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eBay or Gazelle

ggibson913

ggibson913

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 11, 2006
1,119
643
So really enjoying my new iMac. As is the tradition I am getting ready to sell my Retina 15 Macbook Pro but having a hard time deciding which venue to use. I have an offer in of a little under 600 from Gazelle. They are reliable and have always paid me on time and without question. However, I am thinking about e-bay. The machine was a refurb I bought and therefore still has about 6 months of AppleCare on it. I may score more money by going with e-bay. The issue I had was the last two times I sold something on ebay, it was a bad experience. The first was an iPad that a bidder won then refused to pay for. When I approached e-bay they said there was nothing they could do.

The second was my prior macbook which I sold. The fees were so high that the I could have just went with Gazelles offer. This sale traditionally helps offset the cost of a new computer. I am not sure what the correct decision is, help me out room.
 
The horror stories that you hear of with selling expensive things on ebay is not worth the risk for me.
 
How about neither. I find the Gazelle offers too little, and eBay is fraught with nightmarish stories. I'd opt for Craigslist - face to face transactions dealing with cash.
 
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Have you consider the Marketplace here on MacRumors. I have used it to buy & sell without any issues. You might be able to get a little more than Gazelle is offering you. You can always turn down an offer if you do not like it. I found the people in the Marketplace are easy to deal with.
 
I wasn't even aware of the Marketplace. Thanks for that. Doesn't hurt to give it a shot.
 
I've used both eBay and Gazelle and just go with Gazelle now even though I don't get as much money. My last couple eBay Mac sales were such a pain I vowed never again. It is just not worth the extra money to me for all the hassle.

I sold a couple things on CL, but had to put up with a bunch of ridiculous lowball and scam offers to finally sort through to the real buyers. I'll just stick with Gazelle for the convenience.
 
maflynn said:
How about neither. I find the Gazelle offers too little, and eBay is fraught with nightmarish stories. I'd opt for Craigslist - face to face transactions dealing with cash.
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Plus Craigslist isn't taking a cut of the transaction. eBay wants a lot of money in fees.
 
MrAverigeUser said:
Sorry,
perhaps I am blind - but I don´t find a marketplace here.
Could you help me with a link?
Thank you
Click to expand...

https://forums.macrumors.com/forums/marketplace.132/

Here it is, but you won't be able to see it until you have 250 posts.

From MP Rules:

Can't Find or Access the Marketplace Forum?

Before you can access the Marketplace forum, you need a minimum post count of 250, as displayed in your User Profile, and you must have been a MacRumors member for at least 180 days (about 6 months).
Click to expand...
 
MrAverigeUser said:
Sorry,
perhaps I am blind - but I don´t find a marketplace here.
Could you help me with a link?
Thank you
Click to expand...
I think you can only see it after something like 6 months.
[doublepost=1453568026][/doublepost]
Weaselboy said:
I've used both eBay and Gazelle and just go with Gazelle now even though I don't get as much money. My last couple eBay Mac sales were such a pain I vowed never again. It is just not worth the extra money to me for all the hassle.

I sold a couple things on CL, but had to put up with a bunch of ridiculous lowball and scam offers to finally sort through to the real buyers. I'll just stick with Gazelle for the convenience.
Click to expand...
With Craig's List I personally would only accept in parson cash or mailed cashier check from a bank received and cashed before mailing the package.
 
Thanks for all of the feedback. At the end of the day I decided to just go the Gazelle route. It was the least worse answer.
 
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ggibson913 said:
Thanks for all of the feedback. At the end of the day I decided to just go the Gazelle route. It was the least worse answer.
Click to expand...
I looked at the prices Gazelle offers. I don't know that they are very good. For my 2012 Mac Mini they are offering less then $350. They will turn around and sell it for around $1000. That is a suckers offer.
 
Daisy81 said:
They will turn around and sell it for around $1000.
Click to expand...

Please show us the specs on your Mini and a recently completed eBay auction with the same specs selling for $1,000. I really doubt you are comparing like machines.

Right now Gazelle will give me $583 for my 13" rMBP and the same machine is selling on eBay for around $850. So knock off around 10% for fees and you are sitting at around $765. So for $182 less, I can just ship it off to Gazelle and collect my money with zero hassle. I'll take that deal all day long.

I totally get that some people don't mind making the extra effort to make a little more money, but in my experience the price delta on Gazelle is nothing like what you are representing here.
 
Weaselboy said:
Please show us the specs on your Mini and a recently completed eBay auction with the same specs selling for $1,000. I really doubt you are comparing like machines.

Right now Gazelle will give me $583 for my 13" rMBP and the same machine is selling on eBay for around $850. So knock off around 10% for fees and you are sitting at around $765. So for $182 less, I can just ship it off to Gazelle and collect my money with zero hassle. I'll take that deal all day long.

I totally get that some people don't mind making the extra effort to make a little more money, but in my experience the price delta on Gazelle is nothing like what you are representing here.
Click to expand...
This is why you all get ripped off. You can't do your own research.

Alright my specs are:

2.3GHz Core i7, 16GB RAM, 250GB SSD/1TB 5400 RPM Fusion Drive, with power cord, Apple magic mouse and bluetooth wireless keyboard.

Gazelle makes no distinction for the drive being SSD, Fusion or spinner and offers $311 for the same machines that are selling below on eBay for over twice that.

A link for a Mini almost exactly like mine. The search result I used to find that listing shows them going for roughly $750 to almost $1300.
 
Daisy81 said:
This is why you all get ripped off. You can't do your own research.
Click to expand...

Ah... smart guy. :rolleyes:

You are totally cherry picking on both sides to make your point. Gazelle will give you $370 for your exact machine if you select 1TB HDD.

The Mini you linked is a refurb with Applecare. Minis like yours that are not refurbs and without AC are going for around $750 (sometimes less). So 10% fees, you net maybe $675. So you might be giving up $305 to go with Gazelle.

I'm not trying to convince anybody to use Gazelle, because you can definitely get more money selling yourself, but if you are going to compare, at least use realistic numbers.
 
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Weaselboy said:
Ah... smart guy. :rolleyes:

You are totally cherry picking on both sides to make your point. Gazelle will give you $370 for your exact machine if you select 1TB HDD.

The Mini you linked is a refurb with Applecare. Minis like yours that are not refurbs and without AC are going for around $750 (sometimes less). So 10% fees, you net maybe $675. So you might be giving up $305 to go with Gazelle.

I'm not trying to convince anybody to use Gazelle, because you can definitely get more money selling yourself, but if you are going to compare, at least use realistic numbers.
Click to expand...
You asked for an example of a comparable machine and then when I provide it you say I cherry picked it. News flash I picked the most recent listing that had my specs. It clearly shows that the price is fluctuating and hasn't dropped in value much since being discontinued. I even provided the raw search for the Mac Minis similar to mine. None sold for $300.

Apple doesn't make a Fusion drive with a 250GB SSD in it. That means the person purchased a refurbished machine and upgraded it. By that token I can say mine was new when I bought it and didn't have another owner.

Who said mine doesn't have Apple Care? You make huge assumptions. I bought mine in 2014. Fully warrantied through 2017. My 250GB SSD was installed by an Apple certified tech. Was that persons SSD? Think about it ....

I have to question your motives for pushing Gazelle so hard right now.

Edit:

BTW dumb questions get smart answers. You expect me to take my time to sit here and give you a lesson in common sense.
 
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I went with Gazelle because my last two e-bay sales were not good experiences. The first sale was for a previous MacBook Pro and yes, it did sell for more, but by the time e-bay AND Paypal took their cut I ended up with something like $50 more than what another trade in company would have given me.

The second was an iPad, I had a successful bidder who just changed his mind. He didn't e-mail me or let me know anything for a couple of weeks. e-Bay's stand, "Oh well, you can relist it but until that guy releases the item, we consider it his". So that made me wary of them, your mileage may vary.

I also did my research and if my Macbook Pro sold at the average price, after fees I would end up with maybe $100 more. Plus Gazelle re-wipes all data on any machine they buy so it is worth it to me not to have the hassle.
 
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Daisy81 said:
You asked for an example of a comparable machine and then when I provide it you say I cherry picked it. News flash I picked the most recent listing that had my specs. It clearly shows that the price is fluctuating and hasn't dropped in value much since being discontinued. I even provided the raw search for the Mac Minis similar to mine. None sold for $300.

Apple doesn't make a Fusion drive with a 250GB SSD in it. That means the person purchased a refurbished machine and upgraded it. By that token I can say mine was new when I bought it and didn't have another owner.

Who said mine doesn't have Apple Care? You make huge assumptions. I bought mine in 2014. Fully warrantied through 2017. My 250GB SSD was installed by an Apple certified tech. Was that persons SSD? Think about it ....

I have to question your motives for pushing Gazelle so hard right now.
Click to expand...

I am not weaselboy, but he is absolutely right with his arguments.

If you want to compare, you need not one single but an average price (at least 5-10 being sold) for the same machine, same age and same condition which REALLY has been payed (NOT any OFFER).
If you´re unsatisfied because Hybrid-drive: Well, they are nowadays not too expensive. AND: I´d never sell a machine with its drive…not even after "secure erase" - I´d prefer to use it as backup or whatever it might be good for.

I´d also prefer to sell the machine to someone I could trust. Heard too much about people sending back trash or other (failing) components or telling it´d have been in worse condition than described or….
NO, time is money. And that´s the point you didn´t calculate with…

People at gazelle have to make also their living as well as you do - nothing wrong in earning money as long as they are serious and worth trusting in them, isn´t it?
 
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MrAverigeUser said:
I am not weaselboy, but he is absolutely right with his arguments.

If you want to compare, you need not one single but an average price (at least 5-10 being sold) for the same machine, same age and same condition which REALLY has been payed (NOT any OFFER).
If you´re unsatisfied because Hybrid-drive: Well, they are nowadays not too expensive. AND: I´d never sell a machine with its drive…not even after "secure erase" - I´d prefer to use it as backup or whatever it might be good for.

I´d also prefer to sell the machine to someone I could trust. Heard too much about people sending back trash or other (failing) components or telling it´d have been in worse condition than described or….
NO, time is money. And that´s the point you didn´t calculate with…

People at gazelle have to make also their living as well as you do - nothing wrong in earning money as long as they are serious and worth trusting in them, isn´t it?
Click to expand...

You're right time is money. However it doesn't take a lot of time. I post the add around the college campus near me after having the add approved and I get plenty of takers in less then a week. Craig's List is also a good listing.

I spend more time on the forums then I do in email for a sale. I only sell the machine in person for cash. the process is simple. I count the money, show them the computer working and then pack it up and give it to them and they can go. The process takes a few minutes.

What ever I'm done with this topic. Take it coming and going for all I care. It isn't my money.
 
Daisy81 said:
You're right time is money. However it doesn't take a lot of time. I post the add around the college campus near me after having the add approved and I get plenty of takers in less then a week. (…) I only sell the machine in person for cash. the process is simple. I count the money, show them the computer working and then pack it up and give it to them and they can go. The process takes a few minutes.
Click to expand...

as for selling in person for cash after proving it works is indeed the best possible.
But not everyone can advertise in a campus and a lot of people don´t live in big cities neither...
 
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laudern said:
The horror stories that you hear of with selling expensive things on ebay is not worth the risk for me.
Click to expand...
I share your choice to avoid eBay.

One of my close friends has run a very successful business on eBay for many years. Yet the last few years have seen a big increase in fraudulent activities. I'd much rather get less money in exchange for a quick no risk transaction via Gazelle.

Many of my friends have used and enjoyed the Gazelle experience. 100% satisfaction is truly impressive.
 
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