Check 1 — Serial number against Apple's database
Apple menu → About This Mac → copy the serial number. Open https://checkcoverage.apple.com on your phone, paste it, click Continue. Apple shows you the model, manufacture date, and warranty status.
Red flags: serial 'not recognised' = either an Asian replacement chassis or a stolen Mac with serial scrubbed. Manufacture date wildly different from the model the seller claims. Walk away.
Check 2 — Activation Lock / Find My status
On the Mac being sold, click Apple menu → System Settings → Apple ID → Find My → make sure 'Find My Mac' is OFF and the previous owner is signed out of iCloud completely.
If they refuse, or if it still says someone else's email, the Mac is iCloud-locked and you'll never be able to use it. This is the #1 scam in Pakistan. Don't transfer money until you see a clean Apple ID logout in front of you.
Check 3 — Battery cycle count + health
Apple menu → About This Mac → More Info → System Report → Power. Look for 'Cycle Count' and 'Condition' (or 'Maximum Capacity' on newer macOS).
Acceptable for a used Mac: under 500 cycles, condition 'Normal' or 'Service Recommended' is OK if disclosed and price reflects it. Cycle count over 800 + capacity under 80% = factor in PKR 15,000 for an upcoming battery replacement.
Check 4 — A-number matches model and year
Flip the Mac over. There's a small printed line: 'Designed by Apple in California Assembled in <country> Model: A####'. The A-number tells you exactly what model this is. Cross-check at apple.com/support — does the A-number match what the seller is claiming?
Common scam: seller claims 'MacBook Pro M3' but A-number is A1989 (which is a 2018 Intel Pro, not M3 at all). The chassis may have been swapped to look modern.
Check 5 — Apple Diagnostics
Shut down the Mac. On Intel: hold D while pressing power. On Apple Silicon: hold power until 'Loading startup options', then Command + D. Apple Diagnostics runs a hardware test.
A clean pass shows 'No issues found.' Reference codes starting PPF, PPM, PPN indicate battery faults; PFM means power; VFD means video. Have the seller run this in front of you, not before you arrive.