I'm considering buying a used 2025 MacBook Air with an M4 chip, 10-core CPU, and 16GB of memory from a local seller. The machine appears to be in excellent working order: Activation Lock is disabled, there's no MDM enrollment, Apple Diagnostics reports no problems, and the display, keyboard, trackpad, speakers, camera, ports, and Wi-Fi all work normally. However, Apple's Check Coverage page says the serial number doesn't exist. The seller doesn't have the original receipt or invoice. Could this simply be a typing mistake or another legitimate issue, or is it a serious warning sign? Would you buy it after doing additional checks, or would you walk away?
2 Answers
The Mac appearing genuine and passing diagnostics doesn’t prove that the serial number is valid in Apple’s database. A typo is possible, but the seller should be willing to let you verify the number directly and explain the discrepancy. If the serial numbers don’t match or Apple still can’t locate it after you enter the correct characters, the lack of an invoice makes the risk too high for me.
I’d treat this as a significant red flag and wouldn’t complete the purchase until it’s resolved. Make sure you personally read the serial number from System Settings > General > About rather than relying on a number supplied by the seller. Also check it against the serial number printed on the packaging or device, if available, and carefully distinguish zeroes from the letter O. If the number still isn’t recognized, I’d walk away—especially without proof of purchase.
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