AITA for refusing to refund a friend for a used MacBook I sold to him?

A Reddit user recently shared a story about a tricky situation with a friend who purchased a used MacBook from them. Initially, they agreed on a price of €500, which was already below market value, and even allowed the friend a test period.

However, months after the sale, the friend reached out, complaining about a screen issue and requesting a full refund, citing repair costs that exceed what he paid. Should the Redditor be responsible for a refund this long after the sale? Read the full story below to weigh in on the details.

‘ AITA for refusing to refund a friend for a used MacBook I sold to him?’

A few months ago, a good friend of mine wanted to buy my MacBook M1 2020. I asked him what he was willing to offer, and he said €500 but requested a test period. I agreed to let him test it out.

After about three weeks without hearing from him, I reached out to see how things were going. He said he was satisfied but had noticed some slight visual damage on the corner of the laptop and mentioned that there was no charger included. Because of these issues, he asked if I would accept €400 instead. I felt that €500 was already below market price, so I countered with €450, and he agreed.

Now, months later, he contacted me saying that a line has appeared on the screen, which is getting darker over time. He believes it might be related to the screen itself or its connection. He mentioned that he’s always kept the laptop in a hard case and stored it carefully. He also noted that the screen seems a bit loose.

He’s asking if he can return the laptop and get a full refund because the repair costs are higher than what he originally paid.

I sold the laptop to him in good faith, and it was functioning properly during the test period and at the time of sale. Am I the a**hole for refusing to refund him after several months have passed?

Take a look at the comments from fellow users:

Secret-Sample1683 −  NTA. A deal is a deal. But learn from this. I never sell anything to friends or family because of situations like this. It’s not worth hurting relationships when you mix business with people you know.

TemptingPenguin369 −  NTA. He knew he was buying a nearly five-year-old laptop without a charger. He made the price offer and you accepted it. Hopefully you’ve learned the lesson of not doing business with friends or family.

ExistenceRaisin −  NTA. You sold it to him in good faith, these problems appeared after he bought it. That’s not your responsibility

thekid53 −  Months he has had it? Yea it’s not on you.

Militantignorance −  NTA If he wants a flawless MacBook with a warranty, he can go pay Apple the 2000+ Euros for one.

Wonderful_Horror7315 −  NTA The trial period was generous and he was satisfied with keeping it at the negotiated price. The laptop and its problems are his problems now.

BeringC −  NTA-
The test period was pretty generous and was over with.
You have no idea how he treated the laptop once he had it. He could have dropped it and damaged it, how are you supposed to know?

OceansEcho −  Something sounds fishy about this story. 3 weeks without a charger? How did he charge the MacBook for those 3 weeks?

xhevnobski −  NTA. You both made a deal you were satisfied with. Just because he has buyers remorse down the line doesn’t mean you have to refund him. It’s not like you gave him a warranty.

TangerineEarly7777 −  No.. NTA
You have no idea if he’s accidentally dropped it or whatever since he’s had it. He could easily be lying.
This is what testing periods are for, which you graciously agreed to.

Do you think the Reddit user’s decision was fair given the time that has passed, or should they have considered the friend’s request for a refund? How would you handle this kind of issue with a friend? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!