Activation lock, MDM, firmware password?
We buy locked MacBooks that everyone else turns away.
You've got a perfectly good MacBook — the screen is flawless, the keyboard works, the battery holds a charge — but it's stuck on a lock screen and you can't get past it. Apple's trade-in says no. Gazelle says no. SellCell says no. Back Market says no. Every buyback program on the internet wants a clean, unlocked Mac or they won't touch it. We handle locked Macs daily — activation lock, MDM enrollment, firmware/EFI passwords, and admin passwords you don't know. We verify the serial isn't stolen, quote from full hardware value, and pay you for a machine that works perfectly but happens to have a software lock on it.
Which lock do you have?
🔒 Activation Lock (iCloud Lock)
After erasing the Mac or at first setup, it asks for the original Apple ID and password. Shows "This Mac is locked" with an email hint. Most common on secondhand purchases and inherited machines.
🏢 MDM / Remote Management Lock
At setup, the Mac says "This Mac is supervised and managed by [Company Name]" and forces enrollment in Jamf, Mosyle, Kandji, or Intune. Common on ex-corporate and school machines that were erased without being released from Apple Business Manager.
🔑 Firmware / EFI Password
The Mac shows a padlock icon when you try to boot from Recovery or an external drive. Can't reinstall macOS, can't boot from USB. Common on 2015–2019 Intel Macs from schools and businesses. Apple can remove it — but only with proof of purchase.
👤 Admin Password Lock
The Mac boots to a login screen and you don't know the password. Everything else works — you just can't log in. Common on purchased-at-auction machines, company handoffs without credentials, and forgotten passwords.
Not sure which one you have? Text a photo of the screen to (740) 223-5530 — we'll tell you in 5 minutes.
Everyone else says $0. Here's what we pay.
| Device & Lock Type | Apple Trade-In | BackMarket / SellCell | LuxuriousComputers |
|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook Pro M1/M2/M3 — admin/MDM locked, hardware fine | $0 (requires original owner) | $0–$30 (most decline) | $380–$640 |
| MacBook Air M1/M2/M3 — activation lock, won't pass Setup Assistant | $0 (no unlock without proof) | $0–$20 | $220–$400 |
| MacBook Pro 2016–2019 — firmware password, EFI lock | $0 (requires proof of purchase) | $0–$15 | $80–$200 |
| MacBook Air 2017–2019 — iCloud lock, admin password unknown | $0 (declined) | $0–$10 | $50–$140 |
Values shown in store credit toward any purchase. Every serial is checked against Apple's activation-lock database and stolen-property registries before we make an offer. Hardware must be physically intact — the value is in the screen, board, keyboard, and battery, not the lock status.
How it works
Tell us exactly what screen you're stuck on
Text a photo of the lock screen to (740) 223-5530. Is it an activation lock (Apple ID required), an MDM enrollment prompt (remote management), a firmware/EFI password, or a login screen you can't get past? Each one has a different path — and a different value. We'll tell you which you have and what the Mac is worth.
We verify the Mac isn't stolen
We run the serial against Apple's activation-lock status checker and national stolen-property databases. If it clears — and the vast majority do, because most locked Macs are simply leftover corporate machines or forgotten Apple IDs — we quote it. If it flags, we explain why and you keep the Mac; we never take a machine with a theft flag.
Bring it in or ship it
Walk in to 731 E Center St #200, Marion OH (Tue–Sat 10am–7pm) for a same-day bench quote, or call first and we'll send a prepaid label. We handle locked Macs daily — you don't need to solve the lock before selling it. That's our job.
Same-day credit toward a working Mac
Store credit applies instantly toward any Mac in the shop. Most people with a locked Mac trade it for a clean, fully set-up M1 or M2 and walk out the same day with a machine that actually works — no lock, no admin password, no enrollment screen.
Why a locked Mac isn't a worthless Mac
The hardware is 100% intact. An activation lock or MDM enrollment is a software state — the screen, keyboard, battery, logic board, and chassis are all perfect. A locked M2 MacBook Pro has identical hardware to an unlocked one; the only difference is a flag in Apple's servers.
The screen alone is worth $250–$450. A clean Retina or Liquid Retina XDR display assembly has a steady parts market regardless of whether the Mac boots to macOS or a lock screen. The lock doesn't touch the display panel.
Apple Silicon boards hold their value locked or not. An M1/M2/M3 logic board powers a fully functional Mac once the lock is resolved. These are the most valuable individual parts in a MacBook — and a software lock doesn't damage them.
Buyback programs decline locks because it's inconvenient, not because the Mac is worthless. Gazelle, SellCell, and Apple Trade-In are automated — they can't handle anything that requires human judgment. We can.
Common scenarios we see every week
Bought it on Facebook Marketplace / Craigslist
Seller said it was clean, but after you erased it the activation lock appeared. The seller's gone, Apple won't help without their Apple ID, and you're stuck with a $1,000 paperweight. We verify it's not stolen and buy it.
Company laptop they let you keep
Your employer gave you the Mac when you left, but IT didn't release it from MDM. You erased it for personal use and now it's stuck on the enrollment screen. The company's IT won't help (or doesn't exist anymore). Bring it in.
Inherited from a family member
A family member passed away and the Mac is locked with their Apple ID. Apple requires the death certificate, proof of ownership, and a court order in many cases — a process that takes months if it works at all. We handle it differently.
Forgot your own Apple ID password
You erased the Mac for a fresh start and can't remember the Apple ID password. iforgot.apple.com didn't work, you don't have another Apple device, and now the Mac is locked. Try Apple Support first — if that fails, sell it to us.
Bought at auction or liquidation
You picked up 10 MacBooks at a government or corporate liquidation auction. Three of them have firmware passwords and two have activation locks. The auctioneer shrugs. We buy them in bulk — bring the lot.
School Mac that was never returned
Your kid graduated and the school never asked for the Mac back — but it's enrolled in their MDM. Now it's stuck on a Mosyle or Jamf enrollment screen after an update. The school's IT office says they "can't" release it. We take it.
Related sell options
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between activation lock, MDM lock, firmware lock, and admin lock?
Activation Lock is Apple's iCloud-based theft deterrent — the Mac asks for the original Apple ID and password at setup or after an erase. MDM (Mobile Device Management) lock means the Mac is enrolled in a company or school's device management system (Jamf, Mosyle, Kandji, Microsoft Intune) and forces re-enrollment on erase. Firmware/EFI lock is an older Intel-era password set at the hardware level that blocks booting from external drives or Recovery. Admin lock simply means you're at a login screen and don't know the admin password — the Mac boots fine but you can't get in. We buy all four types.
Do you buy activation-locked MacBooks?
Yes — if the serial clears our stolen-property check. Most activation-locked Macs are legitimate: someone sold a laptop and forgot to sign out of iCloud, a family member passed away, or a company decommissioned machines without removing Apple IDs. The hardware is perfectly good; the lock just needs to be resolved. We handle that process and pay you from the full hardware value.
How much is an admin-locked or activation-locked MacBook worth?
It depends on the model and which lock type. An Apple Silicon M-series MacBook Pro with an activation lock and no physical damage earns $380–$640 in store credit — close to what a clean one would get, because the hardware is fine. An M1/M2 Air earns $220–$400. Older Intel machines with firmware locks earn $50–$200. Use the calculator above for your exact model.
Will Apple remove an activation lock for me?
Apple will remove an activation lock only if you can prove you're the original owner — with the original receipt, the Apple ID credentials, or proof of purchase that matches the serial number. If you bought it secondhand, inherited it, or received it from a company that no longer exists, Apple will not help. Their support page literally says "If you can't provide proof of purchase, Apple may not be able to help you." We don't require proof of original purchase — we verify the serial isn't flagged stolen and handle the rest.
My company gave me this Mac but now it's MDM-locked after I erased it — can you help?
This is extremely common. The company enrolled the Mac in their MDM (Jamf, Mosyle, Kandji, etc.) and when you erased it to use as a personal machine, the MDM enrollment re-triggered because the serial is still in Apple Business Manager. You have two options: ask the company's IT department to release the serial from their ABM account (if they still exist and will do it), or sell the Mac to us as-is. We deal with MDM-locked machines daily and pay full hardware value minus the lock resolution.
Is it legal to sell an activation-locked MacBook?
Yes — selling a locked Mac that you legitimately own is legal. It's your property. Activation lock is a software feature, not a legal status. What's illegal is selling stolen property, which is why we check every serial against Apple's database and stolen-property registries before we buy. If it clears, the sale is straightforward. If it flags, we decline the sale and explain why.
I forgot my own Apple ID password and now my Mac is locked — what should I try first?
Before selling, try these: go to iforgot.apple.com and reset your Apple ID password using your email, phone number, or recovery key. If you have another Apple device signed into the same Apple ID, use it to reset the password from Settings → Apple ID → Password & Security. If you set up a recovery contact or recovery key, use those. If none of that works and you're locked out of both the Mac and the Apple ID, bring the Mac to us with your original receipt — we can sometimes help verify ownership with Apple on your behalf, or we'll buy it as-is at locked value.
Can you unlock my Mac for me?
We don't offer unlocking as a standalone service — we buy the Mac at locked value and handle the resolution ourselves. If you want to keep the Mac, your best path is contacting Apple Support with proof of purchase, or asking your company's IT team to release it from MDM. If those paths are dead ends, selling it to us is the practical option — you get credit toward a clean machine that works right now.
My Mac has a firmware/EFI password and I can't boot — is it still worth something?
Yes. A firmware password blocks booting from external drives and accessing Recovery mode, but the hardware underneath is fine — the screen, keyboard, logic board, and battery are all unaffected. On Intel Macs, Apple can remove a firmware password with proof of purchase at an Apple Store. If you can't get Apple to do it, we buy the Mac as-is and handle it ourselves. These are especially common with 2015–2019 MacBook Pros from schools and businesses.
A locked Mac isn't a dead Mac. Get paid for the hardware that's perfectly fine.
Walk in Tue–Sat 10am–7pm at 731 E Center St #200, Marion OH — or text a photo of the lock screen to (740) 223-5530 and we'll quote you in minutes.