Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Assault on Credulity and Battery Beware
Earlier this year, Apple recalled a vast quantity of MacBook Pro batteries as part of a larger international Sony laptop battery recall.
As a professional Mac consultant searching for genuine bargains on Craigslist, I have spotted several instances of defective, recalled MacBook Pro batteries offered for sale as new at a price far below market value.
Apparently, the unscrupulous sellers are repackaging old, defective batteries in the packaging used by Apple to ship free replacement batteries, then putting them up for sale. That is, I've seen ads falsely advertising "new" MacBook Pro batteries as "in the original packaging." That sounds convincing at first glance, but it's an easy scam to perpetrate.
Computer bargains are out there. Don't be discouraged in your search for that one gem, but use caution. When shopping for a MacBook Pro battery, ask for the battery model number and serial number from anyone selling MacBook Pro batteries. Every Mac battery has such information printed on it. Compare those numbers with the authentic Apple list of serial numbers for defective units located at this Apple Web site-- MacBook Pro 15-inch Battery Exchange.
Buyer Beware. Based on my own unscientific perusal of MacBook Pro battery ads on CraigsList, most are bogus. When I asked why a certain MacBook Pro battery was up for sale, I was told that the battery was no longer needed because it was acquired by a Google employee to be used only for brief testing.
Now I have heard everything. Recall the old adage that something for sale at a price too good to be true, probably isn't. Do your homework, or contact me to obtain a purchase consultation before buying computer equipment from unknown sources.
As a professional Mac consultant searching for genuine bargains on Craigslist, I have spotted several instances of defective, recalled MacBook Pro batteries offered for sale as new at a price far below market value.
Apparently, the unscrupulous sellers are repackaging old, defective batteries in the packaging used by Apple to ship free replacement batteries, then putting them up for sale. That is, I've seen ads falsely advertising "new" MacBook Pro batteries as "in the original packaging." That sounds convincing at first glance, but it's an easy scam to perpetrate.
Computer bargains are out there. Don't be discouraged in your search for that one gem, but use caution. When shopping for a MacBook Pro battery, ask for the battery model number and serial number from anyone selling MacBook Pro batteries. Every Mac battery has such information printed on it. Compare those numbers with the authentic Apple list of serial numbers for defective units located at this Apple Web site-- MacBook Pro 15-inch Battery Exchange.
Buyer Beware. Based on my own unscientific perusal of MacBook Pro battery ads on CraigsList, most are bogus. When I asked why a certain MacBook Pro battery was up for sale, I was told that the battery was no longer needed because it was acquired by a Google employee to be used only for brief testing.
Now I have heard everything. Recall the old adage that something for sale at a price too good to be true, probably isn't. Do your homework, or contact me to obtain a purchase consultation before buying computer equipment from unknown sources.
