happytobegreen

Q: I want to buy a used iMac with apple care warranty. Is this safe?

I'm looking at purchasing an iMac from a buyer on eBay and theres just over a year left of the apple care extended warranty. If I ensure he transfers the warranty into my name, is it safe to buy this mac? Is there anything I should look out for that may not be covered by the warranty?

MacBook, Mac OS X (10.5)

Posted on Jul 1, 2016 7:09 AM

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Q: I want to buy a used iMac with apple care warranty. Is this safe?

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  • by Mike Sombrio,

    Mike Sombrio Mike Sombrio Jul 1, 2016 7:27 AM in response to happytobegreen
    Level 6 (17,233 points)
    Apple Watch
    Jul 1, 2016 7:27 AM in response to happytobegreen

    eBay is always caveat emptor (buyer beware). I've bought inexpensive macbooks off of eBay but never something more than a few hundred dolars. I sold a Power Mac  on eBay. Buying used sight unseen is always a gamble but I'd think there are more good deals than bad on eBay. Have you considered buying a refurb directly from Apple? Full warranty and option to purchase your own AppleCare.

  • by rkaufmann87,

    rkaufmann87 rkaufmann87 Jul 1, 2016 7:33 AM in response to happytobegreen
    Level 9 (58,466 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Jul 1, 2016 7:33 AM in response to happytobegreen

    Have you considered buying a refurbished iMac directly from Apple? There is absolutely no downside. Machines are identical to new, come with a 1 year warranty and are also eligible for AppleCare. You can find them in the Refurbished Store listed at the bottom of the home page of Apple.com. You can save hundreds of $ and if you don't find the exact model you are looking for check often because inventory changes quickly.

     

    Personally I would not buy any used Mac, however that's just me. However if you are still considering the E-Bay machine, then carefully read over the AppleCare warranty and then compare to what the seller is listing. Remember any third software the seller indicates is included is not really. The first thing that should be done with any used computer is to do an erase and install of OS X and then install any software you want. You NEVER want to use a computer that hasn't been at least erased!!!!

  • by den.thed,

    den.thed den.thed Jul 1, 2016 8:19 AM in response to happytobegreen
    Level 7 (27,555 points)
    Jul 1, 2016 8:19 AM in response to happytobegreen

    If I was buying used instead of New or Refurbished, I would shop locally for one that I could see and test instead buying blind from e-bay.

     

    In addition to checking the local Sale Ads and Craig's List, I would also check with my local AASP's to see if any of them had any leads on used Mac's.

  • by Old Toad,

    Old Toad Old Toad Jul 1, 2016 10:55 AM in response to happytobegreen
    Level 10 (141,095 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 1, 2016 10:55 AM in response to happytobegreen

    TH.png

    Make sure the seller has prepared the Mac according to this Apple document: What to do before selling or giving away your Mac - Apple Support.

     

    Also get the Model Identifier of the machine before purchasing and check to see if it's been involved with any recall/replacement programs like this one: iMac (27-inch): AMD Radeon 6970M Video Card Replacement Program - Apple Support

     

    Personally I wholeheartedly agree with all of the other responders' recommendation avoiding eBay and getting a refurbished unit from Apple or one locally where you can inspect it yourself. 

    OTsig.png

  • by MichelPM,

    MichelPM MichelPM Jul 1, 2016 12:34 PM in response to happytobegreen
    Level 6 (13,769 points)
    iPad
    Jul 1, 2016 12:34 PM in response to happytobegreen

    If you are going to purchase a used Mac, forget eBay.

    If you live in the U.S. look at this online Apple Mac reseller for used Macs that this company actually test and does all sorts of quality control on before reselling them.

    They check, test and qualify every used Mac they sell.

    I have been dealing with this online Apple reseller for years.

    The customer service by email and phone is excellent!

     

    https://www.powermax.com/

     

    They even have their own warranty program for up to one year on used Macs.

     

    Good Luck!

  • by woodmeister50,

    woodmeister50 woodmeister50 Jul 2, 2016 3:22 AM in response to happytobegreen
    Level 5 (5,517 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 2, 2016 3:22 AM in response to happytobegreen

    Personally, a used computer is like a used car.  I would never buy one that

    I couldn't test drive.