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Buying applecare for resale value of Macbook Pro?

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whitedragon101

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 11, 2008
1,349
339
I will be selling my 17" Macbook Pro (March 2011 Sandybridge) on ebay around the launch of the new IvyBridge Macbooks which should be April ish next year.

Is it worth buying applecare for £159 (which I will only get a about 1 months use of) to increase the price and attractiveness of it for resale?
 
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Checking completed eBay auctions for MBPs with and without AppleCare shows a wide spectrum of prices paid. Overall MBPs for sale with AppleCare don't appear to consistently sell higher than equivalent MBPs without it.

Conclusion: it won't hurt if you buy AppleCare to improve resale value, but it might not help either.
 
you know you can only buy applecare within the first year of buying your MBP and it will last 3 years after the purchase date of the MBP, not the applecare.

but if you meet the requirements, i say go for it. i did it on mine and people are calling me off the hook for my macbook.
 
happle said:
but if you meet the requirements, i say go for it. i did it on mine and people are calling me off the hook for my macbook.
Click to expand...

How do you know people wouldn't be "calling you off the hook" if you didn't have AppleCare?
 
You will definitely see an increase in price when you sell it on ebay, but I don't think you will see a 200 + difference. so I'd say no its not worth it
 
IllIllIll said:
How do you know people wouldn't be "calling you off the hook" if you didn't have AppleCare?
Click to expand...

alright smart ass lol im just saying that it definitely makes people want it more. along with it still looking new and if you take care of it well.
 
That will depend on the buyer.
If the buyer sees value, then you might be able to sell it more.
If the buyer does not care, they won't pay extra for your computer even if you have applecare.

Conclusion: I won't go for it. If you want good resale value, invest in something else.
 
happle said:
alright smart ass lol im just saying that it definitely makes people want it more. along with it still looking new and if you take care of it well.
Click to expand...

Whether it makes people want it more is entirely dependent on the buyer. Whether you'll get more $ at resale because you have AppleCare cannot be proven.
 
I've bought an sold a lot of Macbooks. Selling them on the open market with Applecare on them does bring more $ for them although I wouldn't say it'll bring what the Applecare costs in additional $.

More than anything else I've found it's a level of comfort to a buyer that if something goes wrong they can handle it with Apple just as if they had bought a new unit.
 
Do we know for sure that the Applecare is transferable to the next owner? I haven't been able to find anything in writing confirming this on the Applestore website.
 
Thank you both Onions and Mgartner0622 for answering my question....It's good to know that the Applecare follows the computer and not the person.

I would think that a potential buyer would have a sense of "peace of mind" buying a used computer from a stranger knowing that it is covered by the Applecare warranty.

I actually am thinking about buying a refurbed MBP, but just found a private person that lives about 30 miles from me selling a supposedly "new in box" MBP with the Applecare warranty. I wouldn't have even given this computer a second thought if it didn't have the Applecare included. I just don't know yet if it is exactly what I am looking for, spec wise yet.

How does one confirm it actually has the Applecare? Do you request the serial number of the computer and call the Applestore?
 
If your MacBook Pro still has the 1 year warranty when you sell its not as big a deal to have AppleCare. However when buying used, warranty is very desirable.

I recently purchased a USED 2010 MacBook Pro that still had warranty for 33 days, which has allowed me to purchase the extended warranty. However, I would not purchase a USED MacBook Pro if it had no warranty. Much of the risk is reduced with a warranty.

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No Regrets said:
How does one confirm it actually has the Applecare? Do you request the serial number of the computer and call the Applestore?
Click to expand...

When I purchased my USED MacBook Pro I asked the seller if I could call AppleCare and they verified how many days left on the original warranty.
 
Spink10 said:
If your MacBook Pro still has the 1 year warranty when you sell its not as big a deal to have AppleCare. However when buying used, warranty is very desirable.

I recently purchased a USED 2010 MacBook Pro that still had warranty for 33 days, which has allowed me to purchase the extended warranty. However, I would not purchase a USED MacBook Pro if it had no warranty. Much of the risk is reduced with a warranty.

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When I purchased my USED MacBook Pro I asked the seller if I could call AppleCare and they verified how many days left on the original warranty.
Click to expand...

Thanks Spink10, I was hoping that there was a way to confirm the warranty.
 
I buy AppleCare along with my new Mac on day one, because it's worthwhile.

While I've never purchased a used computer. The people I've talked to that have, are more focused on getting the best deal possible. Not one has said the warranty is a primary concern.

In this tough economy, I would not expect AppleCare to matter. It's the deal they care about, otherwise they'd be buying new.
 
I feel that used MPBs attract two types: those who want one but can't afford a new one and those who are similar to the MR crowd who know what we're looking for and why. For the first group, Applecare would be a peace of mind. For us, a nice bonus. Depending on the type of buyer you get and how much $$ they have will determine your final selling price and how much applecare coverage was worth.
 
Buying AppleCare for the sole purpose of resale value is rarely ever worth it.

The premium you would receive for having it would still be less than the cost you paid for it, even from third-party sellers who sell AppleCare way below MSRP.

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IllIllIll said:
Whether you'll get more $ at resale because you have AppleCare cannot be proven.
Click to expand...

Sure it can.

Track prices on eBay, account for variability, and you can easily tell if the difference in price between AppleCare and non-AppleCare is statistically significant.
 
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