will have more information.
- Most docking stations and port replicators require separate AC power to work!
- If you bought a floppy or a CD-ROM drive, you will need a floppy disk or a CD ROM disk to make it work.
- If you bought a hard disk drive, remember that is shipped completely empty. You will therefore need an operating system to boot up. See the instruction sheet that came with the drive.
Many customers found their part on our website, but when they compare part numbers with their original parts, they found a mismatch. Not to worry, we keep very accurate records on what parts fits what model.
The reason you find a different part number (or several) is that some manufacturers will change the part number on the same product periodically. This is based on the date of manufacture, the factory, and country that makes it, and other reasons beyond our control. IBM and Compaq are notorious for changing part numbers frequently.
If you suspect there is a mistake in our database, please email service@laptopsforless.com
5. Are the batteries charged when they come? How do I charge it?
The battery or batteries you receive are NOT charged. To charge your battery, please put it in the laptop and connect the laptop to AC power (a wall plug). Most laptops have an LED that will indicate that the battery is charging. See your user manual for the laptop if you are not familiar with this feature.
We recommend that you leave the battery to charge overnight for the first time, even if the user manual indicates that the charging time is 3 to 4 hours.
6. How can I get the most out of my battery?
We recommend that you do not use the battery when you have available AC power. Each battery is rated for a limited number of charge-discharge cycles.
Avoid dropping the batteries, do not use any improvised chargers other than the ones sold by us or the manufacturers. Excessive heat or cold can also damage a battery.
7. What is the warranty on my product?
Most of our products carry a one-year warranty. Defective items will be replaced at no cost during the warranty period. If you change your mind and want to return your item for a refund, you may do so within 30 days of purchase. Our policy is to refund the total purchase price (not including shipping) less a $15 or 15% restocking fee.
8. How do I see the status of my order?
You can track your package by clicking on "Order Tracking" from our home page or by clicking here. The only information needed is either your phone number or invoice number. In addition, online orders that contain an email address will be contacted by FedEx with their order tracking number, along with instructions for how to track your package at their website.
Our address is: "Laptops for Less" at 1290 N. Hancock, Suite 202 Anaheim, CA 92807 USA. Here is a picture of our building. See a map to our office!
We collect sales tax on all purchases sent inside the state of California and Tennessee. Shipping costs are not taxable. If you reside out of state but your product is shipped here, to your hotel or your temporary residence, you are still taxable, according to California law. Resellers: please fax your permit to (714) 224-3990 and indicate on your order that you have done so. The same applies to the government offices that have a tax exemption certificate.
11. When will my credit card be charged?
We will charge your card after we run your order through our anti-fraud confirmation process.
12. What happens when an item goes out of stock?
Because you can track our inventory in real-time - via the "Qty. Check" link on any product page – you probably won’t place an order for an out-of-stock item. If it does happen, however, we will call you to determine whether you wish to cancel your order or wait for us to receive the item. We will also give our best estimate of how long the wait should be. Note that we charge your credit card at the time of the order, so those who elect to wait for the item will see the charge on their statement.
13. What if I refuse an order when it's delivered because I changed my mind?
We will issue you a refund on the item, less $15 or a 15% restocking fee, which ever is greater. Note that we cannot refund the charges we pay to FedEx for shipping in both directions, because FedEx won’t refund that money to us. Please be careful before you order!
14. Do you accept international orders?
At this time we only accept international retail orders from Canada. Generally the orders will arrive in 3-4 business days and shipping costs can be seen here. In addition to the shipping costs, you may be charged additional fees by your federal or provincial government. We don't know what those fees are, why they’re applied, or who benefits from them. Please write questions@laptopsforless.com if you are interested in becoming such a distributor for us.
15. What is your privacy policy?
Our company privacy policy can be seen here.
16. What is the difference between a LI ION battery and a NI MH battery?
"LI ION" stands for Lithium Ion and is the most advanced battery technology available to consumers today. Li-Ion batteries are 50% lighter than the NI MH (Nickel Metal Hydride) batteries and will run your device about 50% longer. They are, however, more expensive.
17. Can you choose what battery chemistry you would like to purchase?
Most of the time you can not. Most laptops have been designed for one type of battery chemistry. However some models can take either LI ION or NI MH.
Here are some of the laptop models which accept both LI ION and NI MH batteries:
Compaq Presario 1200, 1600 and 1800 series
Compaq Armada 1500 series
IBM Thinkpad 390 series
IBM Thinkpad I Series 1700
NEC Versa 2600
NEC Ready Laptops
All other models use one specific battery chemistry and cannot be replaced with the other.
18. What is a refurbished battery? Which parts are new and which are refurbished?
Our company at times carries refurbished products. These products are described accordingly on our site with the word "Refurbished" in the description. Refurbished batteries are used batteries, and have been tested to hold a minimum of 80% of the original capacity. Many of them will hold close to 100% of capacity. These products are sold at reduced prices, 30% to 50% off the regular prices. Some products are available only as Refurbished because the manufacturers have discontinued them. All refurbished products carry a 90-day warranty.
19. Why are some parts so expensive?
Most of our parts are proprietary to certain manufacturers, and manufacturers would rather that you buy a new system than a new battery or adapter. In addition, spare parts have much smaller volume runs, which leads to higher costs.
20. What do I do with my old battery?
RBRC or Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation will recycle old working and non-working batteries for laptops. Call them at (800) 8-Battery or look them up at www.rbrc.org.