Considering buying a MacBook Pro off of craigslist

[cdon2]

Hello,

I'm considering buying a MacBook Pro off of craigslist. I've had my very ancient PowerBook for almost a decade now and am in need of a new computer. I've only recently been looking at computers and realize that it's a world that I am not as familiar with as I once was.

I'm wondering what points/suggestions/tips I can do to avoid getting scammed. Things I should avoid? Questions to ask?

Thanks for any help or advice! It's much appreciated.

Christine

 

[Spink10]

Hello,

I'm considering buying a MacBook Pro off of craigslist. I've had my very ancient PowerBook for almost a decade now and am in need of a new computer. I've only recently been looking at computers and realize that it's a world that I am not as familiar with as I once was.

I'm wondering what points/suggestions/tips I can do to avoid getting scammed. Things I should avoid? Questions to ask?

Thanks for any help or advice! It's much appreciated.

Christine

Cash only
Public place only
I highly recommend purchasing a mac with warranty - check this by entering the serial number here - https://selfsolve.apple.com/agreementWarrantyDynamic.do
You may email / text them but I would want to talk with them over the phone to confirm there ability to hold a conversation
Price should be below eBay's sold listing prices

I would be glad to answer any questions you might have - I sell Macs on CL and feel fairly experienced in that area.

 

[cdon2]

Cash only
Public place only
I highly recommend purchasing a mac with warranty - check this by entering the serial number here - https://selfsolve.apple.com/agreementWarrantyDynamic.do
You may email / text them but I would want to talk with them over the phone to confirm there ability to hold a conversation
Price should be below eBay's sold listing prices

I would be glad to answer any questions you might have - I sell Macs on CL and feel fairly experienced in that area.

Hello there, thank you for your advice! Would you recommend I do a hardware test? Though when the errors come up I usually don't quite understand what they mean.

These are the things that friends have advised me to do: check all the external components to see if they work properly. Check the battery cycles. check to see apple care status.

There are two that I am possibly going to take a look at this weekend.

https://kansascity.craigslist.org/sys/4725408823.html
https://kansascity.craigslist.org/sys/4810975978.html

Would you have any more advice about what I should ask when I take a look at these?

Thank you so much for your time and advice!

Christine

 

[Spink10]

Hello there, thank you for your advice! Would you recommend I do a hardware test? Though when the errors come up I usually don't quite understand what they mean.

These are the things that friends have advised me to do: check all the external components to see if they work properly. Check the battery cycles. check to see apple care status.

There are two that I am possibly going to take a look at this weekend.

https://kansascity.craigslist.org/sys/4725408823.html
https://kansascity.craigslist.org/sys/4810975978.html

Would you have any more advice about what I should ask when I take a look at these?

Thank you so much for your time and advice!

Christine

Those are suggestions.

I think those prices are high for the condition those items are in. Often times people on CL are asking way too much. They want as much as it would be on eBay without considering the seller costs and shipping cost.

I cant see exactly the condition of the 13 MBP - but it sure seems to be priced high. Having a 3rd party charger is big. The Apple ones cost $80. I would not be willing to pay more than $500. Personally I would not touch it.

15 MBP is an early 2011 model - its better priced - but still a little high. Also all those apps are pirated so dont really let that influence you in purchasing.

Honestly neither of those machines look that great.

What will you use this computer for? Not sure you need a 15" quad core - it has a higher risk because its older and yet expensive (because its 15" and quad-core).

2013 MacBook Airs can be had for 700ish and would last on average several years longer - if you dont need them for intensive tasks.

 

[gooser]

for a used computer i would suggest a 2.13ghz 2009 white macbook. you can pick them up off of e-bay for less than $300. sometimes much less. if you don't use firewire i would also consider a 2010 model for around the same price. either can run 10.10 but they can run 10.6 if you wish to use some of your older applications.

 

[cdon2]

Those are suggestions.

I think those prices are high for the condition those items are in. Often times people on CL are asking way too much. They want as much as it would be on eBay without considering the seller costs and shipping cost.

I cant see exactly the condition of the 13 MBP - but it sure seems to be priced high. Having a 3rd party charger is big. The Apple ones cost $80. I would not be willing to pay more than $500. Personally I would not touch it.

15 MBP is an early 2011 model - its better priced - but still a little high. Also all those apps are pirated so dont really let that influence you in purchasing.

Honestly neither of those machines look that great.

What will you use this computer for? Not sure you need a 15" quad core - it has a higher risk because its older and yet expensive (because its 15" and quad-core).

2013 MacBook Airs can be had for 700ish and would last on average several years longer - if you dont need them for intensive tasks.

Thank you so much for your help and for the advice. Yes, it seems as though I really don't know what I'm doing haha. I won't be using the laptop for extensive tasks just some 2D designs/photo editing. So maybe I should look into a MacAir. A pro might be too much for what I'm wanting to use it for. Thank you so much for your help! I'll begin a search for a MacBook Air.

 

[Spink10]

Thank you so much for your help and for the advice. Yes, it seems as though I really don't know what I'm doing haha. I won't be using the laptop for extensive tasks just some 2D designs/photo editing. So maybe I should look into a MacAir. A pro might be too much for what I'm wanting to use it for. Thank you so much for your help! I'll begin a search for a MacBook Air.

May be able to find a good deal on a low end model of the 13" MacBook Pro Retina and that would be a good value.

 

[Spink10]

https://slickdeals.net/article/buying-guide/apple-laptop-buying-guide/

Nevermind - its an 11"

 

[Fishrrman]

OP wrote above:
[[ I'm considering buying a MacBook Pro off of craigslist. I've had my very ancient PowerBook for almost a decade now and am in need of a new computer. ]]

Since you obviously like to keep your hardware going for a long time (I'm of a like mind, having kept my PowerMac g4 tower for 8 years), I'd suggest that you forget about craigslist and buy either a new or Apple-refurbished Mac.

"Late-model refurbished" may be the way to go. Some of them are discounted from the original price by 20% or more. AND you get a full Apple 1-year warranty.

Check this page:
https://www.refurb.me/us/notebook

My prediction is that you'll do much better this way, far FAR less chance for disappointment.

My opinion only.

 

[Let's Sekuhara!]

If you have an Apple Store near you, why not make a Genius Bar appointment and have the Mac checked out in front of both you and the buyer? Ask that they inspect it for common problems and assess the over-all condition including the battery. That way if anything major is wrong it's likely to be spotted there and then, whether the seller knows about the problem or not.

If there is a problem the seller is aware of he/she is likely to find an excuse not to agree to the appointment. But it's free, so there's no reason most honest sellers wouldn't agree to it. If they say they don't have time they're either not serious enough about selling their machine or something is wrong with it.

Also check the specs from the About This Mac menu to make sure it is exactly the specs advertised.

And the Apple Store staff will be able to tell you the AppleCare status from the serial number, or you can check it yourself from the Support section of Apple's website.