Best place to buy a cheap Macbook

Leopard

macman wrote: »

No offence taken, Leopard.
Just out of interest, how do you buy on eBay and insist on collection and inspection before paying? Don't most sellers want the money by Paypal before they'll release it? I sell on eBay and won't now do anything, even small stuff, on a 'cash on collection' basis-the reason being that I did it once and the buyer didn't turn up; a second time and they wanted to renegotiate the price on the doorstep-no thank you.
Also can you please advise how you access the Apple serial number database-I didn't know this facility existed. Thanks

I have always bought my eBay Macs from private sellers.

You start by using the "Ask seller a question" facility on the listing page of the item. I usually ask about the Applecare status of the Mac in question. When the seller replies, you have an email address through which you can open up a dialogue with the seller and then get into telephone contact.

If you're going to be collecting it in person, you won't be dealing with someone who's too far away for you to go and inspect the item before buying or bidding. Any reputable seller should agree to this - it's an expensive item and hopefully you will have established a friendly rapport with them before asking to do that.

Most are worried about dealing with unknown people remotely; possibly sending off their Mac to somebody and never getting the money. They are usually quite amenable to the prospect of a nice person coming to their house and perhaps giving them cash on the spot to conclude their auction.

I have a 100% Positive Feedback record stretching back to 2003, so the seller can see that I'm not a time-waster.

I always pay in cash (unless the seller specifically wants me to use PayPal - which I can do by means of my own Mac, on his/her premises, using my mobile broadband or their telephone socket). Most sellers prefer cash because then they don't have to pay PayPal fees - which, on an item worth several hundred pounds, is expensive. Nor, as Marty J points out, do they run the risk of having a PayPal payment reclaimed retrospectively. You, as the buyer, lose the PayPal Protection if you pay in cash but getting to meet the seller in person and inspect the Mac first is a greater benefit.

When I ring the Applecare number to check the Mac's status, I give them the Serial Number and they have always been happy to check it against the Apple Registry - indeed they need to do that in order to establish its eligibility. Any Apple Retail Store or Apple dealer will do this for you as well: they have to do that before they start any work on it. For them, it's a standard process, to check on any past problems with it or whether it has been reported as stolen or misappropriated.

You may find this site helpful, too.

chatmaster

Student discount is 13% (student in full time education) and the HE (higher education for uni students) discount is 14%.

I was offered this discount when I went into the apple store in Trafford centre manchester.

This big difference between the discounts is this (obviously the 1%), the HE discount (for students at university or with a university offer letter) can purchase the 3 year applecare for under 50 quid instead of the 150. The student (full time education) can purchase it for 100 (I think) but under both schemes the purchase has to be made at the time of sale.

So an Imac at 780 with the apple care was working out at about 930 retail. With the student discount it was 720 in total saving 210 pounds or there abouts.

Sure you must know a student in your family?