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Best way to ship a Mac Pro? (selling on eBay)

nightfly13

nightfly13

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 17, 2008
679
0
Ranchi, India
Right so my Mac Pro is going on craigslist and in 24h I haven't had many promising hits. I'm leaving the country in 10 days, just upgraded to an i7 iMac so in CL doesn't pick up and close soon, I'll switch to eBay.

I just kind of dread how much it's going to cost to ship. Most Mac Pro auctions have 'free shipping' but I'd appreciate input on how to pack it (original box lost in last move) and how much to anticipate to ship it.
 
Any kind of thick open or closed cell foam should do the trick, and the retail box it comes in is probably one of the best boxes out there for the machine, of any kind, and thus is one of the many reasons I'd always keep Apple boxes around.


Also, how much are you selling it for and where are you located exactly?
 
For packing I'd recommend shipping it with UPS and having them pack it for you. I'm not sure how much it costs to have them do it, but if you pay them to do it then they will guarantee that it doesn't get damaged. Anyway you do it shipping will be expensive.

One other suggestion, you are eligible for the marketplace here, so why not try listing it there?
 
I shipped mine from ND to IN with UPS ground and the cost was around $70. Definitely ship it in the original box if you still have it, and reinforce the open spots with padding. I used thick styrofoam foundation insulation for it's qualities to absorb sharp punctures.

Selling on ebay can be more expensive than just shipping too. Keep that in mind. I'm trying to remember exactly how much it cost me. I sold a 2006 MP for $1800, and in addition to the shipping expense, I believe the fee to ebay was also around $70 and Paypal was around $50.
 
mrkramer said:
For packing I'd recommend shipping it with UPS and having them pack it for you. I'm not sure how much it costs to have them do it, but if you pay them to do it then they will guarantee that it doesn't get damaged. Anyway you do it shipping will be expensive.

One other suggestion, you are eligible for the marketplace here, so why not try listing it there?
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The lying scumbag who I bought from recently said they charge $100 for the packing I paid that and mine arrived in a freakin Dell monitor box and as per usual PayPal was exactly no help in getting my money back shipping is not covered in their total purchase price protection apparently.

bozz2006 said:
Selling on ebay can be more expensive than just shipping too. Keep that in mind. I'm trying to remember exactly how much it cost me. I sold a 2006 MP for $1800, and in addition to the shipping expense, I believe the fee to ebay was also around $70 and Paypal was around $50.
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Feebay takes 9% Paypal another 3% on the transaction so 12% total to the weasels.
 
This is why you should always keep the MP box. Even if you had to ship it for repair.
 
I would just take it to ups or Fedex and let them pack it. Charge the buyer the actual price for packing, shipping and insurance.

Only reason being that If it arrives dented or broken, I wouldn't want to be responsible for dealing with ups or Fedex. If you have them do everything, it is out of your hands.

That or buy an empty box on eBay.
 
MacUser2525 said:
…

Feebay takes 9% Paypal another 3% on the transaction so 12% total to the weasels.
Click to expand...

The sad part is that PayPal belongs to eBay. That's why I don't accept PayPal payments when I sell stuff on FeeBay (I liked that one ;)).
 
thanks guys!

Good input!

I'll try the marketplace here. To be frank, these (2006/7 Mac Pros) sell on eBay for a lot more than I often expect. Here are my specs, I'm selling from NW Washington State. Canada is also an option. (pasting my CL listing)

Apple Mac Pro Quad Core 2.66ghz

2x dual-core Intel Xeon workstation processors
9GB ECC Memory
2x video cards (256mb GeForce 7300 and 512mb GeForce 8800)
2TB(ish) storage (80GB Intel SSD, 640GB, 2x 500GB, 250GB)
New DVD+/- Optical burner
Bluetooth module
2x gigabit ethernet ports
6x USB ports
2x Firewire 800 ports
2x Firewire 400 ports
Apple slimline keyboard w/ numerical keypad
Wireless Magic Mouse (with touch scrolling)
Logitech USB VGA Webcam

This computer is screaming fast. It's got tons of ram, fast processors and with the SSD (Solid State Drive) for the operating system and applications, it boots and loads even heavy professional apps in a snap. It's capable of running 4 monitors simultaneously with the two video cards. The SSD was installed aftermarket, in the bay for the second optical bay, but it's running at full SATA speeds.

Asking $1350. Does not come with any monitor, but otherwise ready to go. I'm planning to make a quick video showing the boot time and quickness. This computer can handle any task thrown at it with power to spare.

The exterior of the case has some warping and bending, but it's basically cosmetic. If makes the side access door a little hard to maneuver on and off, but once closed, it runs near-silently. Functionally it's 100% perfect, fast, and has years of service left in it.

email or call/text Alex at 360-510-9099
 
Hmm, not to be a nitpicker, but your last post looks like it belongs in the marketplace....
 
The best way to ship it is in the original box, with another cardboard box around it. If you don't have the original box, then definitely heavily bubblewrapped with tons of foam peanuts in a 3 ft tall heavy thick cardboard box. Shipping for the Mac Pro should be about $65.00 for UPS based on weight. Be sure never to overcharge for shipping because your buyers will not be too happy. I always try to estimate, but usually it costs me more anyways.
 
flatfoot said:
The sad part is that PayPal belongs to eBay. That's why I don't accept PayPal payments when I sell stuff on FeeBay (I liked that one ;)).
Click to expand...

It is the only reason they exist today to scam as much of your money as possible, not my label seen it elsewhere and thought it fit perfectly to describe them.
 
Shipping was $97

So it sold for a good price ($1287 + 70 shipping) but shipping was a bit more than anticipated. No biggie the bids were good. Got several hits from Craigslist but nothing solid in the window I had, so I put it on eBay. I directed some Craigslist inquirers to the auction and that actually drove up the auction price, worked out in my favor.

Shipping was UPS ground 2 states away (but 1500 miles - NW corner of the continental US to SW corner). I went to a parcel shipping place where I dug out a huge box from their free bin, filled the bottom with 6" of peanuts, placed the computer inside and filled the rest with more peanuts. Didn't have to pay anything for packing.

Just thought I'd pass on my results and thank the community again for the advice. Local pickup is a very attractive option, if you live near a major population center.
 
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Co-op-Spiff said:
I stumbled across this old thread looking for a source for tower Mac Pro boxes. I found that OWC sells a solution for $49. I'm not sure how that compares to having UPS or FedEx pack the machine for you.

https://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/XMCPROCTN/

By the way, I have bought and sold a few of these Macs, and the original boxes have held up really well.
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Don't waste your money -- UPS does not consider the OWC box to meet its insurance standards.

I learned this after UPS absolutely destroyed a Mac Pro packed in an OWC box (and fully documented). Unfortunately, because I shipped the Mac via eBay, UPS won't tell me why the box doesn't meet its standards, because I'm not the account holder. This was a $1,250 lesson. I'll never buy another OWC product, nor will I sell on eBay ever again.
 
mustang_dvs said:
Don't waste your money -- UPS does not consider the OWC box to meet its insurance standards.

I learned this after UPS absolutely destroyed a Mac Pro packed in an OWC box (and fully documented). Unfortunately, because I shipped the Mac via eBay, UPS won't tell me why the box doesn't meet its standards, because I'm not the account holder. This was a $1,250 lesson. I'll never buy another OWC product, nor will I sell on eBay ever again.
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This post was from 2011 :)
 
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