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Dented my MBP... sell and upgrade? or repair?

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drjohnson36

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 8, 2009
6
0
Yesterday I dropped my backpack and my base model 13" aluminum MBP was inside.

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As far as I can tell, its only body damage. The frame of the LCD and laptop are dented, the bottom plate is intact still.

I was going to just sell it and replace it when the next gen MBP comes out, but this changes things a little bit. Fortunately I noticed this in the refurb store... For those too lazy to click the link, its a new model 15" MBP refurb, 250GB HD, 4GB RAM, 2.53 Mhz processor... bit of an upgrade compared to what I have now. If I were to buy this, I'd probably keep it a little longer than I planned for the 13".

How much would it cost to get the body damage on my current laptop repaired repaired? Or would it be worth it to just sell the laptop as is and get the refurb? So far I'm leaning toward the refurb but I'd like some second opinions first... Thanks!
 
TIMG your photos.
Selling as is will net you a lot less since there is no chance of actually getting applecare to fix anything going forward. Everything that happens to that machine now will be blamed on the drop, regardless of it being even remotely possible to be associated. My feeling is if it works great then keep it but it seems you have more money than you know what to do with, so sell it as-is and buy the refurb.
 
everyone gets a dent
(i got one too, kind of minor)

just enjoy the laptop.. its still running OS X and its running great s okeep ti!
 
The warranty not covering future hardware repairs is just one more reason I'd want to replace it.
 
So are you looking to sell it because you dropped it, or because you want the larger MBP.

Personally, I'm in agreement with the others, keep the 13" Especially now, since you'll get less $ if you sell it
 
I would sell it and buy a new one. One of the reasons I buy Macs is aesthetics. With a dent the MBP is not doing one of the things I expect it to do: look awesome.

That's what I've done when my Apple products have been dented or scratched. Some people may not care as much about that dent so they would still be willing to pay a decent amount for a fully functional MBP.

The cost of replacement is less than the cost of repair.
 
I'm pretty certain repairing it won't enhance your user experience, therefor you should continue using it...selling it at a loss sounds cool if you value looks over usability, in which case just buy a replacement top/bottom case and assemble it pretending its a laptop and marvel at its beauty
 
173080 said:
I would sell it and buy a new one. One of the reasons I buy Macs is aesthetics. With a dent the MBP is not doing one of the things I expect it to do: look awesome.

That's what I've done when my Apple products have been dented or scratched. Some people may not care as much about that dent so they would still be willing to pay a decent amount for a fully functional MBP.

The cost of replacement is less than the cost of repair.
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Oy, so in other words, you need a Mac to make yourself look awesome?

Come on, be normal, and just use the darn thing. It's a computer, not a hairdo.
 
Keep it - it's doing what you bought it for - the computing. The wear and tear, dents and scratches to a laptop happen naturally during the course of its life - shows its character. Replace it when you need to....
 
electroshock said:
Why not replace it when the time comes rather than doing a pre-emptive replacement?
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Usually if you time it right, it seems like you can flip it right after a new version comes out with minimal cash lost, and pretty much pay for a new one.

Apple's laptops seem to hold value really well, even dented!

And to be honest, that dent doesn't even look that bad. Mind you, this is coming from someone who has had hundreds of dollars of bodywork done on a commuter compact to get rid of an annoying fender wrinkle. If it really bugs you, put a sticker over it, or get the Speck hard case.
 
Sell it. Immediately. It's dented, which means that Applecare will never protect it until you figure out a way to fix the dent. You'll also have to (if you do it officially) go through Apple, and that's probably a $500-$800 repair job, just to use the Applecare you already have and paid for.

So sell it, and don't look back. It's your call whether you buy another 13" or 15" though.
 
electroshock said:
Seconded. The MBP was an investment -- and this one is where you get the greatest value out of actually using it rather than flipping it, so...
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i like how people say an "investment" its probably one of the worst investments to make, along with a car. Massive depreciation in a short time=bad investment.
 
Hey there,

Dents and imperfections are aesthetically unpleasant! I empathize for you in your eagerness to replace the damaged machine. Personally, i wouldn't be able to live with it. If I were in your position, my opinion would be to see how much of an offer you could get for it. Then go to step two, see what you can afford as far as an upgrade, and come up with the difference.

Good Luck! Don't let it happen again.... ;-)
 
mikes70mustang said:
i like how people say an "investment" its probably one of the worst investments to make, along with a car. Massive depreciation in a short time=bad investment.
Click to expand...

that's weird, because my mbp has made me lots of money, it was a fantastic investment.
 
mikes70mustang said:
i like how people say an "investment" its probably one of the worst investments to make, along with a car. Massive depreciation in a short time=bad investment.
Click to expand...

Depreciation is used for accounting and tax purposes. It doesn't really represent a true value or usefulness of an investment.
 
Wow this thread scares me. I recently dropped my MBP too and it got a dent in the top lid near the power button (check my Marketplace thread for pics).

I really baby my machine but this was a totally completely dumb accident. I was sitting on a bench at school waiting for my next class and I was chatting with a friend. I closed my laptop and continued to chat with her. I guess I got too caught up in the conversation that I wasn't paying attention to my MBP and it slid off my lap and hit the floor. The damage was only to the lid but to think that the warranty on my entire machine is void is really shocking.

I've made a genius bar appointment so I can ask a genius about the warranty status. If he tells me its void I'm gonna sell my laptop because I don't want to have a machine without Applecare. I've been thinking about upgrading to a 15" antiglare anyway. Hopefully my warranty is still valid though.
 
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