I have had my MBA about 3 months. Now that newer ones are coming out shortly. I would like to sell mine. I dont have any issues disc cleaning and its i perfect shape. I just dont know where is a trustworthy place to sell it for a good value. Craigslist seems sketchy as hell. As does eBay to an extent. So any recommendations? Thanks guys.
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Rec's on where to safely sell an MBA?
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I have bought and sold numerous items on Craigslist, including my old iPad.
I have bought and sold numerous items on Craigslist, including my old iPad.
Craigslist
I have had very good experiences with Craigslist (MD/DC/Nova). I've sold an alMBP 15", uMBP 15", iMac 27", Gateway 15" laptop, hackintoshed Dell Mini 9, and two gaming computers. I've bought my current uMBP 17" and 13" MBA, plus several of the aforementioned machines.
Some things to keep in mind:
* You will not get a "good" price for your laptop. I bought my 13" MBA (2010, 1.83GHz, 2GB RAM, 128GB SSD) for $800. I bought my 17" MBP (2009, 2.8GHz, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD) for $925. Basically, expect to sell for 20% - 25% under refurbished prices.
* Expect to haggle and be lowballed. DON'T GET DISCOURAGED. When I sell, I typically settle about halfway between what someone initially offers and what I originally listed as the price. Experienced, serious buyers will attempt to haggle. Take this into account when pricing (but don't make it too high).
* Expect the sale to take some time. Apple products are popular, but even so, getting the deal you want can take time. The fastest I've sold anything is three days.
* For desktop transactions, it is generally accepted that the buyer will travel to the seller's home. For a laptop, this is more fluid, and it is not unreasonable to meet halfway. As the seller, make sure the laptop is fully charged. The buyer has the right to spend some time going over the computer and checking its specs.
* Take reasonable steps to protect yourself. This includes having a non-threatening buddy with you or nearby and purchasing a counterfeit bill detection pen at a store like Office Depot. Since many people pay with large bills for items >$100, it's never a bad idea to inspect the bills. The buyer should not be insulted by this (and none ever have, in my experience).
* You can expect the haggling to end once a place and time for the transaction have been determined. If someone tries to haggle or complain about something unreasonable once you have met in person, you have every right to walk on the deal.
* On that note, be as clear and specific as you can when listing an item. Pictures are a must. People are very particular about their Apple products, so make sure you mention tiny scratches if they exist. Don't say "flawless condition" and be surprised when someone bails on a deal because there is a small dent in the corner. Be as open as possible about issues, so the buyer has only themselves to blame if they did not read your ad carefully.
* People suck. You will deal with jerks, losers, uncommunicative buyers, people who show up late, and people who talk for forever about irrelevant and/or uninteresting crap.
* People are awesome. I've met some really nice guys buying and selling through Craigslist, and some whom have even become business contacts.
Good luck!
I have had very good experiences with Craigslist (MD/DC/Nova). I've sold an alMBP 15", uMBP 15", iMac 27", Gateway 15" laptop, hackintoshed Dell Mini 9, and two gaming computers. I've bought my current uMBP 17" and 13" MBA, plus several of the aforementioned machines.
Some things to keep in mind:
* You will not get a "good" price for your laptop. I bought my 13" MBA (2010, 1.83GHz, 2GB RAM, 128GB SSD) for $800. I bought my 17" MBP (2009, 2.8GHz, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD) for $925. Basically, expect to sell for 20% - 25% under refurbished prices.
* Expect to haggle and be lowballed. DON'T GET DISCOURAGED. When I sell, I typically settle about halfway between what someone initially offers and what I originally listed as the price. Experienced, serious buyers will attempt to haggle. Take this into account when pricing (but don't make it too high).
* Expect the sale to take some time. Apple products are popular, but even so, getting the deal you want can take time. The fastest I've sold anything is three days.
* For desktop transactions, it is generally accepted that the buyer will travel to the seller's home. For a laptop, this is more fluid, and it is not unreasonable to meet halfway. As the seller, make sure the laptop is fully charged. The buyer has the right to spend some time going over the computer and checking its specs.
* Take reasonable steps to protect yourself. This includes having a non-threatening buddy with you or nearby and purchasing a counterfeit bill detection pen at a store like Office Depot. Since many people pay with large bills for items >$100, it's never a bad idea to inspect the bills. The buyer should not be insulted by this (and none ever have, in my experience).
* You can expect the haggling to end once a place and time for the transaction have been determined. If someone tries to haggle or complain about something unreasonable once you have met in person, you have every right to walk on the deal.
* On that note, be as clear and specific as you can when listing an item. Pictures are a must. People are very particular about their Apple products, so make sure you mention tiny scratches if they exist. Don't say "flawless condition" and be surprised when someone bails on a deal because there is a small dent in the corner. Be as open as possible about issues, so the buyer has only themselves to blame if they did not read your ad carefully.
* People suck. You will deal with jerks, losers, uncommunicative buyers, people who show up late, and people who talk for forever about irrelevant and/or uninteresting crap.
* People are awesome. I've met some really nice guys buying and selling through Craigslist, and some whom have even become business contacts.
Good luck!
This is very good advice. I've become very accustomed to selling on Craigslist, and it is, in my opinion, the best place to do so. I sold my '08 MBP for $950 earlier this year, in anticipation of the '11 machines. Since I paid a little less than $2000 for it originally, I got roughly 50% back, on the (at the time) low-end unibody MacBook Pro (nothing was upgraded at all). Given that it was in full use for almost 2.5 years, and I had some unremovable stickers as well as some scuffs on it, that worked out pretty well.
Just two days ago, I sold my 11" Air with only the RAM upgrade for $850. Since with tax, I only paid about $960 for it in the first place (it was refurb), this was pretty great for me too. Of course, it had been posted on Craigslist for roughly 4 weeks already before I got a satisfactory hit.
My best advice would be to post whatever you have, and ask a bit higher than what you're willing to accept. Craigslist visitors have a tendency to immediately lowball the price, whether or not it's already really cheap. You WILL be hit with numerous scams. You WILL be hit with people offering like $500 on a $1000 machine. Ignore them. Eventually, someone worthwhile will bite. Other than that, definitely take heed to the above poster's advice about having a friend nearby and checking the bills.
Meet somewhere near your bank. Let the person play with your laptop and then when its time for them to pay go to the bank and deposit the money right away. If the buyer balks at the bank part, they are trying to scam you.
eBay is okay too. You will pay fees, obviously. But on average, you will get a closing price closer to what you're asking for than craigslist.
That said, I sold my last iMac on Craigslist. I put it up at a fair price for both me and the buyers and it sold the next day with 3 others very interested. We spoke on the phone beforehand, he *seemed* respectable and nice. His text responses were of the same nature. He drove down and spent about 15 minutes just checking it out. Went to his car to get his cash and we boxed it up and off he went.
I checked the money, but sadly did not have a money pen which is a very good suggestion. Still all went very smooth and both parties were happy.
That said, I sold my last iMac on Craigslist. I put it up at a fair price for both me and the buyers and it sold the next day with 3 others very interested. We spoke on the phone beforehand, he *seemed* respectable and nice. His text responses were of the same nature. He drove down and spent about 15 minutes just checking it out. Went to his car to get his cash and we boxed it up and off he went.
I checked the money, but sadly did not have a money pen which is a very good suggestion. Still all went very smooth and both parties were happy.
I sold my LNIB MBP 2.26 with 4gb of rams for 900 in one day! Actually the first person did not lowball but all the rest tried to! I sold it to the first person who contacted me and the transaction very smooth after we exchange phone number! Do not list your phone number in the ad because you will get a bunch of lowballer texting you! Good Luck!
Thanks for all the help folks. I am really surprised that Craigs seems the way to go. The counterfeit pen is a great idea that I would have never thought of. I had no intention of re-making all of my money. But if I could 800-900 for my 13in 4gb 128. Then I would be more than happy.
Get a (free) Google Voice number to use in the ad. You can later treat it as a throw-away number if necessary.
To avoid any risk of being robbed I would choose to meet in the lobby of a bank (also for fast checking for counterfeit) or the lobby of a police station. Even the most daring potential robber would think twice in those locations.
To avoid any risk of being robbed I would choose to meet in the lobby of a bank (also for fast checking for counterfeit) or the lobby of a police station. Even the most daring potential robber would think twice in those locations.