Published rules

How the verdict works

Every report gets one of four verdicts. The rules are checked in this order, and the first that fits decides. They are simple on purpose, so you can check them by eye.

1. 1 · Walk away

   Any red-flag item is marked Problem: a bulging battery (a fire risk), a lock or account the seller cannot remove (firmware password, Activation Lock, a work or school account), or a serial number that does not match.

2. 2 · Ask first

   Any other item is marked Problem, or the battery health you entered is under 80%. Many of these are fine at the right price; ask about them, and about the price, before you pay.

3. 3 · Test more first

   A red-flag item that applies to this computer (the battery, the locks and accounts, the serial number) was not tested, or more than 2 of the nine bench tests were not tested, or fewer than 4 of them were marked Works. Does not apply never counts as not tested.

4. 4 · Looks good

   None of the above. It means you found nothing wrong in the parts you checked; it is not a guarantee.

What the tests record

Only what you see on the report: your answers, and the numbers each test shows (keys lit, the microphone’s peak level, the camera’s picture size, the network round trip, whether charging started, and what the browser says about the screen, processor threads, memory and charge level). No sound, picture, keystroke text or file leaves the computer.

The answers are yours. Once-Over does not watch the test and cannot vouch for a report someone else made.