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Apple gave me a refurb!!!

R

RobinHood5

macrumors regular
Original poster
😱 I got an iPad last fall and had the mic go out within 3 months. Apple said they would just replace the iPad instead of fixing it. I asked them if it was a BRAND NEW iPad. They said it was and that it most definitely was not a refurb.

Well I looked at the serial number today and found it started with DK. Refurb.

What do I do. I want a NEW one and I think it shouldn't just get pushed under the rug that they do this stuff.
 
#Firstworldproblems

Refurbs are just as good as new units. My refurb iPhone 4 is just as good as my original 4( killed by washer machine).
 
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RobinHood5 said:
That's fine and all but I seriously feel ripped off that they deliberately lied to me. I feel I should get what I was promised.
Click to expand...

Actually, the correct term for these units is "remanufactured."

What does that mean? It means that there's a separate assembly line for creating these particular units. Any iPad that gets returned is disassembled,and the parts that survive disassembly and are working properly get tossed into a bin of parts for assembling these remanufactured iPads. Any parts that Apple doesn't have enough of in this bin are sourced new.

What this means is, technically what you have is a "new" iPad, but it may (or may not) have parts the might've been in an iPad made previously.

This is different from refurbishing, where old iPads are cleaned up, and only the busted parts are replaced.

Given how hard it is to take apart an iPad, and its low repairability, there's probably not a lot that survives the disassembly process. You're likely to get way more used parts on a reman'd iPhone than you are on a reman'd iPad. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the aluminum housings and the glass displays were just melted down and recycled whenever one is returned defective.
 
RobinHood5 said:
😱 I got an iPad last fall and had the mic go out within 3 months. Apple said they would just replace the iPad instead of fixing it. I asked them if it was a BRAND NEW iPad. They said it was and that it most definitely was not a refurb.

Well I looked at the serial number today and found it started with DK. Refurb.

What do I do. I want a NEW one and I think it shouldn't just get pushed under the rug that they do this stuff.
Click to expand...

Sometimes they just used refurb parts but the whole thing is almost new. Whats the problem anyways? You still get warranty service.
 
RobinHood5 said:
😱 I got an iPad last fall and had the mic go out within 3 months. Apple said they would just replace the iPad instead of fixing it. I asked them if it was a BRAND NEW iPad. They said it was and that it most definitely was not a refurb.

Well I looked at the serial number today and found it started with DK. Refurb.

What do I do. I want a NEW one and I think it shouldn't just get pushed under the rug that they do this stuff.
Click to expand...

OP, you have been using the iPad for 6 months now (approximately) and your only concern is that it is a refurb and not "new"? The iPad is working perfectly and you have no other complaints? Is that right?

What would have been gained by a "new" iPad that you aren't experiencing now? Both would be 6 months old and used.

Apparently someone mislead you, or they were misinformed themselves, but you weren't ripped off. They didn't give you an inferior device or a knock off.

You would never have noticed if you hadn't looked it up. My recommendation is to let it go and just enjoy your iPad.

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Puevlo said:
I find that highly unlikely since you cannot melt glass.
Click to expand...

You can't melt glass???

http://www.ehow.com/how_4487899_melt-glass-home.html
 
MacDawg said:
Apparently someone mislead you, or they were misinformed themselves, but you weren't ripped off. They didn't give you an inferior device or a knock off.

You would never have noticed if you hadn't looked it up. My recommendation is to let it go and just enjoy your iPad.
Click to expand...

More than likely the case especially if it's an iPad 3. 😉

Remember it's debatable when refurbs are available and part of the warranty system. A lot of those refurbs probably came from quick or immediate returns for the so-called tinting or yellow screen issues as well as the WiFi problems Apple admitted to.

Either way there's very little mileage on iPad 3 refurbs. I recently purchased an iPad 2 and it looks and works like it's brand new.
 
RobinHood5 said:
That's fine and all but I seriously feel ripped off that they deliberately lied to me. I feel I should get what I was promised.
Click to expand...

get over it. the person who told you that you were getting a new ipad was misinformed. if you feel that he promised you something, take it up with him...i'd laugh you out of the store.

as long as the replacement was in cosmetically new condition with a battery capacity within spec, they took care of your problem. what makes you think you're entitled to a new ipad when you've been using it for 9-something months?
 
Rodster said:
More than likely the case especially if it's an iPad 3. 😉

Remember it's debatable when refurbs are available and part of the warranty system. A lot of those refurbs probably came from quick or immediate returns for the so-called tinting or yellow screen issues as well as the WiFi problems Apple admitted to.

Either way there's very little mileage on iPad 3 refurbs. I recently purchased an iPad 2 and it looks and works like it's brand new.
Click to expand...
Are you saying that iPad 3 refurbs are just reboxed and sent back out with the screen flaws for which they were returned? If so, I feel truly sorry for the people that end up with all the ones that I returned for flawed screens. I wouldn't wish those on anyone.
 
...same here my iPhone 4S died recharging and I got a refurbish one from Apple...it look like new but down inside me it feels like I have someone else problem 😡
 
usmaak said:
Are you saying that iPad 3 refurbs are just reboxed and sent back out with the screen flaws for which they were returned? If so, I feel truly sorry for the people that end up with all the ones that I returned for flawed screens. I wouldn't wish those on anyone.
Click to expand...

The iPads that are sent out as refurbished are tested, and inspected more so than a new iPad.
 
-TYLER said:
The iPads that are sent out as refurbished are tested, and inspected more so than a new iPad.
Click to expand...

Right. But if they're being sent out with the same screens for which they were returned, then they are defective. The screens on my returns had significant tinting. But if that's within Apple's elusive "specs", they consider it normal. IMO, no weird tint is normal.
 
usmaak said:
Are you saying that iPad 3 refurbs are just reboxed and sent back out with the screen flaws for which they were returned? If so, I feel truly sorry for the people that end up with all the ones that I returned for flawed screens. I wouldn't wish those on anyone.
Click to expand...

No they are NOT reboxed. Apple will test every iPad that's returned and if it's determined there is a problem it's fixed. If the battery needs to be changed, it's replaced. If the back outer shell has scratches or marks it's replaced. If the front screen has any lint or quality issues they swap out the glass.

As others have said they have more time to test, diagnose and repair returned iPad's than those that are sold new.

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usmaak said:
Right. But if they're being sent out with the same screens for which they were returned, then they are defective. The screens on my returns had significant tinting. But if that's within Apple's elusive "specs", they consider it normal. IMO, no weird tint is normal.
Click to expand...

Remember what maybe an abnormal screen tinting issue to you may not be a tinting issue to someone else. Back in the late 80's I used to wear Serengeti sunglasses with a rose tint. They were freaking awesome. So if I had a rose tint on my iPad screen i'd frame it. 😀
 
Rodster said:
No they are NOT reboxed. Apple will test every iPad that's returned and if it's determined there is a problem it's fixed. If the battery needs to be changed, it's replaced. If the back outer shell has scratches or marks it's replaced. If the front screen has any lint or quality issues they swap out the glass.

As others have said they have more time to test, diagnose and repair returned iPad's than those that are sold new.

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Remember what maybe an abnormal screen tinting issue to you may not be a tinting issue to someone else. Back in the late 80's I used to wear Serengeti sunglasses with a rose tint. They were freaking awesome. So if I had a rose tint on my iPad screen i'd frame it. 😀
Click to expand...

My problem with the ones that I returned was uneven tinting, dark spots, yellowish spots, dark borders, dead pixels, etc... All perfectly within Apple's specs, I'm sure. That's my point. Apple would probably give it a cursory glance and say that there's nothing wrong with it. But if you use it for a half an hour, it becomes painfully obvious.

And you think that if you had a rose tint on your iPad, you'd be happy. Then you'd realize that you paid $599 for something that was rushed out the door and made whites look like crap, and you'd start to get a little pissed. All I wanted was an even white screen, and I got one. But it took quite a few before I felt that the $599 purchase was justified.

And of course you're right in that others might get my rejected screens and just not see the problem. Everyone does see differently.
 
If they didn't have serial numbers, you would have never known.

Why? Becasue it looks and functions as it should.
 
RobinHood5 said:
😱 I got an iPad last fall and had the mic go out within 3 months. Apple said they would just replace the iPad instead of fixing it. I asked them if it was a BRAND NEW iPad. They said it was and that it most definitely was not a refurb.

Well I looked at the serial number today and found it started with DK. Refurb.

What do I do. I want a NEW one and I think it shouldn't just get pushed under the rug that they do this stuff.
Click to expand...
Why should they give you a brand new replacement? You're not returning a brand new product. Get over it and move on with your life. You obviously had no clue until you checked the SN so must not have been a big issue.
 
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