Fair price for a slightly damaged second hand MacBook Pro

Forums › Laptops and mobile computers › Fair price for a slightly damaged second hand MacBook Pro

slippers

193 posts

Master Geek

#119385 30-May-2013 08:27

Work have offered me this i7 MacBook Pro for $1500..... It is currently retailing for $3200 at Harvey Norman and was bought for $2800 less than 12 months ago at cost.

My question is - Given that its second hand and the damage incurred proves that it has been dropped not once but at least twice (because the chassis is buckled on both corners)...

Is $1500 a fair price?

1 | 2

8328 posts

Uber Geek

#828133 30-May-2013 08:54

"been dropped"

Yowsesrs, it looks like it has been run over by something,

As for whether it is worth $1500, there are probably a few questions you need to think about,

What are the battery cycles? Is it still valid for applecare?

Also what are you going to use it for?, with a bent chassis like that I would not feel happy using it as a road warrior, but if it is just going to be a desktop replacement mainly in one place, then it may be OK...

There is a similar model currently for sale on trademe, closes next week, so you could get some idea of what they are worth from that

http://www.trademe.co.nz/computers/apple/laptops/auction-598114588.htm

nitrotech

1285 posts

Uber Geek

#828136 30-May-2013 09:00

Macbooks are solid - that damage is like a drop from a 10 story building - could be $1500 worth of useless!

myopinion

938 posts

Ultimate Geek

#828138 30-May-2013 09:02

Nope.

tdgeek

29750 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#828140 30-May-2013 09:08

The opportunity cost of having to look at the damage, and the resale affected by that, yes, its an ok price. What you don't know is what is damaged inside. Still working but bent or loose and at some point will fail. That's the risk that we cannot advise on. If you can buy it now and pay in 6 months, that may mitigate some risk.

jeffnz

2870 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#828141 30-May-2013 09:11

has your company replaced under insurance, if so then its very pricey for the risk involved.

Galaxy S10

Garmin Fenix 5

MattEast

277 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#828142 30-May-2013 09:12

That's just the damage you can see, I hate to think what's happening under the case, components on the motherboard may had been dislodged...not enough to affect performance...yet. But I think you'd be buying a potential heap of trouble at that price.

Matt East

slippers

193 posts

Master Geek

#828150 30-May-2013 09:36

I've tried to remove the screws in order to evaluate any potential damage under the hood...unfortunately, due to the shape of the bend in the chassis - One of the screws doesn't come out...

These demonstrate how out of shape one of the corners actually is.

Quic Broadband

Move to New Zealand's best fibre broadband service (affiliate link). Free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE. Note that to use Quic Broadband you must be comfortable with configuring your own router.

wellygary

8328 posts

Uber Geek

#828161 30-May-2013 09:51

slippers: I've tried to remove the screws in order to evaluate any potential damage under the hood...unfortunately, due to the shape of the bend in the chassis - One of the screws doesn't come out...

These demonstrate how out of shape one of the corners actually is.

I think you are more and more answering your own question, - Danger, Will Robinson, Danger,

sidefx

3712 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#828163 30-May-2013 09:58

Even if you could get it open, who knows what damage there might be that's not readily visible or on components that aren't easy to see\get to...

"I was born not knowing and have had only a little time to change that here and there." | Octopus Energy | Sharesies
- Richard Feynman

slippers

193 posts

Master Geek

#828189 30-May-2013 10:42

wellygary:
slippers: I've tried to remove the screws in order to evaluate any potential damage under the hood...unfortunately, due to the shape of the bend in the chassis - One of the screws doesn't come out...

These demonstrate how out of shape one of the corners actually is.

I think you are more and more answering your own question, - Danger, Will Robinson, Danger,

Yeah I know - I just really want it thats al - plus I dont have another computer to use at the moment......

Jaxson

8043 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#828196 30-May-2013 10:50

wellygary: "been dropped"

Yowsesrs, it looks like it has been run over by something

+1

Nicely put wellygary.

trig42

5814 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#828207 30-May-2013 10:58

Seems a bit much for a dropped/squashed computer.

Look at what else you can get for $1500 then decide if it is really worth it.

minigopher17

281 posts

Ultimate Geek

#828220 30-May-2013 11:39

$1 + an unopened Cookie Time.

eracode

Smpl Mnmlst
8868 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#828222 30-May-2013 11:42

trig42: Seems a bit much for a dropped/squashed computer.

Look at what else you can get for $1500 then decide if it is really worth it.

+ 1. YMMV but for me, an item like this is something I want to be proud of and I couldn't be proud of a bent laptop, apart from any performance/reliability issues later on.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

ubergeeknz

3344 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Vocus

#828231 30-May-2013 11:47

I'd say that laptop is good for parts, if that, since the bent chassis probably means bent mainboard too which could fail at any time. Also if it sustained shock like that, who knows what other components might be damaged.

1 | 2