advice on Macbook purchase

My very first post - so be patient w/ me as I learn the art of using forums.
I own an eMac but use my school's PC laptop. I love the flexibility of a portable computer, but I hate dealing with the PC aspect. I've recently started searching eBay for gently used Macbooks and I'm overwhelmed at all the different things to consider. I found one that looks interesting and the price is very appealing (I can't afford to get a new one from the Mac store on my teacher's salary) but will it suffice? I don't need anything fancy, just the ability to create worksheets, get online, play with my iPod, ...

Should I be wary of buying a computer off eBay? The one I found says, "MacBook1.1 Pre-owned, very nice, clean, well cared for: Intel Core Duo, 1.83 Ghz,1 processor, 2 cores, L2 Cache 2MB, Memory 2 GB, 55GB HD, Mac OS X, DVD-CD-RW, comes with factory power cord." That's it. I don't know the model, year, anything (picture shows a white case). The seller is obviously not the original owner. I've looked at other sites with spec listings, but don't know what most of it means. Don't really NEED it, but the price (currently $85 including shipping, 4 days left to bid) seems too hard to pass up - even if I need to upgrade or get a new battery right away. I can tell that it has more that my current eMac as far as memory goes, so what could I lose?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Sounds like a good deal. Maybe a little too good.

You probably can get an academic discount of some sort (For a brand new Mac), I would look into that. Have you also looked at the refurbished Macs on the apple website?

I thought it sounded too good too, but the bidding's not over yet. I'm just watching it right now.

Mac only offers a $50 discount for educators these days. I saved way more on my previous desktop purchases in the past. I will check out the refurbished ones - I would feel more comfortable with the guarantee even if I had to pay more.

parkercatherine said:

I thought it sounded too good too, but the bidding's not over yet. I'm just watching it right now.

Mac only offers a $50 discount for educators these days. I saved way more on my previous desktop purchases in the past. I will check out the refurbished ones - I would feel more comfortable with the guarantee even if I had to pay more.

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I would feel safer buying it from apple myself. Plus you get warranty and you can get apple care on your purchase.

That might not be the case with the MB you are bidding on. If something goes wrong with it, you are so out of luck. Then repairs will probably cost an arm and leg. T_T"

I agree with CrimsonRequiem. I never buy anything off of eBay that I'm going to pay a lot of money for. Plus you do have the option of getting a warranty from Apple. I would get on their website or call them up and ask how much a re-furbed Macbook is and just save your precious pennies.

For the record, I bought two Macbook Pros off ebay, along with other items, without any issues. It comes down to seller feedback, good reputation, and consistent selling patterns.

That said, a common thing on ebay is people will list something very cheap ($1), then it will simply skyrocket very near the end of the auction. The first MBP I was going to get, I bid nearly at the going retail, and in the last 10 minutes they jumped up PAST retail value. Huh? For that reason I stick to "Buy it Now" only things. No bidding wars and no doubt whether I will win. Just click and pay. Oh and use Paypal since ebay insures Paypal payments for lots of items.

S.SubZero said:

That said, a common thing on ebay is people will list something very cheap ($1), then it will simply skyrocket very near the end of the auction. The first MBP I was going to get, I bid nearly at the going retail, and in the last 10 minutes they jumped up PAST retail value. Huh? For that reason I stick to "Buy it Now" only things. No bidding wars and no doubt whether I will win. Just click and pay. Oh and use Paypal since ebay insures Paypal payments for lots of items.

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Exactly. That's the interesting thing about auctions. Some people get so caught up in "beating" the other bidders that they actually pay way more than they intended (or that it was worth).

As for eBay purchases in general, you can get computers off eBay (I've bought and sold successfully on there), but you just need to be careful. I won't buy a computer from someone with less than 100 feedback with a very high rating, and even then you need to look at how much of the rating was left by buyers. Sometimes people have a very high rating but have never actually sold anything on eBay.

Another thing to look for is plenty of pictures. If you can't see exactly what you're buying, that's a red flag. Look for auctions with several high-detail close-up pictures of the computer, especially if the seller is highlighting its flaws. That's what a good seller would do.

I would tell you to consider looking at Craigslist too. I've bought several computers off Craigslist, and it's preferred because you can use the computer before you fork over the cash. Either way, I'd personally prefer Craigslist or eBay over Apple refurb because you can save quite a bit of money. But that's just me.

Just be careful in what you are buying.

If something is too good to be true, chances are it is

I tend to buy things cheaply on EBay but not TOO cheap and only from people with solid histories.

I have NOT bid on things before because I find the price a bit too low. Maybe I am being paranoid but I have heard enough stories to wonder.

I made the comment in another thread how I once sold something by starting it at $1 and it only sold for $7 when it was worth a LOT MORE. My stupid mistake so maybe others do that too.