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johndallas999

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 9, 2008
885
1
Seattle
What is the safest way to sell it without getting ripped off. I know ebay and craigslist are both iffy with such a high dollar item.
 

DisplacedMic

macrumors 65816
May 1, 2009
1,411
1
What is the safest way to sell it without getting ripped off. I know ebay and craigslist are both iffy with such a high dollar item.

craigslist yes, ebay not really. just use your common sense.

the "safest" way to sell it is probably to sell it to a friend/family member
 

Weaselboy

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 23, 2005
34,136
15,598
California
What is the safest way to sell it without getting ripped off. I know ebay and craigslist are both iffy with such a high dollar item.

I have been using Gazelle to sell my Macbooks when it is time to update. You won't get as much money as CL or eBay, but it is safe and trouble free. See my post #6 in this thread to get a feel for the price difference with Gazelle vs eBay/CL.
 

Cubytus

macrumors 65816
Mar 2, 2007
1,436
18
You can try your local university's ad board. They will let you use it, sometimes with standardized cartons to fill, even if you're not a student.

I have had pretty good success selling some stuff there.
 

jmoore5196

macrumors 6502a
May 19, 2009
840
339
Russellville AR
eBay's after-sale fees have risen exponentially - or so it seems to me - over the past several years. I, for one, am looking for less-expensive ways to sell my high-value gear. Good venues are hard to find and require patient search. At this point, there aren't any I'd avoid ... in other words, I'm content to take a small gamble rather than get ripped off by final value fees.

YMMV.
 

Lunfai

macrumors 68000
Nov 21, 2010
1,566
519
Sheffield
If you want it fast and market it right, then eBay. I can't really complain at losing $120 after fees for using it for 6 months. I sold mine in 5 hours.

- don't sell to people with less then 10 rating, with 5 being in the last 6-12 months
- ship to confirm address only
- track and post proof

You're golden. The fees are high, but someone needs to make ends meat too.
 

SnowLeopard2008

macrumors 604
Jul 4, 2008
6,772
17
Silicon Valley
What is the safest way to sell it without getting ripped off. I know ebay and craigslist are both iffy with such a high dollar item.

Craigslist is less iffy. No fees, no PayPal, etc. As the seller, you can't get scammed unless the money you received was improperly counted at point of sale or fake or something. eBay, you can get scammed as a seller quite easily. And the protection favors the buyer.
 

racer1441

macrumors 68000
Jul 3, 2009
1,864
636
Craigslist is less iffy. No fees, no PayPal, etc. As the seller, you can't get scammed unless the money you received was improperly counted at point of sale or fake or something. eBay, you can get scammed as a seller quite easily. And the protection favors the buyer.

Except you are rarely beaten and robbed of your possession on ebay. I wouldn't touch craigslist with a 10 foot stick.
 

SnowLeopard2008

macrumors 604
Jul 4, 2008
6,772
17
Silicon Valley
Except you are rarely beaten and robbed of your possession on ebay. I wouldn't touch craigslist with a 10 foot stick.

Dude, meet at a Starbucks. Somewhere really public, open and with lots of people around. You're being a little over dramatic. I'm not denying that there is a chance for public confrontation, but meeting at a public place kind of counters that.
 

racer1441

macrumors 68000
Jul 3, 2009
1,864
636
Dude, meet at a Starbucks. Somewhere really public, open and with lots of people around. You're being a little over dramatic. I'm not denying that there is a chance for public confrontation, but meeting at a public place kind of counters that.

I have found that craigslist tends to draw the crazies and the like. I don't like doing business that requires me to be armed.
 

SnowLeopard2008

macrumors 604
Jul 4, 2008
6,772
17
Silicon Valley
I have found that craigslist tends to draw the crazies and the like. I don't like doing business that requires me to be armed.

Armed? So I guess you're always carrying some kind of weapon whilst shopping for groceries?!? The only thing that irritates me on Craigslist is the lowball offers. Doesn't happen on eBay.
 

notjustjay

macrumors 603
Sep 19, 2003
6,056
167
Canada, eh?
I don't know how far this news carried, but in Ontario we've had a pretty high profile case lately where a fellow named Tim Bosma put up a listing to sell his truck on a listing site like that. Couple of guys went out with him for a test drive and he was never seen alive again. They eventually found the truck, then the body, then the killers.

That's pretty a extreme case (they think he might have been targeted personally). But if you are worried, here are your safest bets:

1. Sell to a friend or family member.
2. Get your friends and family to refer you to people they know personally who are looking to buy.
3. Post an ad on a buy/sell board in a physical community that you belong to. Examples: your school, your workplace, your neighborhood community center, your church.
4. Post an ad in a moderated online community forum such as here on MacRumors, SlickDeals, RedFlagDeals, FaceBook groups, etc.
5. eBay. Physically safe for you, risk you may lose your money to a scammer, but that risk is fairly low if you take basic precautions and take money by PayPal.
6. Craigslist/kijiji etc. Meet in a public and populated place such as a Starbucks or in front of a bank during open hours. Bring a friend. Cash only (or cashier's check from the bank). If the other guy flinches at the suggestion of meeting in public or paying in cash, run away.

When posting on Craigslist and the like do not provide personal details in the listing (name, address, email address, phone number). Ignore anyone your gut tells you is "off" including all those lowball offers and offers of dubious trades.

Good luck!

The last several times I sold a laptop or tablet, one was to a friend, one to a friend of a friend, one to my church, and one to one of my dad's coworkers.
 

SnowLeopard2008

macrumors 604
Jul 4, 2008
6,772
17
Silicon Valley
I have no need to justify defending, or having the option to defend myself.

Also....

http://www.ibtimes.com/craigslist-cesspool-crime-study-270401#

I'm asking a question, not justification. I'm genuinely curious how many times people actually use their "weapons". If you can't answer, the answer is logically never and thus my conclusion is that you're irrationally paranoid.

Besides, the right to own and operate a firearm carte blanche is not a constitutional right. It's pretty funny to see so many people who read half a sentence, stop and be finished.
 

thehustleman

macrumors 65816
Jan 3, 2013
1,123
1
What is the safest way to sell it without getting ripped off. I know ebay and craigslist are both iffy with such a high dollar item.

EBay is best for buying and Craigslist is best for selling.


When selling however, bring a gun, and if you don't have one bring a friend that does.
 

racer1441

macrumors 68000
Jul 3, 2009
1,864
636
EBay is best for buying and Craigslist is best for selling.


When selling however, bring a gun, and if you don't have one bring a friend that does.

So very true. http://www.ibtimes.com/craigslist-cesspool-crime-study-270401#

----------

I'm asking a question, not justification. I'm genuinely curious how many times people actually use their "weapons". If you can't answer, the answer is logically never and thus my conclusion is that you're irrationally paranoid.

Besides, the right to own and operate a firearm carte blanche is not a constitutional right. It's pretty funny to see so many people who read half a sentence, stop and be finished.

I have defended or deterred three separate threats over the last few years or so. One was a mugger in a parking lot, one was a guy who tried to rob a garage sale I was having, the third was a Craigslist sale.

This is way off the point of this thread.
 

thehustleman

macrumors 65816
Jan 3, 2013
1,123
1
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