Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Taking a second hand MacBook to Apple Store...

C

cronnos

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 17, 2009
25
0
South Texas
I recently bought my first MacBook off somebody on Craigslist. I bought it knowing the Superdrive was broken at a very good price. Well, just out of curiosity I typed in the serial number on Apple's Web site, and it still under warranty for three more weeks. I'm very excited and I'm taking it in later today.
My question is: Would they give me a hard time because the RAM was upgraded to 4GB and I don't have the original memory? I hope they can just fix or replace the drive at the store in a matter of days and I don't have to wait very long...
 
If under warranty Apple will cover it, unless it's stolen and original owner have filed a police report with apple under the serial number.

Last time I brought in my mac they check to see how much ram it has. You might want to mention that the ram is upgraded in case they don't check.
 
Consultant said:
If under warranty Apple will cover it, unless it's stolen and original owner have filed a police report with apple under the serial number.

Last time I brought in my mac they check to see how much ram it has. You might want to mention that the ram is upgraded in case they don't check.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the quick reply. Now I'm a bit worried about the serial number... But the guy I bought it from seemed very decent, so maybe I shouldn't worry.
Anyway, do they do replacements there at the store, or should I expect a delay? Any chance they will just replace the whole thing? (Wishful thinking...)
 
ZOMG you got lucky with that laptop.

You don't have to worry about updated RAM. It is a user replaceable part and they cannot deny you anything because of it - as long as nothing was broken durring the installiation.

IDK about the serial. For some reason, I don't think they keep track of stolen ones. Besides, it doesn't sound like yours is stolen.
 
Optical drive replacement depends if they have parts or not. Might be a day or 2 if they have the part.

No they will not give you a new one.


fleshman03 said:
ZOMG you got lucky with that laptop.

You don't have to worry about updated RAM. It is a user replaceable part and they cannot deny you anything because of it - as long as nothing was broken durring the installiation.

IDK about the serial. For some reason, I don't think they keep track of stolen ones. Besides, it doesn't sound like yours is stolen.
Click to expand...

Apple will keep track of stolen goods if you provide evidence:
serial + police report.
 
It was definitely a very good deal, specially if they replace the drive and if I can buy the extended warranty before Feb 13. I have an appointment this afternoon at the Apple Store, so I'll report when I come back.
 
cronnos said:
It was definitely a very good deal, specially if they replace the drive and if I can buy the extended warranty before Feb 13. I have an appointment this afternoon at the Apple Store, so I'll report when I come back.
Click to expand...

Cool. Let us know what happens. You should be able to buy AppleCare too. In fact, I'd recommend it.

The SuperDrive is a 15-30 minute repair as long as they aren't busy and have the parts on hand.

Good FYI about stolen goods. Never knew that.
 
Assuming your new used MacBook is only almost one year old, and so is the Apple Care Protection Plan, consider extending the ACPP by two more years, by buying it via eBay.

In 2 years a lot can happen to a notebook.
 
Assuming your new used MacBook is only almost one year old, and so is the Apple Care Protection Plan, consider extending the ACPP by two more years, by buying it via eBay.

In 2 years a lot can happen to a notebook.
 
spinnerlys said:
Assuming your new used MacBook is only almost one year old, and so is the Apple Care Protection Plan, consider extending the ACPP by two more years, by buying it via eBay.

In 2 years a lot can happen to a notebook.
Click to expand...


Is it legit to buy it from eBay?
 
GSMiller said:
Yes, just be aware of the sellers feedback rating and that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Click to expand...

*sigh* I just checked my warranty, I thought it had till the end of the month, but turns out its run out... not much i can do now is there?
 
Something sounds fishy. If you had a computer you wanted to sell used that had a broken optical drive with a warranty, wouldn't you get it fixed and then sell it for more money, rather than selling it a deeper discount. It just doesn't make sense.

I'm curious what happens. I hope all works well for you.
 
Good-Apollo said:
*sigh* I just checked my warranty, I thought it had till the end of the month, but turns out its run out... not much i can do now is there?
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, no. I bought my MacBook second hand and my warranty is good until February 2 but I doubt I'll be getting the extended AppleCare. I've not replaced an optical drive, but I have replaced just about everything else on a MacBook so an optical drive shouldn't be too difficult :p
 
tominco said:
Something sounds fishy. If you had a computer you wanted to sell used that had a broken optical drive with a warranty, wouldn't you get it fixed and then sell it for more money, rather than selling it a deeper discount. It just doesn't make sense.

I'm curious what happens. I hope all works well for you.
Click to expand...

Well guys, as fishy as it sounds, it seems I did get a really good deal because the MacBook is being repaired as we speak, and I should be able to pick it up Sunday at the latest. They expect the parts to arrive Thursday and depending on their workload, the job should get done in a matter of days. They are replacing the drive and even the top case and keyboard because it had a crack in it.
Now a new question: Can I get an Apple ID even if I'm not the original owner of the Macbook? I was checking out the ACPP and it seems I need an ID to register it if I buy it off a third party. In my case it will probably be eBay, since the prices are way cheaper than the original $250.
 
cronnos said:
Well guys, as fishy as it sounds, it seems I did get a really good deal because the MacBook is being repaired as we speak, and I should be able to pick it up Sunday at the latest. They expect the parts to arrive Thursday and depending on their workload, the job should get done in a matter of days. They are replacing the drive and even the top case and keyboard because it had a crack in it.
Now a new question: Can I get an Apple ID even if I'm not the original owner of the Macbook? I was checking out the ACPP and it seems I need an ID to register it if I buy it off a third party. In my case it will probably be eBay, since the prices are way cheaper than the original $250.
Click to expand...

Sure you can get an Apple ID. If you ever reformat the system, you'll get the pop-up box asking you to type in your info. I'm sure there are other ways to get to the screen, I just don't know them. I'd recommend reformatting it anyway since it'll brining the software back to new condition.

Also, you can buy AppleCare from eBay. Just make sure it's sealed. Often times people will sell it cheaper on eBay for some reason.
 
I'm glad to see things worked out for you. Sometimes you just get lucky. This sounds like one of those.

As for the ACPP. I don't know what they sell for on eBay, but I've gotten good prices from LA Computer Company.
 
Yeah, I saw those $135 ACPP deals on eBay and I think I'm buying it as soon as I get the Mac back from Apple. As for the Apple ID, I did get the screen the first time I loaded the OS, but I didn't fill it out because I didn't know a second owner could. So far I'm very pleased with my first Mac and Apple service in general, and I'll gladly pay for the AppleCare package.
On a side note, just last week the ring switch on my wife's iPhone broke. We took it to the Apple store and they replaced the whole iPhone! We were in and out of the store with a replacement in 10 minutes. Just really good service overall...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back