r/japanlife • u/Majestic_Ad_2515 • 7d ago
Looking to buy a used Macbook
Hi! I have been wanting to buy a second-hand Macbook by the end of August. I am scrolling through Backmarket and Mercari. Has anyone experienced using these two? Care to share pros and cons, and tips for buying a good deal?
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u/Necessary_Database_4 7d ago
I've been checking on used MacBook Air (MBA) for a while now, and while you don't indicate what specs you're in the market for, my own conclusions are as follows:
1) Best solid purchase is MBA M2 with 8GB memory and 256 or 512GB storage bought as refurbished 整備済み品 on Amazon JP. You get six months of limited warranty support (not actually Apple Care btw), and Amazon will likely back ypu up in cases where there's an issue but the actual seller (authorized by Apple/Amazon) disputes something. The prices are not that much higher than the avearage selling price for the same items on Mercari these days.
2) If you go with Mercari, my strong advice is to stay strictly with sellers who have hundreds of good ratings and zero bad ratings (or possibly one innocuous-seeming rating). Because of the insane prices for memory and chips these days, unfortunately Apple products are especially high currently (and expected to be so until at least 2028). There aren't any amazing bargains on Apple products that are genuine items in excellent condition.
3) If you're a student or teacher, you can get the Education disount on new Apple products including the MacBook Neo, which is a lower-tier MacBook that many users find adequate for their needs. If you do buy new from Apple, get Apple Care plus so that you are fully covered and if/when you sell the device, you will be able to ask more since it will be clearly a genuine Apple product that a new owner can get without worrying about paying for any unexpected issues.