So, you want to sell your used Chromebook.
And you want to get the most cash back you can get for it.
(Why wouldn’t you?)
But you have no idea what it’s worth. You don’t even know the exact model number.
Don’t worry. It’s pretty easy when you take it step-by-step.
In this article, you’ll read about these topics:
- How to find the exact Chromebook you have
- How to assess it and price it right
- How to find the average market price for new and used versions
- How to resell your Chromebook
- Advice and tips for selling it
- Best places to list it for sale
- Warranty and other details
- Wiping your Chromebook before you sell it
- Unenrolling it from managed networks
- Other things you should know before you sell
Sound good? Let’s get you the most cash you can get for your used Chromebook.
How much can you sell a Chromebook for?
This depends on a variety of factors as there’s no single answer! Your Chromebook’s condition, age, battery life, cosmetic condition, hardware features, and even if the charging cables are included all contribute to the resale value.
It’s very difficult to give an average price of how much you can sell a used Chromebook for.
But you can expect to get back about 20-50% of the current MSRP. This is due to the supply and demand of these units. They’re widely distributed in schools and when schools turn them over, they’re sent back to the manufacturer for refurbishment.
After that, they’re sold on the public market as a refurb, which then drives the used Chromebook price down even further. You can’t compete with a refurb done by a professional if you’re a single seller.
You’ll have to pay a lower price than them.
Add in the fact that the demand for Chromebooks is relatively low compared to Windows and that they’re extremely affordable begin with (some cost less than $200). And thus, you’re left with a device that won’t resale for much.
Don’t expect a pretty penny for your used laptop.
Find out how much your Chromebook’s worth
The first you need to do is check how much your specific Chromebook is worth.
This will let you know how much it can be sold once you gauge the full retail MSRP for a new one.
Then, you’ll want to assess the current condition of yours and estimate a fair price.
Check the model of your Chromebook
There are dozens upon dozens of different Chromebook models out there, and it can be easy to get overwhelmed.
Some manufacturers will even update their flagship models/units every year, so then there are models and variants of each one.
Some Chromebooks are released and plagued with problems, so they build a “fixed” model and release it shortly after, which results in yet another variant. It can be pretty confusing.
And pricing your used Chromebook will be a nightmare.
Thankfully, it’s super easy to find out what Chromebook you have.
Check out this tutorial to locate your model number on your device. Then it’s just plugin in online and find the average price for a new unit.
Look online for average prices
This is how you can get the value of your used Chromebook.
Check online for the current market retail price. Just punch in your model number to get an accurate pricing description, because if you just type in the model name and brand, you may be looking at the current model which has an inflated price compared to an older one.
For example, if you punch in “Acer Chromebook 11,” you’ll see that the latest price on popular retailers (Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, etc.) are all retailing around $160. This is for the latest model.
But if you bought yours a couple of years ago, the value is a lot lower than $160 because it’s used and an older model- even though it’s technically considered an “Acer Chromebook 11.”
Does that make sense?
The model number is the easiest way to get an accurate resale price because a new model ID will be released for every variant that comes out.
So once you get the price for a NEW unit, you can start gauging from there. Some retailers will also list refurbished Chromebooks or used ones. You can use those prices to further get fair pricing for your unit.
Check local classifieds like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace for local sellers in your area with the same model.
Or check online on eBay or Amazon for used Chromebooks to see what they’re going for.
This makes it a lot easier to see how much your Chromebook is worth.
Price it accordingly
You don’t want to rip off the new buyer, and they probably won’t buy it if they can get a cheaper deal elsewhere.
So don’t price it super high for no reason. If it’s scruffed up, damaged, or in poor cosmetic condition (scratches, fingerprints, smudges, etc.), you need to sell it cheaper- unless it’s a rare model.
If you have a PixelBook or Samsung Pro, you may be able to charge a premium for it since it’s a high-end Chromebook.
But for the majority of us, we just have cookie-cutter models that are plentiful on the market.
So we’re competing with other people who are selling the same thing. You can’t overprice it unless you don’t need to sell it right away. The lower you price it, the faster it’ll sell.
That’s supply and demand 101.
Some things that you need to consider when deciding on a price:
- The current condition of the laptop
- Damage (scratches, paint damage, scruffs, etc.)
- Screen condition (scratches, dead pixels, fingerprints, etc.)
- Battery condition
- Cables and chargers included?
- Other accessories (screen protectors, protective cases or sleeves, laptop coolers, external speakers, earbuds, headphones, webcams, USB media, or other Chromebook gear)
- How old is your Chromebook?
- Current gen? Last gen?
- Current variant? Or a newer version is out?
- Transferable warranty?
- Did you protect it with a case?
After doing a fair assessment of your used Chromebook, you give it a fair price to get the most for your money but not rip off the buyer.
About that warranty
Chromebook warranties are NON-transferable, meaning that the new buyer who buys your used Chromebook won’t get whatever remaining warranty left on it.
So they’re basically flying blind and will have to deal with whatever mechanical or technical problems crop up over time.
You can’t transfer the warranty unless you bought some third-party plan that allows for transfer. Most plans don’t allow this.
And I doubt anyone would go out of their way to find a plan that does to cover something only worth a few hundred that’s cheap compared to other laptops.
So don’t use the warranty as a selling point when you put it up for sale.
How do I clear my Chromebook to sell it?
Wiping your Chromebook before you sell the thing is a necessity. You don’t want the new buyer to be able to see your name, email, and possibly your picture if you’re using it as your avatar on the lock screen.
Chrome OS is very secure by nature and they won’t be able to sign in to your account if you’re logged out. But they can still see your primary owner account’s details from the login page.
So you’ll want to completely erase your Chromebook so every trace of your information is gone permanently.
Thankfully, this is easy to do with Chrome OS’s built-in self destruct tool. You’ve probably heard of it. It’s called a Powerwash.
This will wipe EVERYTHING on your system- settings, pictures, wallpapers, media, files, saved downloads, etc. It’ll even wipe the owner account from the device so it’s like brand new. It’ll be restored to factory conditions like the first day you go tit.
You can perform a Powerwash anytime. Just be sure to back up everything you want to keep before you do so.
Once you begin the process, there’s no going back!
Unenroll the device
If your Chromebook is enrolled in a network, such as a school or work environment, be sure to unroll it first. If you don’t, you’ll end up locking out the new buyer.
If your school or work admin is giving these things away (as there are not that many reasons why else you’d sell a managed device), the new buyer won’t be able to access it if it’s still enrolled.
So if it’s currently managed by your team, you’ll have to remove the device from the enterprise to make it accessible. This is easy to do and only requires the admin’s agreement.
If your business is getting rid of a bunch of used Chromebooks and you want to sell them, that’s fine.
Just unmanaged them first, followed by a Powerwash, and you’re good to go. The new owner will thank you rather than calling you because they can’t log on.
You may even be able to sell them all at once in a package deal!
Remove the primary owner
Don’t forget to remove yourself from the Chromebook if you haven’t already.
You can’t change the owner on a Chromebook without deleting the current one first. Chrome OS automatically sets the main account as whoever logs on first.
So if you sell it with your Google Account info still on the device, the new buyer won’t be able to do any admin functions because they don’t have the elevated privileges and rights since they’re stuck with your account.
Remove yourself from the device before you sell it. Then the new owner can create their own account and be assigned as the new owner.
Can I sell my Chromebook?
Yes, it’s totally legal to sell your Chromebook (at least, here in the US to my knowledge), provided that it’s not the property of your school or workplace.
Maybe you’ve upgraded to a more powerful model.
Or perhaps Chrome OS isn’t for you. Or you’re just bored of your Chromebook and looking for something new.
You can sell your laptop in all the places you’d expect- online or locally.
Some states may require some specific regulations before you can sell your used laptop. So check in with that first.
Best place to sell used Chromebooks
There are many different places you can sell your used laptop.
Everything from online marketplaces to local swap groups can be used. And they’re 99% free to use.
Here’s a list of some places you can sell your used Chromebook:
There’s no “best” place to sell.
But if you want to sell it fast and get paid, then price it competitively and you should have no problem. Some places are more suited for used laptops than others.
For example, if you sell on Swappa or FB Marketplace, you’ll sell quicker than dealing with buyers on eBay or Reddit from my experience.
But it all depends on what you have to offer and the price you’re willing to sell for.
What’s resale value on Chromebooks? How much can I sell it for?
Here’s the kicker: The average Chromebook won’t sell for much.
There are many reasons behind this but the market is flooded with used Chromebooks.
Trying to price yours above the average model will just result in a very slow and tedious selling process as you deal with low balling buyers. It may be worth your time to just price it UNDER market price by a few dollars and getting the whole dang thing over with!
Even flippers who buy used/damaged Chromebooks and then repair them to flip them are having trouble.
These machines are cheap and affordable by nature, so the profit margins are extremely thin- sometimes so thin that all the trouble of putting up the listing, taking pics, and dealing with annoying buyers isn’t worth that $20 you’ll make.
Here are some reasons why the resale price on Chromebooks is so low.
Chromebooks are cheap to begin with
Self-explanatory. If the MSRP is already cheap, there’s little upside to selling your device in the aftermarket.
Why would someone try to save $50 by buying a used laptop with no warranty and the doubt of technical or hardware damage when they can just buy it brand new?
Especially the questionable battery condition? It’s not worth it for a cheap investment.
Dated and obsolete electronics
Chromebooks, phones, computers, graphics cards- everything rolls out very quickly in the tech world.
As your Chromebook gets older and outdated, the resale value drops dramatically.
The battery is more and more damaged. The cosmetic wear is more apparent. The hardware is more prone to failure.
And the technology, hardware, and components become outdated. They’re slower or even obsolete by the time you sell.
So this is why you can’t price it too high and expect buyers to flood your email inbox.
The freebies for new buyers
Everyone that buys a brand new Chromebook gets the 100GB of free Google Drive storage and some other random freebies.
This is non-transferable, and a lot of people use Drive.
Some may even pay the premium of buying new over used just for this.
Or this can be icing on the cake for those persuading themselves to buy new vs. used Chromebooks.
The warranty doesn’t transfer
This is self-explanatory.
Even if you just bought your Chromebook last month and now you want to sell it, the warranty from the manufacturer doesn’t transfer to the new owner.
So they’ll be responsible for any repairs necessary. This dissuades them to buy a used one when they can just pay $50 more for a brand new one- WITH the warranty.
Refurbished Chromebooks exist
As you probably know, the largest demographic of Chromebook users are students.
When schools get rid of Chromebooks, they’re sent back in huge quantities.
Damaged Chromebooks, model upgrades, tech swaps- whatever the case, the manufacturer or retailer has a deal with the school districts to take these Chromebooks back (at least, that’s how I think it works).
They buy them back and then refurbish them for resale.
As a second-hand buyer, options and choices exist.
They can decide between buying a professionally refurbished Chromebook from the manufacturer, or they can buy a questionable condition one from a seller (you).
So now as a used Chromebook seller, you’re competing with pro refurbished products. And as a consumer, I can tell you that I trust professional refurb models over a random seller listing.
Plus, these companies are selling them by the hundreds so they just want to get rid of them- even if the profit margin is thin.
So they’ll price these professionally restored Chromebooks for a very cheap price. Then that’s your competition.
Now you have to compete with these factory refurbs and price below that. See where I’m getting at?
Where can I sell my Chromebook near me?
If you don’t want to sell your device online, then use a local classifieds directory to meet up locally with a buyer.
The most popular one is Craigslist, but Facebook Marketplace is quickly becoming adopted by its users. If you want transparency and the feeling of security, FB Marketplace may be the way to go just because you can see the user’s profile (even though they can be fake).
Craigslist is still extremely popular and putting up your Chromebook for sale may get you hits in minutes, but it’s almost completely anonymous until you meet up.
I’d imagine the younger generation who grew up with Facebook will find it easier to use and easy to list. Older folks may prefer craigslist.
Whatever the case, these are the two resources I can recommend to quickly sell your Chromebook to people nearby.
There are other local classifieds, but they’re not as popular so you’ll be wasting time putting up a description, pictures, etc. multiple times.
Why even bother?
How to sell your Chromebook (Tips and advice)
Here’s the TL;DR version of everything you need to know to sell your used laptop and get the most back:
- Get your model number
- Research the average price (new vs. used)
- Assess your Chromebook’s condition (cosmetic damage, wear and tear, battery condition, hardware, age, etc.)
- Price it accordingly
- Wipe your Chromebook before selling it (Powerwash)
- Unenroll from any managed school or work environments if needed
- Put it online on eBay, Reddit’s hardware swap, OfferUp, etc. if you want to sell nationally.
- List it on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist if you want to sell locally
- Sell it and get your cash
That’s it, my friend.
Did you sell your Chromebook?
You should now have a bunch of different ways to sell your used Chromebook and get the most money you possibly can for it.
Chromebooks are inherently cheap and budget-friendly, so you can’t expect to get all your money back- much less “profit” from anything.
Unless you’re selling a high-end, premium model like the Google PixelBook or Samsung Pro/Plus, you’re not going to get that much of your investment back.
Chromebooks are widely distributed in schools (where students are the main demographic) and they don’t really have a need to go out and buy one.
But for those who purchase one for personal use, that’s where your used one comes into play.
If you have any other methods, post them in the comments below!
Or if you found this page useful, please let me know as well =].
Thanks for reading.
mine is persenol
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