Advice to buying used Macbook Pro 17"?

Hello,
I'm new to the forum, and I'm considering buying a used Macbook Pro through gumtree (it's a 17" unibody with 2.93 ghz processors). The price seems very good, but not ridiculously low to be obviously a scam. The Macbook is very local to me, which is why it is tempting, so I can go and check it out first before parting with my cash...

So I'm just wondering if there's anything I can check when I view it to make sure it all looks ok? The first thing I will do is look at the system profiler to double check the advertised specs are actually correct (i.e. he's not selling a 2.66 ghz model and claiming it's a 2.93, and that the RAM is correct). I was also thinking of asking him to make sure it is fully charged when I view it, so I can leave it on for 5 mins to check the battery life seems to be ok.

Other than that I'm not sure what else I can check? Perhaps there is a checkup program which can be run to make sure everything is ok?

Are there any well-known problems to look out for with these models which can crop up on used models? I already have one 15" Macbook pro and I know about the possible NVIDIA graphics bug (which I haven't had at all on the 15"), but I understand this was fixed with a firmware update from Apple...

Also what's the deal with Apple Care, can I still purchase this for the Macbook if I buy 2nd hand? I know the answer is to try and buy from a reputable dealer, or refurbished from the Apple Store, but because the price is very attractive I want to see if I can save a bit of money. Any advice would be great!

I just found out he has a copy of the OS X disc, so I'm a little bit cautious (he says they were thrown away by mistake, with the box). Without the original install discs I might not be able to get Apple Care??

I have the Application install discs for my Macbook Pro 15", so should I be able to run Apple Hardware Test from that? If I run Hardware Test and everything's fine, I think I'll go for it, just worried about the Apple Care issue. Any advice would be appreciated.

You can always get the restore disk from apple, not sure how much they will charge though. >_>"

Ok thanks,
My main issue is whether or not I can get Applecare, as it seems the software discs should be fine to get hold of (I think it's only a small charge if you say you lost the discs).

I've been given conflicting information from different people about whether I'd be able to get Applecare. One forum I saw said you ONLY need the serial number to register for Applecare. However the technical director at my work just told me you need the original purchase receipt as well... In which case I'd be screwed, no Applecare and a useless machine if anything went wrong?! I'm assuming a written receipt from the seller wouldn't do??

If anybody can confirm this I'd be really grateful. What I'm going to try and do is phone him for the serial number, and then phone Apple before I actually go to see it, give them the serial number and check if I would be able to get Applecare. And also if I would need the original receipt or not!

martin1981 said:

Also what's the deal with Apple Care, can I still purchase this for the Macbook if I buy 2nd hand?

Click to expand...

Is there any time left on the original 12 month Apple warranty?

Here's a quote for the Apple website:

"The AppleCare Protection Plan can be purchased only while your Mac is still covered under the standard one-year limited warranty."

Thus if there is no original warranty left on this MacBook Pro...then you will not be able to purchase Applecare.

- Nick

Ok, thanks, I'm pretty sure it MUST be covered under the 1 year warranty, because this is the 2009 17" unibody model?? So it must have been bought less than 6 months ago. He says he has the receipt somewhere, but doesn't seem likely he'll find it... Seems I won't need it though.

Anyway before I waste my time going over to him with the cash to look at it, I'm going to make sure he gives me the serial number, so I can plug in straight into the Apple Support site. As far as I can see this is the only way to know for sure.

This SHOULD tell me that it's under warranty (given it must be less than a year old, due to the model). I guess another option is that it might be stolen, in which case the previous owner may have registered it already. If it looks like this has happened, I'll leave it well alone!

I guess I can judge how legitimate it is by seeing if he's willing to give me the serial number before I see the MBP. Said he'd text it to me this afternoon, I but haven't received it yet. I will call before I drive over to him, if he's still cagey about giving me the serial there's probably something wrong, and best call it off.

I'll post back to say how it went.

martin1981 said:

Ok, thanks, I'm pretty sure it MUST be covered under the 1 year warranty, because this is the 2009 17" unibody model?? So it must have been bought less than 6 months ago. He says he has the receipt somewhere, but doesn't seem likely he'll find it... Seems I won't need it though.

Anyway before I waste my time going over to him with the cash to look at it, I'm going to make sure he gives me the serial number, so I can plug in straight into the Apple Support site. As far as I can see this is the only way to know for sure.

Click to expand...

Yes...I figured that it would still have warranty left...since it is a new model. And like you mentioned...you only need the serial number to check on it's warranty status...cause that's the same was Apple does it.

No disrespect intended...but I think that you're over-thinking this purchase!

The computer being less than 12 months old is covered under warranty...so if something is wrong with it, Apple will fix it (unless there are some serious cosmetic issues which you can verify before purchasing, and can walk away from the deal if they are unacceptable).

Definitely the one thing that should be verified...is if it's stolen or not (unless you know for sure that the seller is the original owner).

Of course if this computer was not covered under warranty...then I would also be very concerned about everything you already mentioned.

Good luck with the purchase,

- Nick

p.s. Buying a used computer does have it's risk's...but if the computer is still covered under warranty...that's a REAL NICE safety net!

Hi there,
Thanks for encouragement, I was a little anxious because it's going to be my main machine for recording/editing/mixing (with Logic Pro), so wanted to be extra careful to get the right computer.

It turned out the seller was really genuine, and it was actually a great deal, the warranty checked out fine and everything. It even had the matte screen option which I wasn't expecting! Thanks.

martin1981 said:

Hi there,
Thanks for encouragement, I was a little anxious because it's going to be my main machine for recording/editing/mixing (with Logic Pro), so wanted to be extra careful to get the right computer.

It turned out the seller was really genuine, and it was actually a great deal, the warranty checked out fine and everything. It even had the matte screen option which I wasn't expecting! Thanks.

Click to expand...

So it sounds like you purchased it...congratulations!!! It's always nice to purchase & "play" with a new computer!

Of course the experience can be a bit stressful...especially if it's a newer model...and thus you're plopping down much more cash to buy it!

But of course since it is a newer model laptop...it should have less usage issues...and you still have the warranty to fall back on!

Congrats again on the purchase! That's a VERY nice portable computer!

- Nick

Yes I went for it in the end, my gut feeling was that the deal would go well, and it's in perfect condition (doesn't even have any scratches on the case). And I have AppleCare now so yes it's a very good feeling to get this machine "as new" for way less than the regular price!

Thanks again for the advice.