selling a mac on ebay... tips

[Simplesimon101]

Hi

i'm looking for some tips to help sell my newish alu 2GHz iMac on ebay (because i'm getting a better one)

i have bought about 4 things in 5 years on ebay and sold nothing (but with a 100% +ve feedback) so i was wondering...

how con i show people i actually have an iMac to sell... and also are there any general tips you can give? (like info to include/not to include, what to take photos of, etc)

...Also i'm thinking of delaying selling for 6months so my girlfriend can borrow it while she finishes her graphics degree (as her computer is pants)... do you think it would lose much value in that time?

 

[gazfocus]

Hi

i'm looking for some tips to help sell my newish alu 2GHz iMac on ebay (because i'm getting a better one)

i have bought about 4 things in 5 years on ebay and sold nothing (but with a 100% +ve feedback) so i was wondering...

how con i show people i actually have an iMac to sell... and also are there any general tips you can give? (like info to include/not to include, what to take photos of, etc)

...Also i'm thinking of delaying selling for 6months so my girlfriend can borrow it while she finishes her graphics degree (as her computer is pants)... do you think it would lose much value in that time?

Hi. The best way of assuring people is by offering collection as a possible method. (you'd hardly offer collection if you didn't have it in the first place)

 

[saltyzoo]

Put it on eBay and it will sell. eBay is sellers paradise for macs. It's buying one that requires advice.

6 months won't make much difference.

Do not allow local pick up if you use paypal. Paypal will only protect you against scams if you deliver to a confirmed paypal address.

 

[CRAZYBUBBA]

Take a picture with a piece of paper with your user name on it.

 

[GSMiller]

Only sell to established eBay users. Trust me, selling any computer on eBay, especially a Mac, will attract scammers.

 

[hockeysc23]

Make sure to take a good picture showing all contents, imac, cables, software etc. A good picture is very important. I also like to give the user a lot of information as to stats on the computer but a long winded paragraph is not very necessary explaining why you are selling.

Best of luck.

 

[Simplesimon101]

thanks... good advice

also because i got it on education it came with a 3 years manufactures warranty... i guess i should probably mention that too?

(probably a stupid question)

 

[velocityg4]

First of all I would try selling on Craigslist first since the fees for ebay and paypal are insane.

Anyways, in your intro paragraph list a basic overview of what is being sold. ie (intel imac, keyboard, mouse, OS, 3rd party software (only stuff that includes install discs, no one cares about software they will not legally own or freeware they can download themselves.) Applecare). When bought. If you are the original owner. There is no need to list your reasons for sale

Be honest. Mention if or if not there are any scratches on the screen or any dead/stuck pixels. Mention any scratches or marks on the case, just say minor blemishes if minor indeed minor, detail on this is not necessary unless asked specifically by a buyer. List this at the end of the listing.

Pictures lots of them. Front, rear, turned on, in a separate picture or 2 show all included accessories (software discs, manuals, keyboard, mouse, power cord, etc...)

List system specifications in outline format, this is easier to read than a mashed together paragraph.

DO NOT USE STOCK PHOTOS, specification lists or anything else from the Apple that is a simple copy and paste.

Give people options on the shipping method and allow for the calculate shipping option, someone 20 miles from you does not want to pay as much for shipping as someone whom lives 2000 miles from you.

I would accept either paypal and only ship to a paypal verified address or accept Money Order/Cashier check and list this in your terms section. You will not get any protection from Paypal if you do not follow their rules precisely. For the Money Order/Cashiers Check I would list that payment must be physically received before shipping and it must come from an established US financial institution (or for whatever country you are int) where the funds for the check can be verified.

 

[treehorn]

I've sold a few computers on Ebay. One ended up being a local pick up that was a 'here's the cash/here's the computer' transaction. The other was a 'ship across the country' purchase.

As I didn't have the original boxes, I decided that the best thing for both parties was to have the computer packed and shipped via UPS Store. Knowing the dimensions and the weight, I asked the store ahead of time what it would cost to package it and added that to shipping charges. It provided peace of mind to both sides, since it provided another layer of 'insurance'

I restored both computers to their original state with the original discs (after doing a 'write zeros' erase of the hard drive) so that all it had was the software that came with it.

And do make sure you cash/verify a cashier's/bank check before you ship out the computer - one scam is to present the seller with a check that has been cancelled on their end already. (they tell the bank that it was lost or stolen and get their money back)

 

[tuneman07]

Make sure you don't be too helpful- this may sound weird but don't offer any warranties or anything like that. The reason I say this is I sold a computer awhile back and the guy was calling/emailing me for months because he didn't know how to use a computer. The computer was fine but he wanted to know how to reinstall windows several months later, he wanted help with Word, help with Adobe, his e-mail, it never ended. I felt like tech support. Make sure you don't have your phone number up there- when I had my number listed on E-bay I never stopped getting weird phone calls with odd questions and even comments about my stuff. People are so weird sometimes.

 

[The3nd]

Watch the people who you choose packing it. I had sent a Power Mac g5 I sold to a city about 5 hours away and the thing was so pourly packaged the bottom leg was warped in.