Brighton Computers ·
IEC, clover, HDMI and VGA: the cables refurb sellers need
The power and video cables a refurbished laptop and PC seller should keep in stock: IEC and clover mains leads, plug types for export, and HDMI and VGA leads.
Why cables are worth keeping on the shelf
A refurbished machine that arrives without the lead it needs is a returned machine, or at best a buyer who leaves a poor review. Cables cost very little compared with the laptop or monitor they go with, so it makes sense to keep the common types in stock and include them as standard.
This matters most with laptop chargers. Trade chargers are often sold as the adapter alone, the brick and its laptop plug, without the mains lead that goes from the brick to the wall. Every one of those adapters needs a mains lead before it can be used, and the lead has to have the right plug for the country it is going to.
IEC C13 leads, the standard for desktops and monitors
The lead people often call a kettle lead is properly an IEC C13 connector, which plugs into a C14 inlet on the equipment. It is the standard mains connection for desktop PCs, monitors, many printers and a lot of other office equipment. If you sell desktops or monitors, you need these in quantity.
Strictly, a kettle uses the C15 connector, which has a notch for high temperatures. A C15 lead fits a C14 inlet, but a C13 lead does not fit a kettle's C16 inlet. For computer equipment, the C13 lead is the one you want. In the UK, check that the fuse in the plug suits the lead's rating and the equipment it powers.
Clover leads, the one most laptop chargers need
The three-lobed C5 connector, known as a clover leaf or Mickey Mouse lead, plugs into the C6 inlet found on most three-pin laptop power bricks. The majority of Dell, HP and Lenovo adapters in the 45W to 130W range use it, so if you sell laptops or adapters, the clover lead is the cable you will go through fastest.
You will also see the two-pin C7 figure-of-eight connector on some smaller adapters and other electronics. It is worth recognising, but for business laptop chargers the clover is far more common. A simple rule is one clover lead for every adapter you sell without one.
Match the plug to where the machine is going
The connector at the equipment end is the same everywhere, but the plug at the wall end changes from country to country. UK leads use the fused BS 1363 plug, also standard in Ireland and the UAE and common in Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya. Most of continental Europe uses the two-pin Schuko-style plug. The United States uses the NEMA 5-15 plug with its flat pins.
If you sell abroad, keep EU and US leads alongside UK ones and pack the right one with each order. Sending a machine to Germany with a UK lead means the buyer needs an adapter, and many will not bother to buy one before they complain. Plugs and leads sold in the UK must meet British safety rules, so buy from sources that sell compliant products.
HDMI, the everyday video cable
HDMI carries digital video and audio in one cable and is the default connection for modern monitors and televisions. Most business laptops of the last decade have a full-size HDMI port, though some thinner models only have USB-C, which needs an adapter or a USB-C display.
For office monitors at full HD, almost any High Speed HDMI cable works, and lengths of one to three metres cause no problems. Faster cables matter for 4K at 60Hz and above: look for Premium High Speed certification for 4K at 60Hz, and Ultra High Speed for the highest refresh rates and 8K. For a refurbished office setup, a standard High Speed lead is enough.
VGA, still needed more often than you think
VGA is the older analogue connection, the blue 15-pin plug with thumbscrews. It carries no sound, and picture quality falls away on long cables and at high resolutions, but at full HD over one or two metres it is perfectly usable. Plenty of monitors, projectors and classroom displays still have VGA inputs, and in many export markets older displays are the norm.
If you sell older monitors or desktops with VGA outputs, include a lead. If you sell modern laptops to buyers with older screens, a VGA lead plus an HDMI or USB-C adapter turns a possible return into a working setup.
How many to keep, and how to store them
Base your stock on what you sell: one mains lead for every charger, desktop or monitor sold without one, and one video lead for every monitor. Buying in packs brings the cost per cable down to pence, and having the right lead to hand saves you from opening a separate order for every machine.
Store cables by type and plug, clearly labelled, so a US lead does not go out in a UK order. Check a sample from every new batch for fit and damage, and keep a few spares of each type for replacements. It is a small, dull part of the business, and getting it right is one of the easiest ways to keep returns low.