Just Got In These Macs - What To Do With Them???

[sapphirescales]

I recently got in 36 Macbook Pro 15" laptops (early 2011 models) from a new client. They're transitioning away from Apple and I set them all up with all new Dell Latitude's and they gave me all their old laptops. Their employees used them in the field and they had all sorts of issues from water damaged and cracked screens to, of course, the dreaded GPU issues that this model is well known for.

I took on this project myself as I'm the best Mac technician I've got and I've been able to get 19 of them working pretty much perfectly, 3 with mild graphical issues (but the laptops are still perfectly usable), and 8 with severe graphics issues that prevent the computers from working properly. 6 are complete junk (mostly because I swapped all the bad parts into a single unit).

The only problem is, these have known GPU issues. I certainly don't want to sell them under my business and damage my business reputation. So I've taken to selling them on Craigslist as a regular person and I guess I'll claim the income on my personal tax return. I dunno. I'll have to speak with my accountant on that one.

I've done everything I possibly can to make sure these computers are in 100% working condition when I sell them. Still, I feel guilty selling something that I know could have a problem. What do you guys think?

 

[fencepost]

I'd only sell the "perfect" ones and note in the description "these models have known GPU issues, but the specific units I'm selling have been tested and don't show any problems. I still recommend that they only be used as drop-in replacements for failed existing systems, not as new Macs for anyone."

Maybe sell the others for parts, but since you've already scavenged the best parts that seems possibly unfair.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Sell em on ebay no warranty, as is no return. Can't fault you if your are up front that they are junk.

 

[Archon Prime]

ya +1 on the ebay thing. just make sure you wipe the damn things first lol

 

[seedubya]

Those sell at around €300 each here, if working well. I would sell them, privately, on your local buy\sell pages \ craigslist \ ebay

 

[Your PCMD]

Sell em on ebay no warranty, as is no return. Can't fault you if your are up front that they are junk.

^ This right here. Sell them as a lot to move them all at once. You will sell them rather quickly if you price them at the right price.

 

[Rosco]

Sell them through a Facebook marketplace. Sell one than list the next. You probably already did this but throw a cheap ssd drive into them. You can get a crucial 120gb for about $25. That will boost the price a good chuck at least in my area. They should sell quick. Most people price macs on facebook way to high. I see stuff like g4s for 300 or 400 on Facebook. A realistic price on these should move fast.

 

[pcpete]

I don't know the procedure, but the gpus can be disabled, then they will just run on the Intel graphics

 

[Markverhyden]

I don't know the procedure, but the gpus can be disabled, then they will just run on the Intel graphics

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...ook-pro-dedicated-gpu-gmux-ic-bypass.2134019/

There's a software technique but you have to redo that every time there's a kernel/major os update.

 

[sapphirescales]

Well, eBay is a no-go. I've sold on there many times and 99% of the time they favor the buyer in a dispute, even if the buyer is completely in the wrong. I have a particularly large number of problems selling stuff that's "for parts or not working." You'd think that by selling it like that the buyer would have no recourse, but no. They can still come back a month or two later once they've gotten through them all and realize that they're not going to get as much money as they thought they would and open a case against you.

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...ook-pro-dedicated-gpu-gmux-ic-bypass.2134019/

There's a software technique but you have to redo that every time there's a kernel/major os update.

Exactly. I've done this on numerous occasions for clients, but it's not stable and isn't a proper fix in the end. I don't want to send something out the door that doesn't work right or that might fail in the near future.

Those sell at around €300 each here, if working well. I would sell them, privately, on your local buy\sell pages \ craigslist \ ebay

Yup I've been doing Craigslist.

Well I suppose I'll just keep doing what I've been doing and go from there. I'm selling them for $599 with a 250GB SSD and they've been selling like hotcakes. Sold 6 of them already. I've been putting those cheap a$$ Inland SSD's for $30 apiece in there (technically $28.50 since I have a Microcenter card that gives me 5% off). This whole thing leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but there's over $12,000 in potential profit involved here. What am I supposed to do, just throw them in the trash?

 

[pcpete]

Exactly. I've done this on numerous occasions for clients, but it's not stable and isn't a proper fix in the end. I don't want to send something out the door that doesn't work right or that might fail in the near future.

Selling them with a gpu that will fail is also less than ideal. Disabling it may give them extra life. I don't see it as a negative, it may add many years

 

[timeshifter]

Yup I've been doing Craigslist.

So how do you handle the Craigslist transactions? Do they come to your store? Do you meet them at a McDonalds? Your house?

 

[sapphirescales]

So how do you handle the Craigslist transactions? Do they come to your store? Do you meet them at a McDonalds? Your house?

I meet them at the local Starbucks - the favorite hangout of brain-dead Apple sheep. I make no mention of my business nor to I explain to them that I work on computers. As far as they know I'm just a normal dude selling a Mac for cheap.

 

[sapphirescales]

Selling them with a gpu that will fail is also less than ideal. Disabling it may give them extra life. I don't see it as a negative, it may add many years

The question is - what will happen first:

A. The GPU fails
B. Apple releases an update that causes the computer to fail to boot and require a PRAM reset because you mucked around with the firmware to disable the dedicated GPU

It's really a toss-up as to which will occur first. I'm putting my money on option B.

 

[fastremotehelp.com]

plus 1 for craigslist, with a "firewall" between the buyer and your business clients.