Buying a used Mac from a private seller

The MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and iMac are luxury computers that are highly prized. Their high prices often justify buying one of these computers on the second-hand market, to take advantage of cheaper hardware than new or refurbished.

A good idea? Yes, of course, but it's important to pay attention to certain details!

Know the Mac you want to buy and what it will be used for

Good news: there's no shortage of information about Apple computers!

If you want to do video editing while photoshop your holiday snaps while you export your latest Illustrator project in 4K, you're going to need a bit more than a MacBook Air with a small configuration! On the other hand, if you want to surf the web and do some word processing, there's no need to invest in a 15-inch MacBook Pro with 16GB of RAM.

And don't forget to check which version of the operating system can be supported. It would be a shame to invest a lot of money in hardware that can't benefit from the latest developments in MacOS.

Test the cables, the peripherals, leave nothing to chance.

Hand delivery is recommended

When buying this type of equipment, it is best to avoid sending it by post. It is necessary to meet the seller in person, so that he can give you the invoice for the computer and also inspect the goods and carry out some checks. However, if hand delivery is not possible, using Obvy for the transaction means that both buyer and seller are protected in the event of a problem, and you can retract your purchase.

Check that the computer is sold with its accessories

You can easily see what is officially supplied with a Mac via the Apple website. The power cables, the mouse or the keyboard for desktop computers... Make sure that everything is there, and above all that everything works! Test the cables, the peripherals, leave nothing to chance.

Check the various connection ports

To make sure that all the ports on your computer are working properly when you visit, we recommend that you come equipped with storage media such as a small external hard drive or USB stick. Using this media, you can easily test all the ports to ensure that they are in good working order and meet your needs. It's also a good idea to test the audio output to avoid any unpleasant surprises when using your computer.

You can check whether the sound is clear and crisp by using headphones or external speakers. Finally, it's also important to test your computer's Wi-Fi connection to make sure the chip is working properly. You can do this by connecting to a Wi-Fi network and checking that the connection is stable and fast. By taking these simple steps, you can ensure that your visit goes smoothly and that your computer is fully functional.

Check the screen

Make sure that the screen has no dead pixels by asking to see the computer with a white background; dead pixels, which are black, will stand out instantly. If the screen has an anti-reflective coating, look at it carefully: a small spot that doesn't go away is a sign of damage.

Turn your Mac back on

Ask to restart the computer to check that the hard disk is instantly recognised and that there are no boot-up errors.

Use a secure payment system

To pay for your second-hand Mac, use Obvy to benefit from a secure, simple payment system that allows you to keep a record of the transaction.