buying used MacBook on Craigslist... please advise

[pooksie]

hey I'm buying a used MacBook Air on Craigslist... anything I should look out for? it's a couple months old so it has the originally warranty without AppleCare... does the warranty go void since Im buying second hand?

 

[GGJstudios]

hey I'm buying a used MacBook Air on Craigslist... anything I should look out for? it's a couple months old so it has the originally warranty without AppleCare... does the warranty go void since Im buying second hand?

The warranty follows the computer, not the owner. As long as it's less than a year from the time the MBA was bought new from Apple, it's still under warranty and qualifies for AppleCare.

As always, exercise extreme caution when buying through Craigslist, as there are many scams and some potential dangers involved in meeting sellers/buyers.

 

[tgi]

hey I'm buying a used MacBook Air on Craigslist... anything I should look out for? it's a couple months old so it has the originally warranty without AppleCare... does the warranty go void since Im buying second hand?

The warranty will carry over to the new owner. You can check with Apple to see if the serial number is legit (not stolen). I would definitely research the serial before the meet up, make sure everything matches what is being advertised.

Other than doing the basic check of the computer to see if everything looks and works ok, you can also see how the seller is behaving. You will know if something does not feel right. If you are not 100% confident in the seller/laptop just walk away.

 

[pooksie]

I just talked to the seller on the phone and it's a high school kid who got it as a gift from his grandma last week... apparently he's selling it cuz he has no receipt and he has a rmbp

how much should I pay for the base model 2013 (haswell) 11"?

 

[GGJstudios]

I just talked to the seller on the phone and it's a high school kid who got it as a gift from his grandma last week... apparently he's selling it cuz he has no receipt and he has a rmbp

I would definitely get the serial number and check it to make sure it's under warranty. You can verify remaining warranty/AppleCare coverage for any Mac by entering the serial number here.

how much should I pay for the base model 2013 (haswell) 11"?

As a starting point, you can check Mac2Sell, eBay (including completed sales), and Amazon for prices of similar models, to get an idea of what a reasonable price may be. Then adjust the price to account for condition, configuration, remaining AppleCare coverage (if any), etc.

 

[AXs]

Make Sure it is Haswell

You initially said it is a couple months old. If it is Haswell he wouldn't have had it much more than a month.

If it is Haswell, probably not more than $100 off retail price.

Would be better to buy a new one.

 

[TC25]

I just talked to the seller on the phone and it's a high school kid who got it as a gift from his grandma last week... apparently he's selling it cuz he has no receipt and he has a rmbp

And you believed this.

 

[racer1441]

he has no receipt?

And it's stolen. Run away.

 

[mattferg]

Do the swap in an Apple store and have the Geniuses have a look at it before paying for it, so they can confirm it's definitely Haswell and there's nothing wrong. Also ask them to run the serial (I think Apple can flag certain devices as stolen, not sure if this is the case)