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Funny anecdote: Apple offers a trade-in when buying a new Macbook. I decided to have a look. I entered the serial number of my Macbook Air 11" (Late 2010). I c
by Tepix 7y ago
Funny anecdote: Apple offers a trade-in when buying a new Macbook. I decided to have a look.
I entered the serial number of my Macbook Air 11" (Late 2010). I confirmed that it boots up, has no defects, has no optical faults and that I will include the power supply.
Apple offered 10€ ($12).
Yay?!
PS: This ancient notebook runs macOS High Sierra with the current 2020-2 security patch and sells for an astonishing 200€ on eBay.
- decafninja 7y agoI have the same machine, which served as my ultra-portable unit until say...2018. Now it's gathering dust. It's just too slow now. Even browing web pages is unbearably slow. I wish it wasn't because I love the 11" form factor. If Apple were to offer something in that size again, I'd buy it.
- geerlingguy 7y agoMost trade-in or authorized reseller values they'll give is 70-80% below what you'd get private party. I usually sell my laptop at a 30-50% discount to a friend, or get a little more value selling it on Craigslist. The nice thing about Macs is even at 5 or 10 years old, there's a market for used Macs.
- dagmx 7y agoYou’ll always get a better resale value by selling it yourself versus going through Apple. The difference will be down to convenience for many people and potentially the lower upfront cost of purchase if you haven’t sold the previous device yet.
- ConfusedDog 7y agoI got a brand new one evaled for free disposal. That was really generous of Apple.
- interestica 7y ago"You're welcome" This is my favourite. Don't we (Canada/Ontario) already pay an e-waste fee on purchase?
- FireBeyond 7y agoOr the condescending "Trade in your computer" text. "First, tell us what brand: Apple? Other?" If you select "Other", the immediate next text you see is "based on what you told us, your computer is ready for recycling". Note: Apple is not forced to offer any trade in service, let alone for third party computers. But the above is insulting, if not outright misleading. Doesn't matter what your other computer is, "it's ready for the trash heap (recycling, but still), has no trade-in value".
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- dan1234 7y agoI tried with my 2015 MBP, and was offered £180 by Apple. The average eBay price for the same model seems to be around £450, so the eBay route would be worth the risk for me. Also, when selling second hand, at least I know it's being reused not just recycled.
- reaperducer 7y agoThe average eBay price for the same model seems to be around £450 Sale price, or asking price? The average fleaBay asking price for a TRS-80 Model 100 is $1,200. But the actual average selling price is closer to $100.
- dan1234 7y agoThis was auction listings ending within the next 12 hours that had bids, for the same spec as mine. I also found CeX (a buy/sell company) are paying £350 for my spec, which is less risky (and no eBay/PayPal fees).
- HelloFellowDevs 7y agoMid 2012 500gb Macbook Pro 13" (Mojave) here, $90! I think I'll experiment with it more instead of trading it in.
- jmull 7y agoIt probably actually costs them money, when all is done, to take that machine and get rid of it in a reasonably responsible way.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- AdamCraven 7y agoPerhaps, but it reduces the size of the secondary market so consumers have less choice and may opt for a new one instead. This is the real advantage to Apple.
- lobotryas 7y agoExactly. Same reason why they offer free engravings.
- reaperducer 7y agoIs there a secondary market for a ten-year-old MacBook Air? I use a nine-year-old Air almost daily, but I don't think the vast majority of people would consider it viable, let alone pay for one.
- DanBC 7y agoEbay shows a load being sold for between £70 and £120. Here's one that has actual bids on it. (£106 when I post this comment). https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Apple-MacBook-Air-13-inch-Late-2010-A1369-ZOJHOB-A-2-13GHz-4Gb-256GB-Flash/133397522991?hash=item1f0f1caa2f:g:jDQAAOSwVD1eoK5s https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Apple-MacBook-Air-13-inch-Late-20...
- lukifer 7y agoThe silver lining of the "Apple Tax" is that machines retain value for an absurdly long time, even those which are verging on "obsolete".
- calaphos 7y ago
- rbanffy 7y agoI was a regular contributor to a Brazilian Mac magazine. The tradition on the mailing list was that, for any offer of anything Apple for sale, we'd offer $50.
- wffurr 7y agoThe 11" carry a particular premium in the second-hand market because there's almost nothing in that size / weight available anymore. The HP Dragonfly is the closest new equivalent I can find, and it's super expensive.
- Marsymars 7y agoAlso discontinued, but the 12" MacBook is smaller and lighter than the 11" MBA, with a bigger/higher-res screen.
- j45 7y agoLike most trade in programs, Apple’s trade in program is for their financial benefit on both ends of the deal, kind of like trading in a car at a dealership.
- dpfu 7y agoI tried with my current MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2018). Apple offered 240€. Well.
- bengale 7y agoPretty sure its mainly just recycling service. It's for people that have no interest in attempting to deal with the hassle of reselling.
- FireBeyond 7y agoAnd repair parts inventory, I'm sure.
- soapdog 7y agoI bet you can get at least double on eBay! Jokes aside, for those old computers, selling on eBay is way better than trade-in programs. There are collectors out there that might need this to complete their macbook shrine, and others who that want a mac but can't afford a new one.
- aggie 7y agoYou'll have the same experience with CarMax if you try to trade in a vehicle that is too old, even if it is in perfect condition. It's not worth their time, but they want to be able to say they accept all trade-ins. So they offer you a flat $200 and wholesale the car for parts or scrap.
- DenisM 7y agoI will pay you $13 just for the power supply, if not frayed. Throw in the MacBook and I might go up to $18, a 50% premium! This is silly. I guess the transaction cost is eating up most of the cash.