Buying sealed laptop off Craigslist ?

[OSMac]

Seen a listing for a sealed Apple laptop,
I asked about it and he said it was a gift but decided to sell
and he never asked where it was purchased. Ok, Possible...

Will Apple warranty it without receipt, can I check the serial online with them would that be enough?

 

[PaulWog]

Seen a listing for a sealed Apple laptop,
I asked about it and he said it was a gift but decided to sell
and he never asked where it was purchased. Ok, Possible...

Will Apple warranty it without receipt, can I check the serial online with them would that be enough?

My recommendation would be to not make such a purchase. While the person could be well-intentioned, he could also be attempting a scam.

It's not unheard of nor difficult to rewrap a box up as if it were straight from the factory.

 

[FanBoyTroll]

I would never ever buy anything from Craiglist.

 

[h00ligan]

Stolen. No receipt - no sale.

 

[KPOM]

Yes, Craigslist listings can be sketchy at times, both on the buy and sell sides. That's why I usually sell through eBay, despite the high fees. You tend to get more legitimate buyers and sellers.

If it sounds too good to be true...

 

[jenzjen]

A few things, get the serial and check it online ... meet inside a bank or like a Best Buy (where they have cameras), and agree to give him the money, but then he has to wait while you open it up, power it up, check it out, etc.

Make sure the serial he gave you matches the serial on the bottom of the laptop and box.

Make sure the plastic on the laptop itself (not box) is fresh, there's a white sticker with a perforated seam, it is hard to fake this so if that's still intact not torn, your device is more than likely fine.

In any event, if he pulls a scam, you have video to give to the cops.

 

[The Expert]

A few things, get the serial and check it online ... meet inside a bank or like a Best Buy (where they have cameras), and agree to give him the money, but then he has to wait while you open it up, power it up, check it out, etc.

Make sure the serial he gave you matches the serial on the bottom of the laptop and box.

Make sure the plastic on the laptop itself (not box) is fresh, there's a white sticker with a perforated seam, it is hard to fake this so if that's still intact not torn, your device is more than likely fine.

In any event, if he pulls a scam, you have video to give to the cops.

Good advice.
For the money you might be saving buying through Craigslist, your losing your peace of mind. I would never buy a laptop or anything high-end which is expensive from Craigslist no matter how cheap it might be. I rather pay the additional $100 or $300 yet have my peace of mind and know its never been tampered with or abused.

 

[DeusInvictus7]

While I agree that it can be sketchy dealing with craigslist or any local sales site, I've sold two computers, a 2010 Macbook Pro and a 2010 Macbook Air on Kijiji (Canadian craigslist) without any issues and both people I sold them to were awesome guys. I've sold a monitor (Dell U2709) as well, and that went perfectly too.

On the buying side, the only big thing I've bought through local sales was my TV, since it was a good $700 cheaper than what it would cost in store. And he provided the receipt from when he bought it so I was confident in the sale.

I prefer meeting in person when buying or selling, rather than having to ship things around the country and such. Knock on wood I guess, but so far I've had pretty good luck when dealing locally.

 

[BWhaler]

Just to share an alternative point of view:

I sell my Mac about every 12-18 months, and whenever it is time to sell, I always use Craigslist.

So while you need to be smart and act with an abundance of caution, there are people like me who will sell you an awesome Mac for a great price. (And you'll more commonly save a lot less than $300 bucks.)

Here's my opinion on how to get an amazing deal and stay safe from a seller's point of view:

1. No ebay. Craigslist.
2. Local deal. Meet the person. No shipping, ever.
3. Meet somewhere safe and public. Always.
4. Open the box. Turn it on. Use the product. Apple has such beautiful craft in their cases that it'll be easy to see tampering. Dents? Scratches? Focus on the details.
5. If you're nervous about any aspect, bring a friend or two. Feel free to discuss their opinions privately before handing over the cash.
6. Interview the person, in a nice, friendly way. "Why are you selling it?" "Where did you buy it from?" Their reaction and comfort with such questions are as important as the answers themselves.

From a seller's point of view, you get as many scammers as when you're trying to buy. From "I'll send you a money order," to "send to COD to Mexico and I'll pay you $500 bonus," to, "I know you wanted $1,250, but it's only worth $400 and you're an idiot if you don't sell it to me at that price while I am in a good mood." The scams come fast and furious.

Sellers want the same thing you do. They want an honest person who will pay them. They want to be safe since they are carrying an expensive and visible item. They don't want to the stress and wasted time of being scammed or with people trying to scam them. They want someone cool.

Be nice, honest, smart and observant, and easy to work with, and you'll end up with a better price—at least in my experience. As I look back now, I usually have a picked the ultimate buyer amongst a handful of legitimate prospects based on how nice and hassle free I thought they were going to be, not the one who offered the most money. The last thing you want as a seller is to deal with some idiot after the sale for years and years.

Again, just my humble opinion. You need to do what makes sense for you and what you're comfortable with. My take is if you set some basic rules for yourself, bring a friend if need be, and be smart and cautious, you'll get a great deal with little hassle.

 

[clyde2801]

Write a receipt or a bill of sale, and leave a space for the serial number. Ask to see an ID. Make a copy of the receipt and provide the same to the seller.

Another possibility is that it is a college student selling off a laptop that mommy and daddy (or the college) gave to him for beer money.

The other thing is that if it is too good of a deal to be true, it usually is. You can't swindle an honest person.

 

[OSMac]

I asked him for a serial number
so I could check the warranty status and never heard back.

A lot of deals can be had now on local forsale boards
the older last gen models are not selling,
same with current gen larger 15 and 17 inch models.

Everyone seems to want a Air or ipad, or 13" MB Pro.

 

[Minhthien]

I asked him for a serial number
so I could check the warranty status and never heard back.

A lot of deals can be had now on local forsale boards
the older models are not selling,
same with 15 and 17 inch models.

Everyone seems to want a Air or ipad

I bought 2 sealed from CL in the past 1 month! Both without receipt but check the serial number and warranty is good! My Magsafe doesn't charge so apple is sending me a new one tomorrow for free!

2011 13' i7 for $1100
2011 15' 2.0ghz $1500