What a fair price looks like
Condition on WishThrift is described by the seller against five grades, and nobody inspects it on your behalf — so the description and the photographs are what you are buying on.
| Condition | Typical | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| New with Tags | £700 (~$932) | Unused, tags or seals intact |
| Like New | £595 (~$793) | Barely used, no visible wear |
| Good | £455 (~$606) | Light signs of use, complete and working |
| Fair | £315 (~$420) | Heavily used, or a described fault or missing part |
| For Parts | £175 (~$233) | Not working or incomplete, sold as seen |
Sterling guide ranges with an approximate US dollar equivalent at £1 ≈ $1.33 (July 2026). Sellers set their own asking price; these are a starting point for judging an offer. All five grades explained.
The checklist before you pay
An account lock is the single biggest one — a device still signed in to an iCloud, Google or Microsoft account cannot be reset and is effectively unusable. After that, battery health and undisclosed third-party repairs.
Run through these before money changes hands — they are the things that decide whether a laptop is worth what is being asked:
- Mechanical hard drives, which make an otherwise fine machine feel obsolete
- A battery that only runs while plugged in
- Cracked hinges or a flexing chassis, common on older budget models
- Pre-installed manufacturer software the buyer has to clear out
And the things worth paying more for, because they hold their value:
- A recent processor generation and an SSD rather than a mechanical drive
- 16GB of memory or more, which keeps a machine usable for years longer
- A clean, bright screen with no dead pixels or backlight bleed
- Original charger, and a battery that still holds a working day
Common faults and fakes
Outright counterfeits are rare outside accessories, where fake chargers and cables are a genuine fire risk. The commoner problem is a device described as working that has a fault the seller knows about.
Ask the seller to factory reset and remove their account BEFORE you pay, and to send a photograph of the settings screen showing it signed out. Ask for the exact model identifier and, on anything with a battery, the battery health figure.
WishThrift does not authenticate, inspect or grade anything, and no marketplace check replaces your own. If a seller will not answer a direct question about condition or origin, that is the answer.
Questions to ask the seller
These are the three that get asked most often about a laptop, and the answers tell you most of what you need:
Give a real figure from an actual test. Vague reassurance here is the fastest way to a dispute, because the buyer will find out on day one.
Say yes or no in the listing. A missing proprietary charger can cost the buyer £40 and they will deduct more than that if surprised.
Answer with the actual specification rather than a yes. State the processor, RAM and whether it has a dedicated graphics card, and let them judge.
Also worth establishing before you commit:
- Note the exact processor, memory and storage from the system information panel
- Run the battery down from full and time it honestly
- Search sold listings for that processor generation rather than the brand alone
Photographs to ask for
If the listing does not already show these, ask — a seller who has the item will send them in minutes:
- Open, powered on, showing the desktop so the screen is provably working
- Closed lid and the base, showing scuffs, dents and any missing feet
- The keyboard straight on, since worn key legends are an obvious wear signal buyers look for
- The specification screen, plus the charger you are including
Details to confirm before you commit
- Processor model and generation, RAM in GB, and storage type and size
- Screen size and resolution
- Realistic battery life unplugged, or plainly that it needs mains power
- Whether the original charger is included, and the operating system installed
Live laptop listings
There is 1 live on WishThrift right now:
When to buy
A steady seller all year with a clear lift in late August and September as students buy. Well-specified machines sell within a week; older or vaguely described ones can sit for months.
Prices move against that cycle for a buyer: the cheapest time to buy is when sellers are listing most, not when demand peaks.
Paying and collecting safely
WishThrift does not process payments, hold funds or offer buyer protection — you agree the price and the method with the seller directly, which is what keeps the platform free on both sides. Meet somewhere public where you can, inspect before you pay, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed. Be wary of any seller who wants to move the conversation elsewhere before you have agreed anything.
Selling one instead?
If you already have a laptop sitting unused, it is free to list and there is no commission — the price you agree is the amount you keep. Read how to sell laptop for what to photograph and how to price, or what laptop is worth at each condition grade.
Frequently asked questions
What should I pay for a used laptop?
Around £78 to £455 in good condition, more for barely-used examples and less for anything with a described fault. Compare against the seller’s photographs rather than the grade alone.
How do I check a laptop before buying?
Ask the seller to factory reset and remove their account BEFORE you pay, and to send a photograph of the settings screen showing it signed out. Ask for the exact model identifier and, on anything with a battery, the battery health figure.
Is buying a laptop second hand safe?
Yes, with the ordinary care any private sale needs. WishThrift does not authenticate, inspect or hold funds, so inspect before you pay where you can, meet somewhere public, and keep the conversation on the site. An account lock is the single biggest one — a device still signed in to an iCloud, Google or Microsoft account cannot be reset and is effectively unusable. After that, battery health and undisclosed third-party repairs.
See also: all buying guides · laptop value guide · selling laptop · Electronics · condition grades.