Surrey computer shop ordered to refund $700 for used MacBook sold as new
A tribunal ruled that SaveOnMacs misrepresented a 2020 MacBook Air purchased in late 2023, finding the laptop had a switched logic board and previous Apple ID.
The day's top stories, food & events — every morning at 7. Unsubscribe anytime.
A Surrey computer shop operating as SaveOnMacs has been ordered to pay damages after selling a used MacBook while representing it as "essentially new," according to a BC Civil Resolution Tribunal decision.
The customer purchased a 2020 MacBook Air for $1,007.99 from Gigatronics Computers (trading as SaveOnMacs) on September 29, 2023, with delivery on October 3. The listing described the device as "open box."
Within weeks, the laptop began experiencing "kernel panics"—sudden crashes. In December, the customer took it to Simply Computing for repair. Technicians discovered the logic board had been switched out and found a previous Apple ID on the device, suggesting it had been purchased originally in Mexico. When Simply Computing attempted to reset the laptop, it became locked by the previous Apple ID.
In early January 2024, the customer requested a refund. SaveOnMacs refused, citing the return period had expired, though it offered to replace the logic board "as a goodwill gesture." The customer declined, citing loss of trust in the company.
The tribunal found that SaveOnMacs represented the MacBook as "essentially new"—consistent with the "open box" language on the invoice and the one-year warranty provided. "I find the applicant relied on this representation when she purchased the MacBook," the tribunal stated.
SaveOnMacs argued the customer must have switched the logic board herself and claimed to have cleared any Apple IDs before sale. The tribunal rejected these claims.
Because the customer had used the MacBook for three months, the tribunal declined to order a full refund. Instead, it calculated approximate repair costs and ordered SaveOnMacs to pay $700 in damages.