Other What do I need to think about if selling computers?

You need a waste carriers licence to take PC's & parts away for disposal.

 

... So, this whole thing just got farrrrrr too complicated? lol.

Right... From what I've been reading about WEEE, I have to contact manufacturers and get them to help me dispose of components... That's ridiculous!?
If I take a broken graphics card out of a computer, this means I then have to track down the model number, manufacturer, etc. Then I have to contact them, then (assuming I actually get a response) I have to send the card off for them to recycle it??? This cannot seriously be the case...

I hope I'm wrong and that I've just read too far into it.

If it's as simple as giving out a leaflet, explaining that products all have to be recycled these days, and that I participate in an active recycling scheme. Then fine. But the other stuff sounds way too complicated just for me to be able to throw away a floppy disk drive.

http://www.greenzoneuk.com/weee-compliance.html
I'm currently looking at these guys. Would it be as simple as getting them to come down and pick up my waste? (Although, it looks like this costs money. Whether £5 or £500, I don't know... so any help on this would be marvellous)

But... *mind blown* it looks like the entire world is conspiring against me to stop me becoming self employed. lol.

 

No you dont not for this, trust me I know as this is an area that I am dealing with. You only need that if you are dealing with WEEE and has been classified as WEEE

 

I stand corrected. Our carriers have given me duff info then

 

As I work currently for one of these companies at the moment let me explain a little. If you are building a PC to be sold you then have a responsiblity to either :-

1. provide a take back facility for any old equipment
2. Sign up to a compliance scheme which provides collection points for your customers.

To be honest there is a lot of money in old IT equipment both working and none working.

If for example you wanted to buy a load of old laptops say from a local business to referb and sell on you do not need a waste carriers licence as the items are not classified as WEEE. They are "electronic items suitable for reuse"

Ive sent you a PM

 

Did you factor in taxes, social security and other fees you have to pay to state ? Payments for accounting services ?

 

We also have a carriers licence to be honest it is more for the peace of mind that anything else. Redundant IT equipment is just that at collection, when returned to our AATF site we then de-classify as WEEE only at this point is the item WEEE until then it is items suitable for reuse.

But companies have this as a just in case and to be honest should always have as clients cannot be sure of what they are giving to the carrier as some items are automatically deemed as WEEE for example a CRT.

Hope this clears this up a little

 

Well that sucks... But thanks for warning me ahead of time!

Saspro, I don't doubt your experience one bit. In fact - given your reputation - I'm more inclined to listen to you vs "Margaret". But just-in-case; I've had a copy of this chat transcript sent to my email address. If - in a few months time or whatever - someone stops me like "Hey you, you need a license!" I can produce the email from the environment agency declaring that I don't, so that I can at least get off innocent from the time in which I haven't had a license, due to being supplied with false information provided by an official body. Or something like that.

So, does this essentially mean I can simply inform clients that I'll be making sure their components are recycled? I mean, my dad has had people from loads of businesses come to sort his PC over the years, and he's not once been given a leaflet, but I do remember him asking what they'll do with a Power Supply, and they just said "We send all waste electrical equipment to be recycled."

I'll ask at Citizen's Advice Bureau to see if they can give me clear advice on exactly what is needed etc.

 

Not sure what you mean by this Blood as I currently work for a recycling company that deals with clients redundant ICT equipment for the worlds largest PC manufacturing company.

WEEE is big business and not often explained in simple terms with regards to how to correctly deal and be on the right side of these regulations.

 

Regarding the Waste Carrier's License, I don't need one.
If someone calls me up and says "Hey, I've got some junk, can you come get it?" I would need one. But if I go to a client's house and then remove a faulty DVD drive, it only becomes waste once I remove it, and because I created the waste, I can take it away without a waste carrier's license.

This whole WEEE thing is what's really confusing me...

There are the steps I'm planning:

• Register with a waste management company that deal with WEEE.
• They give me a wheelybin which is especially for electrical components.
• I go to a client's home and replace a faulty DVD drive with a new one.
• I advise them that the faulty drive has to be recycled, and I take it away.
• When I get home, I put the DVD drive in the wheelybin.
• Waste management come to collect the stuff from the wheely bin once a month.

Please could someone advise me clearly upon what steps need to be added or changed?
When I studied WEEE in college, I was under the impression that it simply meant all electronics have to be recycled. I'm getting really confused now, lol.


[edit]
I only just saw that you PM'ed me, I'm replying now! xD
[/edit]

 

yes you are right if someone said I have some electronic junk can you come get it then you would but thats a totally different business all together

P.S sent a reply to your PM

 

There's obviously a few PMs jumping around so I went get too involved unless asked, but this document should help a little: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/static/documents/Business/WEEE_briefing_note_v2_7.pdf

Say you're doing a part-exchange when providing new for old - so long as the equipment isn't visually knackered no-one can insist that it's WEEE.

Not sure where you've got that idea from. So long as the CRT still works as normal then it can be re-used, so it isn't automatically waste.

Also, if you're a small-time sole-trader there's no way the Environment Agency would prosecute you for a misunderstanding of what is a complex business. They'd issue advice/guidance first and expect you to comply with. Only if you ignore them, or you're a bigger player, are they likely go after you.

 

There is no profit in hardware or system builds.

I have my own IT company and our profit margins on hardware are nothing, most of the time you give stuff at a few pounds over cost as its the service contracts, maintenance, data and network installations that pull the money dowb

Sent from my HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio Z715e using Tapatalk

 

That link has been very helpful, thank you.

I also got a reply from my local council telling me that my local tip does accept General WEEE, but I might have to pay - being a business user an' all. But I'm cool with that.

I don't need to have an special registrations. I don't need any licenses. I just take the rubbish from my house to the tip and pay them to get rid of it. Sorted.

This whole thing is looking more simple now now xD

 

Sorry to bring up this slightly old topic.

My dad just pointed out that when he owned a fencing company, he'd construct fixes for fencing on the back of his lorry, then put it up in the person's house, rather than doing all of it in their back garden or anything.

Could the same concept be easily applied for computers in - say - a van?

If a PC needs a new part etc. I take it out of the customer's home to my van parked outside (where I'd already have an anti-static mat set up etc. along with a whole array of tools, not just limited to the size of bag I can carry with me.

I know I probably won't actually need a whole load of tools etc, but this would still eliminate me having to carry around a tool kit.

It's an idea I seriously haven't given much thought to. So do take it as a passing flutter in the wind. But thought it was interesting, if it could be applied.

 

If you're just doing an upgrade or simple part swap out then do it at the customers home/office if you're there anyway.

I was talking about complete builds or major builds as per your comment

 

Ah, this is true.
I should have read properly really.

Question - is it easy to get businesses under my wing? Like, getting them on a contract with myself for computer fixing services. They'd get three hours of free work per month for £80, and any hours on top of those three will be charged at my normal rate. (Well, I'd more likely say 5 hours, and then charge more like £150 a month).

How complicated would this contract have to be?

"I ... name... Wish to enter an agreement with *company name* for ... #no... hours per month in exchange for £.... per calendar month. The hours provided will be hours of their usual professional diagnosis & repair service and no extras will be included. I understand that I will have to pay extra for special services such as upgrades or backups, and for replacement hardware and software. I understand that I will have to pay the standard hourly rate for any hours outside of the five allotted that a technician works for me. I understand that although *company name* might have prior engagements at the time of our calling, every effort will be made in order to address our issues speedily (usually within 24 hrs on working days)."

I know this topic has dragged on a reasonable amount, and I'm possibly expecting a little too much from ya, aha. But all help would be very much welcome!

 

Ive worked at two disties, and ill tell you something now.. Scan etc are near abouts the same price. They buy on SPA (supported price agreement) for a quantity. Say the trade price from a distie to you is 100. A larger reseller buying say 20 get 55 off and sell for 1-2% above list making 6-7%. To compete you would have to turn over allot of stock to make some money. The OPEX would probably then make you non profitable. When i build for people i buy all the stuff in there name from DABS and charge them to build it. then charge for additional services on a hourly rate.

Works best as its your knowledge and advice they really want 9/10

 

Well, securing the contract itself is the hard part. You first have to find a company looking for support and then convince them you are the man for the job.

With regard to the actual contracts, I would say it depends on the value of them. Once you start getting towards a thousand a month from a client then I would consider getting them written up properly. Below that, it's a too small a sum of money to warrant the cost of proper contracts being made for you, combined with if you lose the money, it's not enough for it to be the end of the world, so you would probably end up operating on gentlemanly agreements.

If you do go down the support path - don't latch on to one big client. Get as many as possible to reduce your exposure, should something go wrong with a client.

 

A proper contract is well worth the money though it depends a little on the contract value and type of client (business or domestic). For a start it can set limits on your liability which could be useful if you ever screw something up but it also sets expectations about how you handle yourself (professionally) and also your charges and payments terms. This is much more of an issue with a business than domestic customers though.

They don't need to cost the earth I know someone specialising in writing custom contracts for a few hundred pounds.