Buying Unibody MBP from Craigslist. What to look for?

[candyapplekid]

Hi all. I am planning on purchasing a used Unibody MBP 15" 2.53 4gb from a guy on Craigslist. However, looking over these forums, it appears like a lot of people are having issues with these new MBPs.

The seller would like to meet at a coffee shop, so I'll have a little time to check out the system and make a decision.

Anyone have any suggestions for what I should be looking for when inspecting the machine? A few checks that I can do to make sure that it is not a lemon, as it seems some people have gotten?

Any advice for how to best inspect the system and key things to look for would be appreciated.

 

[mmoran27]

Make sure it is sealed and get the serial number before leaving. You can look that up on apples site to verify it is valid for support.

 

[tcphoto]

You are a brave soul. I would take my time and carefully examine the packaging, documentation to begin with. You will need to examine the MBP's appearance before powering it up. Does it start up within 20-30 seconds from the power button, is the screen free from any defects and the OS10.5 or newer and the About This Mac reflect the packing specs? I would restart the machine to make sure it operates correctly? I would also use the coffee shops wifi and get online for a short time. Does the person have the original receipt showing his/her name and the date of purchase? Lastly, I would write him a check and go to your bank to cash it. This would require them to show two pieces of ID and a finger print in order to get their cash.

 

[Kronie]

I would write him a check and go to your bank to cash it. This would require them to show two pieces of ID and a finger print in order to get their cash.

Two pieces of ID and a fingerprint? Where do you live? I have cashed checks at other peoples banks and have only had to show ID and sometimes not even that.

 

[tcphoto]

Here in Atlanta, those are the requirements if you are not a customer of the bank.

 

[nippyjun]

Make sure it is applecare eligible.

 

[Vanarak19]

hopefully nothing was spilled on it and just externally "cleaned".

be careful. I dont buy stuff over 100$ on craigs list. Not worth the minor savings for my "piece o mind"