Tips on buying "used" MBP

[miker2209]

Hi guys, I'm thinking about purchasing an old MBP 15 2010 model. I was just wondering what should i do before purchase to know that the machine has not been tampered with on the inside and what kinds of sign should i look for on a bad machine
thanks !

 

[balconycollapse]

My advice? Buy your used MBP from Amazon. I recently sold my MBP 15" on there and it was nabbed for 900 in about 2 hours. So you have to be quick. But, as a long time seller on amazon of audio gear and long time buyer of all things used I think it's much safer then Craigslist or Ebay. Furthermore, refunds are allowed if you find it was a bad machine and I feel like they vet sellers a bit more not to mention payment is handled through Amazon. Get it shipped expedited and request insurance so it's handled carefully.

 

[miker2209]

Thanks for the advice,
but i'm talking about having access to the machine, real life look and everything. Can even open up to check the inside if necessary.

 

[HungryWolf]

If I had a MBP for sale, I definitely would not let a prospective buyer take it apart. Good luck on that one.

 

[miker2209]

If I had a MBP for sale, I definitely would not let a prospective buyer take it apart. Good luck on that one.

Not as in taking the mainboard and such out, just the bottom case. Where i come from, buying used computer isn't just about the cosmetics.

 

[HungryWolf]

Why not just buy a refurb from the Apple Store? A lot of times they are pretty close to the resale prices and you can get that state of mind of a one year warranty. It'll also save you the trouble of tracking down exactly what you're looking for in the used market.

 

[jdechko]

If I had a MBP for sale, I definitely would not let a prospective buyer take it apart. Good luck on that one.

I agree, although I've not gone through with a sale because the owner wouldn't let me test out RAM in the computer (apparently that was the only thing wrong, but I wasn't going to take the risk).

In response to the OP, you could always request to run the Apple Hardware test to make sure that the components were working properly.

 

[Orlandoech]

If I had a MBP for sale, I definitely would not let a prospective buyer take it apart. Good luck on that one.

I agree.

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Why not just buy a refurb from the Apple Store? A lot of times they are pretty close to the resale prices and you can get that state of mind of a one year warranty. It'll also save you the trouble of tracking down exactly what you're looking for in the used market.

I bought mine refurb with no issues and love it. Dont regret it one bit and it was a pricey bitch.

 

[Mojo1]

Apple refurbs also qualify for extended AppleCare, something I consider to be essential when it comes to portable Macs.

B&H Photo and the L.A. Computer Company tend to have the best deals on AppleCare.