Private Sale Advice: How go you verify if legit??

[dimps]

I have the opportunity to buy a brand new sealed 13" 2.4GHz MacBook [October 31, 2008 release] with no upgrades and AppleCare for 3 years for $200 dollars of the retail price, which I think is a good deal providing it is legit.

I have never bought a Mac brand new before and was wondering if anyone has any advice on what to look for [aside from the seal being broken] to check if it's stolen?

I know I can check the status of the AppleCare at Apple's site but could not find a tool that would let me run the serial number to see if it is either stolen or registered in original owners name. Do these exist??

Any advice, tips, or hints are welcome.

 

[Pr0digy]

Whatever you do, do not pay until you see it up and running!

on www.appleserialnumberinfo.com you can check the specs (see if they match with what the seller is telling you), see if it's been reported stolen on that site and check warranty status (if applecare is activated it will tell you).

For 200 bucks that person is either stupid or something else is up i think, does that person have a receipt of any kind or info on where the mac is from ?

 

[mgridgaway]

If you read it off a craigslist posting or similar it is 100% scam. Don't hand over any money to ANYONE until after you have the unit in your hand. Do it in a public place too if you don't know the person.

Quite frankly, nobody is going to legally sell you a BRAND new macbook with applecare for $200. Not even if they stole it. It's worth about 7x that much. And if they do want to meet you in person, there's a high chance of them robbing you (again, if you know the person it may be different).

 

[Lancetx]

I have the opportunity to buy a brand new sealed 13" 2.4GHz MacBook [October 31, 2008 release] with no upgrades and AppleCare for 3 years for $200 dollars of the retail price, which I think is a good deal providing it is legit.

You might want to read what the OP said a little closer, it appears he said for $200 off the original retail price, not for $200 total.

 

[bokdol]

delete

 

[MasterNile]

You might want to read what the OP said a little closer, it appears he said for $200 off the original retail price, not for $200 total.

Well he did say $200 OF the retail price, but I would think most people would assume it's supposed to be $200 OFF the retail price. Apparently people too often just skim threads without actually reading them.

It's possible the seller got it as a gift and just wants to sell it off to buy a PC, it doesn't seem to be one of those too good to be true deals in my mind but caution should be kept in mind at all times in these types of situations. Ask the seller why he is selling it and how he acquired it (yes I realize if it was stolen he would not tell you so) if the story seems to have holes in it or doesn't make sense I would just pass on the deal and move on

 

[ref26]

You can get MBs for $200 off on ebay with the live.com cashback discount.

 

[mgridgaway]

Well he did say $200 OF the retail price, but I would think most people would assume it's supposed to be $200 OFF the retail price. Apparently people too often just skim threads without actually reading them.

It's possible the seller got it as a gift and just wants to sell it off to buy a PC, it doesn't seem to be one of those too good to be true deals in my mind but caution should be kept in mind at all times in these types of situations. Ask the seller why he is selling it and how he acquired it (yes I realize if it was stolen he would not tell you so) if the story seems to have holes in it or doesn't make sense I would just pass on the deal and move on

Ouch, a bit harsh don't you think? I read the post numerous times, thank-you-very-much. Of and off are two different things where I come from, and when someone says OF the original prices, it means a very different thing than OFF the original price (if you've heard the expression 10 of 5 to mean 4:50, it's like that). Still, I'm willing to admit that $200 OFF is more reasonable. Still sounds a bit fishy, but the person probably just got it as a gift and doesn't want a mac. I'd rather just pay the extra $200 and know exactly where my product is coming from, though, when I'm paying $1000+.

 

[1rottenapple]

I would ask for a receipt, as well as verify the receipt with apple to make sure it is not stolen. That's bad karma if you buy a hot item with knowledge that it is. Plus who would want to help a theif profit.

 

[clyde2801]

Copy of receipt, with their name and serial no. of machine on it, along with a bill of sale signed by them, specifically stating that they are selling the machine to you by serial no.

If they don't provide a bill of sale, take one with you.