Buying used MacBook Pro, what should I look out for??

Hello:

Thanks for responding to my previous post of clearing the contents of my late great macbook air.

Most likely I will be replacing the MBA with a MBP. I've seen a few listings for 1-3 month old macbook pros (2.4Ghz, 200GB, etc) listed on craigslist. What are some things I should look out for, or ask?

I will inspect the MBP in person. But, there are always some lemons out there and I don't want to purchase a lemon (there are also honest folks just looking for something else).

Thanks,

PJ

Two places I avoid when I'm shopping: 1. eBay 2. Craig's List

Not to say you can't find a bargain and\or come up with a genuine good deal from either place, it's just that your chance of not doing so and getting duped at the same time is greater.

OK. Enough said, buyer beware. By all means examine the MBP in person and write down the serial number. Not only should you run it thru its paces but also contact Apple to find out if it's registered. Apple keeps a list of stolen machines (if the theft has been reported to them). You'll also be able to learn if the machine you want to buy has Applecare.

Regards.

I spent weeks searching for a decently priced MBP and wound up finding a great deal on a brand new sealed in box MBP so the deals are out there you just need to understand that you can't rush into it. I watched 10's of auctions end daily for several weeks before i was comfortable formulating an average price range.

However i was gonna meet a couple people to get a used machine before i found this deal. But the main things i were looking for were if it had any warranty issues( did it need to be sent in to apple for any reason) Let them give you the number and talk to the rep in person or get any receipts that the person has to see what the background is.
With a used machine it NEEEEEEDS to come with an applecare plan!! And if it doesn't come with one then you need to make sure that its eligible have that plan taken out on it. You usually save money on used stuff but that doesn't mean you save the hassle of dealing with someone else's used computer. Make sure to protect yourself god forbid something goes wrong.

**Important**
Make sure before you do anything that you check with apple and see if the serial number matches that of a refurbished computer. While this is not that bad i have seen ALOT of people pushing refurbished computers as new to score a few extra bucks.

Thats just a couple things that were gonna be deal breakers to me. Hope this helped.

Also check and make sure hey are using the good RAM etc, make sure none of the components like that have been replaced with non OEM parts.