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darngooddesign

macrumors Core
Original poster
Jul 4, 2007
19,323
11,548
Atlanta, GA
Assuming the buyer provides the serial number, how can I check if a laptop is stolen? I know the golden rule of "if the deal seems too good to be true", but I have managed to get legit used computers in the past for great deals.
 
http://www.coconut-flavour.com/coconutidentitycard/index.html

I believe you can type a serial number into that and it will check it against online databases of stolen Mac products.

Whether it's 100% accurate or not, I don't know - it reads good data on a bunch of other things, but if you check a stolen Mac's serial number, I'm not sure what it does.

Best to just buy from a legitimate seller to begin with - do your homework ;)

'Course if you do get shafted, there are ways of getting things right.
 
http://www.powermax.com/stolen

As it says on the bottom of the page, it's based on user reports so not all stolen Macs are reported plus some reports may be fake.

Best way to make sure it's not stolen is to meet the seller in public and ask to see his driver license. Then see the serial and call Apple and ask whom is that serial registered to. If they match, then it's not stolen
 
How do I check if a MBP is stolen?

A lot of those sites have inaccurate data. Some people report theft of a laptop and file a claim on their insurance. They then sell the laptop that was never stolen in the first place and get a new laptop with a little extra cash out of the deal.

Your local apple repair people usually keep records on all serial numbers for systems they service. I would call around to the various repair shops and find out if they have a record on any work having been done on that serial number. This is a good way to get a repair history on a laptop. :)
 
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