Where to Buy Your Used Mac

OK, so last week I covered how to decide what used Mac is right for you in this post. Now let’s take a look at where to go to buy that future Mac of yours.

Let’s begin with the most obvious place to go when you’re looking for deals: eBay. eBay has a section exclusively for Macs and there are quite a few categories to choose from. When you’re looking to buy a Mac on eBay, always start out with the newest computers: there’s a chance you might find a deal. Right now, for instance, the latest iMac Intel Core 2 Duos are experiencing a price slump, some of them ending at more than $300 cheaper than what you would pay brand new. But prices aren’t the only thing to keep in mind when buying Macs on eBay.

When you’re looking at a listing on eBay, make sure that the seller gives all the information you want to know. Don’t assume anything. If you assume that the MacBook comes with the remote, and it doesn’t, you can’t get mad. There is an “Ask the seller a Question” feature where you can ask about anything and get your answers. Secondly, when something appears to be a good deal, think for a second. Make sure that you can afford the deal. Maybe 50% off $2,000 sounds good, but it’s still $1,000! Lastly, be sure to check out shipping fees. A lot of times people don’t add the shipping fees in, and sellers will get you. I’ve seen iMacs that can be shipped for $30 with a shipping price of $100. All of a sudden, that $700 computer is $800.

It’s a good idea to first research the eBay going price for the computer that you want. You can do this by clicking “Advanced search” by the search bar, and then checking the box that says “Completed listings only.” Click search and you will be greeted with a list of completed items. If the price is in green, it means that the item sold at that price. If it is in red, it either means it did not sell or the “reserve” price was not met. (The reserve is a price the seller sets so that if the bidding doesn’t reach the reserve, the seller doesn’t have to sell.)

An almost sure way to get a win on an auction is “Auction Sniping” where a service puts in a winning bid for you less than ten seconds before the end of the auction. There are some websites that can do this for you, one sniping site being EZSniper.

eBay is good because of the many different listings. Unfortunately, it’s also very popular, so there won’t be much difference in price from computer to computer. Expect that there will be many people bidding at once. Another good thing about eBay is the lack of sales tax. If you buy in-store, you could pay as much as $100 more for tax. On the flip-side, eBay sellers sometimes have poor return policies. You should always make sure that your computer has a DOA (Dead on Arrival) Warranty. If it doesn’t, then your computer can arrive not working and you can’t do anything about it.

Another downside to eBay is that you have to follow the auction to bid for your item unless you are sniping. There are some “Buy it Now” sales, but it is rare that you can get such a deal on Buy it Now sales that you could when just bidding.

Besides eBay, there are many other online options for getting used Macs. I don’t think any quite compare to the ease of eBay, but some are safer to use (no credit card info over the Internet, anyone?)

Craigslist is one popular option for second hand goods of all types. It’s basically a classified ad site where you deal directly with the seller. One upside of this approach is that there are not as many buyers for each sale, and sometimes the seller may not know that current market value of each item.

When you arrive at the website, you need to click on your geographical area. This will send you to a site customized to the closest city to you. Then you can navigate to the computers category, and find some Macs! The issues that I find with Craigslist are that you have to meet with the seller and pick it up, so if they live out of the way, it’s a pain. Never get something shipped to you via Craigslist. There is no protection for you if you don’t receive an item or if it is faulty. The best way to go is to meet the seller, inspect the Mac and pay cash.

The Craigslist website can be really cluttered and hard to navigate. Don’t forget to search if you aren’t finding what you want. Lastly, you may not see the Mac you want right away, so keep returning to check again.

Another option for online used Mac-getting is Mac of All Trades, and online stores like it. Mac of all Trades provides security because there are not tons of individual sellers like on eBay. It is as secure as Apple.com, but with more attractive prices and a wider selection. Other online used Mac stores include Operator Headgap’s Online Mac Store, Second Hand Mac and The Mac Pac.

The downside to these types of sites is that there is nowhere near the product turnover of eBay, so if you can’t afford something on the site now, or if you don’t see your computer, you may not find it there for a while.

Low End Mac offers good information on types of Macs and when they were introduced, updated, and discontinued. It also has lists of where to find the best deals on Macs, and a list of Used Mac Dealers, so you can find a bricks and mortar store near to you.

There are many avenues to get a used Mac, and these are the most common. If this was too much information, check out the Quick Scan and read over the eBay section. If you plan to use eBay, it’s important to know your stuff. Happy Used Mac Hunting!

Adam Fisher-Cox is a long-time Mac user. Visit him online at adamfishercox.com.

Did this article give you the information you need to buy a used Mac? Give us your tips and opinions in the Comments section below!

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eBay's Apple Section 

EZSniper

Craigslist

Mac of All Trades

Online Mac Store

Second Hand Mac

The Mac Pac

Low End Mac

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