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Condition grading

Graded by hand, in plain English.

Seven condition grades, one ladder. Here’s exactly what each grade means, how a machine earns it, and what you’ll see on the listing before you buy.

7grades One ladder, best to worstThe badge on every product card is the grade 45-point Test before any gradeThe same inspection every machine in the shop passes 80%+ Battery health, every refurbished gradeBelow the line, a machine lists as Used — whatever it looks like
The ladder

Seven grades, best to worst.

The grade is the cosmetic verdict. The evidence is on the listing: a condition note for every area — screen, display lid, keyboard, palm rest, bottom case, edges and corners — and photos of the actual unit you’ll receive.

  1. Brand NewBrand new

    Factory sealed.

    Brand new in the original box, never opened. Any remaining manufacturer coverage — AppleCare+ dates, for example — is spelled out on the listing.

    • CosmeticsSealed — nothing to report
    • BatteryFactory fresh
    • CoverageOur one-year warranty alongside any manufacturer coverage
  2. Open BoxNew, opened

    Opened, never used.

    New condition with no wear, but the retail packaging has been opened or is missing — typically a unit powered on for testing or display.

    • CosmeticsNo wear
    • BatteryFactory fresh
    • CoverageOne year
  3. ExcellentCertified Pre-owned

    Looks like new.

    No visible scratches or wear on the screen, display lid, keyboard, palm rest or bottom case. Fully tested and functional — you’d struggle to tell it from new.

    • CosmeticsNo visible scratches or wear
    • Battery80% health or higher, condition Normal
    • CoverageOne year · 30-day returns
  4. Very GoodCertified Pre-owned

    Light wear you have to look for.

    A few very light scratches or small nicks on the body — the kind you notice under direct light, not from across a desk. Screen clear, everything fully functional.

    • CosmeticsVery light scratches or nicks
    • Battery80% health or higher, condition Normal
    • CoverageOne year · 30-day returns
  5. GoodCertified Pre-owned

    Honest wear, fully working.

    Visible scratches, scuffs or nicks from normal use — each one described in the listing, area by area, and shown in the photos. Everything works exactly as it should.

    • CosmeticsVisible scratches, scuffs or nicks
    • Battery80% health or higher, condition Normal
    • CoverageOne year · 30-day returns
  6. UsedTested, as described

    Heavier wear, or a tired battery.

    Fully tested and working, but it didn’t qualify for a refurbished grade: heavier cosmetic wear, or a battery below 80% health. The listing says which.

    • CosmeticsHeavier wear, described and photographed
    • BatteryMay be below 80% — the exact figure is on the listing
    • CoverageOne year · 30-day returns
  7. Parts OnlyNot fully functional

    Sold as-is, for parts or repair.

    Something doesn’t work, and the listing states exactly what. For technicians and tinkerers — not a machine to use as-is.

    • CosmeticsAs photographed
    • BatteryNot guaranteed
    • Coverage14 days
Before the grade

Tested first. Graded after.

A grade is only a cosmetic verdict. Before any machine gets one, it has to pass the same 45-point test every device in the shop goes through — and what we find is written on the listing.

45checkpoints Our own test, dialed in over twenty years — not off-the-shelf software.
0repaired units Anything with a functional fault goes to our recycler, not our shelves.
100% real photos Every listing is shot in-house — the actual device, every angle.

Function

  • Boots, charges and runs the latest OS — licensed Windows 10 or 11, or the current macOS
  • Speakers, webcam and ports exercised by hand
  • Gaming GPUs run under load and checked for temperature
  • Every port, key and the trackpad confirmed working

Battery

  • Health percentage read from the machine
  • Cycle count, maximum and design capacity recorded
  • Battery condition as reported by the OS
  • Replaced batteries called out as “New Battery”

Cosmetics

  • Screen, display lid, keyboard, palm rest, bottom case, edges and corners — one line each
  • Photos of the actual item you will receive
  • Specs you can read on the card: processor, memory, storage, year, color

What never reaches the shelf

A grade never papers over a fault. If testing finds one, the machine isn’t graded — it’s recycled.

  • Cracked or damaged screens
  • Liquid damage
  • Dead ports or failed components
  • Repaired machines — the only part we ever replace is a battery, and we say so
  • Stock photos
Batteries

The 80% line.

Battery health is the one spec a photo can’t show — so it has a hard rule, and it can move a machine down the ladder on its own.

80%+Minimum battery health for any refurbished grade. Batteries are consumable and not covered by the warranty — which is exactly why the number is printed up front.

80% or higher for Excellent, Very Good and Good

A refurbished grade requires battery health of 80% or more and a Normal condition reading. Below that, the machine is listed as Used — however good it looks.

The exact number, on the listing

Health percentage, cycle count, maximum and design capacity, read from the machine and printed in the spec table — and as a badge right on the product card where we’ve measured it.

Replaced? We say so.

If a fully functional machine needed a new battery, the listing says “New Battery”. Nothing else is ever replaced or repaired — batteries are the one exception.

On the card Excellent 96% battery Used 74% battery
The details

Grading, question by question.

Straight answers on what the grades mean and how they’re earned.

Who assigns the grade?

A technician with the machine in hand, after it has passed the 45-point test. The grade summarizes the cosmetic condition; the listing’s condition notes and photos are the detail behind it.

Is “Good” a bad sign?

No. Good means fully functional with visible cosmetic wear from normal use — scratches, scuffs or nicks. Each mark is described in the listing, area by area, and shown in the photos, so there are no surprises.

What’s the difference between Used and Good?

Both are fully tested and working. Good is a Certified Pre-owned grade: battery health of 80% or higher with a Normal condition reading, and moderate wear at most. Used means the machine missed one of those bars — heavier wear, or a battery below 80% — and the listing says which.

Does the grade say anything about the battery?

Yes. Excellent, Very Good and Good all require battery health of 80% or higher and a Normal condition reading. Where we’ve measured it, the exact health percentage and cycle count are printed in the listing’s spec table and shown as a badge on the product card.

Do refurbished machines come with a warranty?

Every computer we sell carries a minimum one-year Computer Overhauls hardware warranty, plus a 30-day return window. Batteries are consumable and aren’t covered, which is why their health is disclosed up front. Full details are on the returns & warranty page.

Are the photos of the actual unit?

Always. We photograph the device being sold — never stock images — so you can inspect exactly what you’re buying.

What does “Parts Only” mean?

The machine isn’t fully functional and is sold as-is for parts or repair. The listing states exactly what doesn’t work. It’s intended for technicians and tinkerers, not for everyday use.

Still have questions?

The same team that tests and grades our machines answers every message — no ticket queues, no bots.

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