Seller Beware?

[McRumour]

Would appreciate any recommendations/advice/warnings with regard to selling a never-opened, factory sealed Airport Extreme generation 6.

Having never sold anything myself before - I'm completely unfamiliar with the pro's and con's of all the different online possibilities.
How might it be simplest, safest and best for me to go about this?

BTW - I'm in the US (Los Angeles)
Thanks in advance for any and all helpful advice......

 

[Altemose]

Would appreciate any recommendations/advice/warnings with regard to selling a never-opened, factory sealed Airport Extreme generation 6.

Having never sold anything myself before - I'm completely unfamiliar with the pro's and con's of all the different online possibilities.
How might it be simplest, safest and best for me to go about this?

BTW - I'm in the US (Los Angeles)
Thanks in advance for any and all helpful advice......

eBay or Craigslist. Otherwise the MacRumors Marketplace is a great place, but you must have a post count of 250 posts and the rank of 6502 or higher. It is a reward for frequent posters.

eBay is all online, but Craigslist is local.

 

[Agent47]

Would appreciate any recommendations/advice/warnings with regard to selling a never-opened, factory sealed Airport Extreme generation 6.

Having never sold anything myself before - I'm completely unfamiliar with the pro's and con's of all the different online possibilities.
How might it be simplest, safest and best for me to go about this?

BTW - I'm in the US (Los Angeles)
Thanks in advance for any and all helpful advice......

Craigslist-quick, simple, free, but be prepared for stupid lowball offers and offers for trades. Take cash only, meet inside Starbucks or similar. Bring a counterfeit detector pen (office supply store for $5) My preferred method.

eBay is secure, easy but expensive since they take a hefty chunk of the sales price plus the PayPal fees add up. Plus you have to ship it. Everyone does free shipping now so to be competitive you end up eating the cost of packaging and postage.

 

[McRumour]

eBay or Craigslist. eBay is all online, but Craigslist is local.

Craigslist-quick, simple, free. Take cash only, meet inside Starbucks or similar. Bring a counterfeit detector pen (office supply store for $5) My preferred method.

Thanks so much to you both for the suggestions.

I'm inclined to give Craigslist a try. I'd never heard of a counterfeit detector pen before....so thanks, Agent 47, for that suggestion.
I suppose an alternative might be meeting at a coffee shop next door to my bank....and then finalizing the actual transaction at the bank itself - where I'd deposit the cash and hand over the Extreme - at the same time. Does that seem a good idea?

What concerns me about using Craigs List is having to give out my phone number or post my email address online. I'm extremely protective of my privacy - and always cognizant of safety issues....
How have you both handled these concerns when using Craigs List?

 

[Altemose]

Thanks so much to you both for the suggestions.

I'm inclined to give Craigslist a try. I'd never heard of a counterfeit detector pen before....so thanks, Agent 47, for that suggestion.
I suppose an alternative might be meeting at a coffee shop next door to my bank....and then finalizing the actual transaction at the bank itself - where I'd deposit the cash and hand over the Extreme - at the same time. Does that seem a good idea?

What concerns me about using Craigs List is having to give out my phone number or post my email address online. I'm extremely protective of my privacy - and always cognizant of safety issues....
How have you both handled these concerns when using Craigs List?

Many have a separate email address tied for eBay and Craigslist functions. Always meet in a public place and you reserve the right to cancel the sale if the guy or lady seems to be a fishy dirtbag.

 

[Agent47]

craigslist shields your email address from others-the site has your real address but sets up a temporary forwarding address to send and receive from others. Once you initiate contact, its up to you to divulge specifics like your phone number, etc...Facebook is also good for this.

The detector pen is useful for large transactions, like when I sold my last MBP for $1500 in cash. No way I would take a chance with that. Just be wary that some will try to use online payment services (Western Union is NOT secure) business checks, money orders, gift cards, etc many of which will be fake. Just take cash. It's a pain in the rear sometimes but worth it since you keep all of the sales price.

Id just do the transaction at the coffee shop. The idea is a well lit public place. Banks might not appreciate you conducting business in their lobby. But for a high value transaction I might consider it.

Thanks so much to you both for the suggestions.

I'm inclined to give Craigslist a try. I'd never heard of a counterfeit detector pen before....so thanks, Agent 47, for that suggestion.
I suppose an alternative might be meeting at a coffee shop next door to my bank....and then finalizing the actual transaction at the bank itself - where I'd deposit the cash and hand over the Extreme - at the same time. Does that seem a good idea?

What concerns me about using Craigs List is having to give out my phone number or post my email address online. I'm extremely protective of my privacy - and always cognizant of safety issues....
How have you both handled these concerns when using Craigs List?

 

[Altemose]

craigslist shields your email address from others-the site has your real address but sets up a temporary forwarding address to send and receive from others. Once you initiate contact, its up to you to divulge specifics like your phone number, etc...Facebook is also good for this.

The detector pen is useful for large transactions, like when I sold my last MBP for $1500 in cash. No way I would take a chance with that. Just be wary that some will try to use online payment services (Western Union is NOT secure) business checks, money orders, gift cards, etc many of which will be fake. Just take cash. It's a pain in the rear sometimes but worth it since you keep all of the sales price.

Id just do the transaction at the coffee shop. The idea is a well lit public place. Banks might not appreciate you conducting business in their lobby. But for a high value transaction I might consider it.

You choose the appropriate place for the job. If you are celling a cell phone, meet at the carrier's shop. If you are selling an AirPort Extreme, meet where there is extremely good coffee.

 

[McRumour]

craigslist shields your email address from others-the site has your real address but sets up a temporary forwarding address to send and receive from others. Once you initiate contact, its up to you to divulge specifics like your phone number, etc...Facebook is also good for this.
Id just do the transaction at the coffee shop. The idea is a well lit public place.

How do you actually use your Facebook account when selling something on Craig's List? (I know this must seem a dumb question...but 'tho I have a Facebook account - I never, ever use it.....hence my question)

You choose the appropriate place for the job. If you are celling a cell phone, meet at the carrier's shop. If you are selling an AirPort Extreme, meet where there is extremely good coffee.

Always meet in a public place and you reserve the right to cancel the sale if the guy or lady seems to be a fishy dirtbag.

 

[Altemose]

How do you actually use your Facebook account when selling something on Craig's List? (I know this must seem a dumb question...but 'tho I have a Facebook account - I never, ever use it.....hence my question)

Remember, if it doesn't seem right, don't do the sale. Be sure to mention you do not guarantee the Extreme, but it is under Apple's warranty. Remember this video about guarantees and you'll agree.

 

[McRumour]

Remember, if it doesn't seem right, don't do the sale. Be sure to mention you do not guarantee the Extreme, but it is under Apple's warranty. Remember this video about guarantees and you'll agree.

Will follow your good advice...
I guarantee I'll keep in mind the guarantees video
I warrant Apple's 1 year warranty will apply
I'll be extremely careful when dealing with prospective Extreme buyers

thanks Altemose....

 

[Altemose]

Will follow your good advice...
I guarantee I'll keep in mind the guarantees video
I warrant Apple's 1 year warranty will apply
I'll be extremely careful when dealing with prospective Extreme buyers

thanks Altemose....

Perfect. And be sure to drink extremely good coffee at the extremely public place... Though these tips may sound silly, and I did use a joking manner throughout, it is the basics of a safe Craigslist or classified sale.

 

[glenthompson]

Thanks so much to you both for the suggestions.

I'm inclined to give Craigslist a try. I'd never heard of a counterfeit detector pen before....so thanks, Agent 47, for that suggestion.

All they do it detect starch in the paper used by the counterfeiter. If they use non-starch paper like the Feds, it won't work. You can also spray a good bill with spray starch and the pen will say it's counterfeit.

When I bought my MBP from Craigslist we did the deal at the police station. The kid's step-father was a policeman. All of us felt safe. I had also offered to make the transaction in the lobby of my office - a major corporation in town with security guard in the lobby.

From the buyer perspective, I would expect to open the sealed box to verify what is inside before completing the transaction.

 

[fhall1]

From the buyer perspective, I would expect to open the sealed box to verify what is inside before completing the transaction.

Definitely....there are too many people with the ability to re-shrinkwrap a box nowadays to wait to get it home to open it.

 

[deeddawg]

All they do it detect starch in the paper used by the counterfeiter. If they use non-starch paper like the Feds, it won't work.

Good to know, but how common is that really?

 

[McRumour]

All they do it detect starch in the paper used by the counterfeiter. If they use non-starch paper like the Feds, it won't work. You can also spray a good bill with spray starch and the pen will say it's counterfeit.
When I bought my MBP from Craigslist we did the deal at the police station. The kid's step-father was a policeman. All of us felt safe. I had also offered to make the transaction in the lobby of my office - a major corporation in town with security guard in the lobby.
From the buyer perspective, I would expect to open the sealed box to verify what is inside before completing the transaction.

I absolutely agree re: giving buyer the chance to verify contents. It makes sense; were I the buyer I'd expect the same.

You were lucky to be able to use a local police station for the exchange.
Unfortunately....I probably wouldn't have that opportunity and so...
In fact, you've re-awakened my initial trepidation about using Craigslist in the first place......
This thread has already taught me there are a myriad of scams about which I was unaware. The ironic thread title now seems particularly prescient.

Given the relatively low price of an Airport Extreme (even when bought directly from Apple store) ...am starting to feel it's, perhaps, not worth the risk of dealing with potential Craigslist crazies and scam artists

What about sites like Gazelle etc.?
Has anyone had experience with any of them? Any recommendations?

 

[deeddawg]

I absolutely agree re: giving buyer the chance to verify contents. It makes sense; were I the buyer I'd expect the same.

Yep. I've had success with buyer gives me the cash, then breaks the seal / shrinkwrap and verifies the contents are to his/her satisfaction before I go anywhere.

What about sites like Gazelle etc.?
Has anyone had experience with any of them? Any recommendations?

I've traded-in a few things to Amazon. Simple and painless. Received Amazon "gift card" credit that spent just like cash. I already spend enough at Amazon on a regular basis that the credit was just as good as cash-in-hand.

The down side of course is you generally get *less* money using these sorts of services than you might get selling direct to the buyer via CL. In turn it's FAR more convenient. All depends on how much you value your time.

Also - check for reviews for sites. Gazelle is pretty legit, but I've seen reports of some of the other sites that they'll tease a high payout but down-grade the trade-ins. I don't have personal experience so it's difficult to tell how "real" the problem is -- did the service truly shaft the seller or did the seller get a little "optimistic" in their evaluation of the item they sent in?

 

[Altemose]

I absolutely agree re: giving buyer the chance to verify contents. It makes sense; were I the buyer I'd expect the same.

You were lucky to be able to use a local police station for the exchange.
Unfortunately....I probably wouldn't have that opportunity and so...
In fact, you've re-awakened my initial trepidation about using Craigslist in the first place......
This thread has already taught me there are a myriad of scams about which I was unaware. The ironic thread title now seems particularly prescient.

Given the relatively low price of an Airport Extreme (even when bought directly from Apple store) ...am starting to feel it's, perhaps, not worth the risk of dealing with potential Craigslist crazies and scam artists

What about sites like Gazelle etc.?
Has anyone had experience with any of them? Any recommendations?

Craigslist is good. The biggest problem is the false interest, they will message you and not reply. But once you get someone on the hook and you meet them, chances of them being a scamming dirtbag are slim. Besides what scammer is going after an AirPort Extreme. Most but not all are after big screen TVs and high end electronics like MacBooks...

 

[deeddawg]

The biggest problem is the false interest, they will message you and not reply. But once you get someone on the hook and you meet them, chances of them being a scamming dirtbag are slim.

True. I'd add also the lowballers looking for sellers in a bind (just ignore them) and the sleazebags who try to re-negotiate the price once you've met them (be ready to tell 'em to f-off and walk out).

Besides what scammer is going after an AirPort Extreme. Most but not all are after big screen TVs and high end electronics like MacBooks...

Good point - one's risk is definitely dependent on whether it's something thieves might target.

 

[Altemose]

True. I'd add also the lowballers looking for sellers in a bind (just ignore them) and the sleazebags who try to re-negotiate the price once you've met them (be ready to tell 'em to f-off and walk out).



Good point - one's risk is definitely dependent on whether it's something thieves might target.

I fail to see why some go to Best Buy, get a rMBP and sell it for the same price new in box. Does that make any sense?

 

[deeddawg]

What are you selling it for on Craigslist?

Did you mean to quote someone else's post? I'm not selling anything, just commenting on the thread.

 

[Altemose]

Did you mean to quote someone else's post? I'm not selling anything, just commenting on the thread.

Yes. Sorry.

----------

I absolutely agree re: giving buyer the chance to verify contents. It makes sense; were I the buyer I'd expect the same.

You were lucky to be able to use a local police station for the exchange.
Unfortunately....I probably wouldn't have that opportunity and so...
In fact, you've re-awakened my initial trepidation about using Craigslist in the first place......
This thread has already taught me there are a myriad of scams about which I was unaware. The ironic thread title now seems particularly prescient.

Given the relatively low price of an Airport Extreme (even when bought directly from Apple store) ...am starting to feel it's, perhaps, not worth the risk of dealing with potential Craigslist crazies and scam artists

What about sites like Gazelle etc.?
Has anyone had experience with any of them? Any recommendations?

How much are you selling it for?

 

[McRumour]

How much are you selling it for?

Depends on where I end up listing it....
It seems to make sense that if I were to use Craigslist (los angeles) I have to be guided by the fact that (today) someone local has listed a brand new, shrink wrapped gen.6 Airport Extreme for $160.

Were I to list mine there - or if I found a way to do a cash-only private sale with no shipping cost involved - then that's also what I'd ask.

Bearing in mind the buyer wouldn't have to pay any sales tax (in Los Angeles it's 9% ) plus my Extreme has it's original 1 year Apple warranty+90 days free telephone technical support - that seems a pretty good deal.
(Apple store price is: $199 plus tax)

OTOH - If I list it elsewhere - where shipping costs and fees charged to me by the site must be factored in - my listing price would reflect that additional cost.

In the end - I'm perfectly reasonable. I'd be fair to the prospective buyer and fair to myself.

 

[Altemose]

Depends on where I end up listing it....
It seems to make sense that if I were to use Craigslist (los angeles) I have to be guided by the fact that (today) someone local has listed a brand new, shrink wrapped gen.6 Airport Extreme for $160.

Were I to list mine there - or if I found a way to do a cash-only private sale with no shipping cost involved - then that's also what I'd ask.

Bearing in mind the buyer wouldn't have to pay any sales tax (in Los Angeles it's 9% ) plus my Extreme has it's original 1 year Apple warranty+90 days free telephone technical support - that seems a pretty good deal.
(Apple store price is: $199 plus tax)

OTOH - If I list it elsewhere - where shipping costs and fees charged to me by the site must be factored in - my listing price would reflect that additional cost.

In the end - I'm perfectly reasonable. I'd be fair to the prospective buyer and fair to myself.

The warranty starts at date of purchase from the original retailer. Figured I would point that out.

 

[McRumour]

The warranty starts at date of purchase from the original retailer. Figured I would point that out.

Really?
That's interesting....I always thought it began with when you phoned in for technical support and gave Apple the serial number for your product.

They've never asked me when or where I bought something - and unless it was bought directly from them - they wouldn't know when it was bought.
And so I assumed this meant that the warranty begins once they have a record of the fact that a specific product serial number has been acquired (which of course does occur when you call in for assistance)

But all this was just my assumption - based upon the period of availability of free telephone tech support for any given product - rather than the specifics of an actual contractual obligation under the terms of their Warranty.

Truth is - I never gave it much (any ) thought before. Thanks for pointing that out.

 

[Altemose]

Really?
That's interesting....I always thought it began with when you phoned in for technical support and gave Apple the serial number for your product.

They've never asked me when or where I bought something - and unless it was bought directly from them - they wouldn't know when it was bought.
And so I assumed this meant that the warranty begins once they have a record of the fact that a specific product serial number has been acquired (which of course does occur when you call in for assistance)

But all this was just my assumption - based upon the period of availability of free telephone tech support for any given product - rather than the specifics of an actual contractual obligation under the terms of their Warranty.

Truth is - I never gave it much (any ) thought before. Thanks for pointing that out.

Just wanted to point that out so 11 months and 29 days when the buyer has a problem you don't get an email.