How to Sell a Broken Chromebook

Can you sell a chromebook that does not work?

Yes. Repairers, people replacing one component and buyers who want a project all shop deliberately at this end. None of them will accept a fault they discover after paying.

What actually goes wrong with chromebooks

These are the faults that move a chromebook down the grades, and the first things a buyer will ask about:

• Machines past their update expiration date
• Small storage and low memory configurations
• Worn keyboards and trackpads
• Missing chargers

Grading it honestly

Fair covers something heavily used, or with a described fault or missing part: around £27 to £112. For Parts covers something not working or incomplete, sold as seen: roughly £15 to £62. Grades are seller-declared and nobody inspects them for you, so grading up does not raise what you get — it produces a buyer who arrives expecting something else. All five grades explained.

Working out what you actually have

Establish the fault properly rather than guessing at it:

1. Look up the model’s Auto Update Expiration date
2. Note the exact model, memory and storage
3. Powerwash the device before selling

Photographing the fault

Photograph the damage directly and in focus — it is the evidence that the rest of the description is honest:

1. Open and powered on, showing the desktop
2. The About ChromeOS screen with the update expiry date visible
3. The keyboard and lid, showing wear
4. The charger and ports, plus any crack or scuff

What to state in the listing

Alongside the fault itself, buyers of broken chromebooks want these confirmed:

• Brand, model, screen size and whether the screen is touch
• Processor, RAM and storage
• Auto-update expiry date from ChromeOS settings
• Real battery life, and whether the original charger is included

Brand, size and update date: “Acer Chromebook 314, 14in, 4GB/64GB, Updates to 2029”. Putting the auto-update expiry in the title is unusual and immediately credible — buyers who know Chromebooks look for it first.

What buyers will ask

Answer these in the listing rather than waiting to be asked:

Is it worth repairing first?

Usually not, unless it is cheap and you can evidence it. What lifts the price is condition and completeness, which a repair rarely restores:

• Auto Update Expiration date still well in the future
• Touchscreen and convertible models
• Backlit keyboards and higher-resolution screens
• Original charger included

If the work would cost more than the gap between £62 and what a sound one fetches, sell it as is broken and let the buyer decide.

When to list it

Strong lift in August and September for the school year, and before Christmas. Machines with years of updates left sell within days.

Getting it to the buyer

Light and easy to post double-boxed. Confirm the powerwash is done before it leaves you.

WishThrift does not process payments, arrange delivery or hold funds. Confirm the money has cleared before the item leaves your hands, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed.

Frequently asked questions

Is a broken chromebook worth anything?

Yes — typically £15 to £62 at For Parts against £60 to £250 working. Repairers and people harvesting one component buy deliberately at this end. Machines past their update expiration date

Should I repair it before selling?

Usually not, unless the repair is cheap and you can evidence it. The things that genuinely lift the price are auto Update Expiration date still well in the future and a repair rarely restores those.

What do buyers ask about a faulty chromebook?

The fault itself, in detail. Read it from About ChromeOS and state the date. After expiry the machine stops receiving security updates, and this is what a knowledgeable buyer checks first. The listing that answers it before being asked is the one that sells.

See also: what chromebook is worth by condition · how to sell chromebook · condition grades explained · all broken & damaged guides · all selling guides.