A dead MacBook still sells. A dead Windows laptop might just need a charger.
We buy Apple silicon MacBooks that will not power on. Windows laptops have to work, so try the checks below first.
- MacBook
- Bought dead
- Windows laptop
- Must power on and work
- MacBook grade
- Heavily used or faulty
- Find My
- Remove it from your Apple ID first
- Windows first step
- Try a known-good charger
That is all the calculator needs. It takes about a minute.
We buy MacBooks that will not turn on. We buy Windows laptops working only, in Excellent or Good condition, so a Windows laptop that will not start is one we cannot take until it does. Before you write it off, though, a surprising number of dead laptops are not dead at all.
For a Windows laptop, try a known-good charger first, because chargers and cables fail far more often than laptops do. Then unplug everything and hold the power button for 30 seconds before trying again with the charger connected. If the screen stays black but the keyboard lights or fans come on, plug in an external monitor, because a failed screen is a different fault from a dead laptop. If it starts and works properly afterwards, it is a laptop we will price normally.
For a MacBook, none of that matters to us. Choose Heavily used or faulty in the calculator and the chip, memory and storage make up most of the offer. The one thing we do need is for it to be removed from your Apple ID, which you can do from another device even when the MacBook itself will not power on.
The MacBooks we buy dead.
Any Apple silicon MacBook that will not turn on, charge or show a picture. Remove it from Find My first, then price it as faulty.
- MacBook Air 13M1, M2, M3, M4 or M5
- MacBook Air 15M2, M3, M4 or M5
- MacBook Neo 13A18 Pro
- MacBook Pro 13M1 or M2
- MacBook Pro 14M1 Pro through M5 Max, plus the M3, M4 and M5
- MacBook Pro 16M1 Pro or Max through M5 Pro or Max
What affects your offer.
Find My, before it leaves
Open the Find My app on your iPhone or go to icloud.com/find, select the MacBook and remove it from your account. A dead MacBook still on an Apple ID cannot be tested or paid for, and we cannot remove it for you.
The chip and spec
A MacBook that will not start is graded the same whatever the cause, so the chip, memory and storage do the work. That is why a dead MacBook Pro still sells well.
On Windows, the charger
The cheapest fix in laptops is a charger that works. Borrow one with the same connector and wattage before assuming the worst.
On Windows, the battery reset
Holding the power button with everything unplugged clears a stuck power state on many laptops. Some business laptops also have a small reset pinhole underneath; the manual for your model will say.
Dead, and everything else we buy on a MacBook.
These apply to MacBooks only. A MacBook that will not turn on often has another fault behind it, and none of them ends the sale.
- Cracked or shattered display
- Lines, dead pixels or a dark patch across the screen
- USB-C or MagSafe ports that no longer charge or connect
- Will not turn on, will not charge, or shows nothing at all
- Battery showing Service Recommended
- Keys that stick, double type or have stopped responding
- Trackpad that no longer clicks
- Dented corners or a bent lid from a drop
Upgrading? Put it towards the new one.
Most people move to a MacBook Air. A dead MacBook usually means you are already replacing it, and taking its value as credit puts more towards the replacement.
Take the payout as EpicDeals.co.za credit and we add 12%. Only worth it if you were going to spend it there anyway. If you need the cash, take the cash.
Three ways to take the money.
Cash
Paid to your bank account
Tested within 1-3 working days of arriving, paid within 5 working days of your offer being confirmed.
+12%
Trade-in credit
Take it as EpicDeals.co.za credit and we add 12%.
+10%
Consignment
We list it and sell it, you get 10% more. Most sell within 13 days.
Trading since 2013 as Epic Deals, with 2,800+ reviews and 30 people who answer the phone.