Well technically with tax it was $763, BUT it was literally a steal (to be clear I did not steal my MacBook Pro peeps). I actually purchased her last week and am finally getting around to sharing how I saved $300 on my 2017 Space Gray MacBook Pro!
I attempted multiple routes for refurbished products as I personally didn’t need something new (2018/2019). First up was Apple’s refurbished products where every Apple Certified Refurbished product completes a rigorous refurbishment process that includes full testing that meets the same functional standards as new Apple products (obviously less than new Apple products). Next up was Ebay and Swappa! We're all familiar with Ebay and its millions of daily bids so I won't bore you with the details of how I was outbid 3,000 times.
Swappa on the other hand, is an e-commerce company developed for the facilitation of sales of new and used mobile devices such as cell phones, tablets and laptops as an alternative to other internet based marketplaces. I truly loved the Swappa site, yet everything I saved was swept so quickly! Another advantage of the Swappa site is their "Swappa Local" option; where if a seller is in your vicinity you may meet at a Swappa designated meeting place such as Starbucks.
While each of those sites provided awesome products, I came across a much better deal.........on Facebook Marketplace! CRAZY RIGHT?!
While preparing to downsize and make my move for grad school, I had been posting old items on the Facebook Marketplace which sell locally! Doing so, I would receive alerts for newly added products in my area. One day while boringly scrolling through marketplace, I came across someone selling their 2018 13” MacBook Pro because they wanted something larger. While I was not interested in the 2018 Pro with a Touch Bar, I was very intrigued on if others were also selling basically brand new MacBooks. I then searched “MacBook Pro” on Facebook Marketplace and HUNDREDS were being sold in my vicinity!
Of course there were the 2010 MacBooks for $300, then the sketchy unopened box ones and several listings for people who had recently bought the 13” and wanted the 15” instead. Others who simply didn’t like MacBooks and wanted to switch. I obviously stayed clear of sketchy deals (“Unopened 2019 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar $500”…….sureeeeee) or sketchy accounts, and set my sights on very specific searches “2017 Space Grey MacBook Pro”. Doing so, I came across several AWESOME ones and several not so awesome. I wasn’t willing to pay over $1,000 for the 2017 model because at that point I might as well purchase the 2018-2019 model, yet I specifically had no interest in the Touch Bar (speaking from actually interacting with it during multiple visits to the Apple store and multiple conversations with employees based on my needs).
While searching I came across a 2017 Space Grey 13” MacBook Pro for $800‼️
This particular listing, the pictures were taken in a “store display” setup with tags attached to the product mentioning specs and other valuable information! As I continued to read the listing and saw the price was negotiable, I immediately contacted the seller.
IT WAS A PAWN SHOP!!!! Someone pawned their 2017 MacBook Pro in GREAT condition and I was about to SCOOP IT UP!
With negotiation, I got the laptop down to $720 or $763 with taxes! My boyfriend met me after work at the shop where we both THOROUGHLY inspected the laptop and were both VERY pleased with how great of condition it was in!
Software ✅
Camera ✅
Keyboard ✅
Ports ✅ (Even came with a charger)
The ONLY thing wrong was a small scratch at the top of the laptop....which personally I could care less about being that I plan on having it in a case!
Yes, there's a lot of stigma about purchasing items from pawn shops......I was even skeptical at first (hence why I brought my 6'1" boyfriend with me). The shop employees were helpful, knowledgable and answered all my questions regarding the laptop. Yes my transaction could've gone array and I received a defect product, but the stars aligned and I got an AMAZING DEAL!
Below, I've provided some discussions on pawn shop purchasing!
Should you buy a computer from a pawn shop?: https://www.quora.com/Should-you-buy-a-computer-from-a-pawn-shop
Where to Buy a Laptop for Cheap | February 2019: https://blog.pawnguru.com/where-to-buy-a-laptop-for-cheap/
Is Buying A Laptop From A Pawn Shop A Good Idea: https://www.pawnnerd.com/is-buying-a-laptop-from-a-pawn-shop-a-good-idea/
Overall I’m BEYOND pleased with my $720 2017 MacBook Pro in space Gray!
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