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has anyone ever had a bad refurbished MBP?

Peter.Howard

Peter.Howard

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 28, 2010
105
0
Australia.
has anyone ever had a bad refurbished MBP?

Hi again

been doing heaps of forum searches and research, still undecided what I am going to buy, everyone seems to be of the one mind that refurbished Apple computers are a good deal, has anyone ever had lemon when they opened the box? Scratches or some other issue?

Or is the quality control pretty good on what goes out reboxed?

They are quite tempting with the reduced price tag and the 1 year warranty.


thanks for your help
 
There have been a few people who got units that were scratched, dented or even failed to turn on but like a new computer, you can easily exchange it. Unfortunately, because it's done online, you will have to wait for the replacement to get shipped which is more time waiting vs. buying brand new at an Apple store. But if you have your mind on a refurb to save money, then go ahead and do it. If anything goes wrong, you'll be able to get it replaced.
 
cheers thanks, yes I really like the aluminium finish on the current model MBP's, worried that it would be scratched easily, but then again people are saying that it does not scratch easily.
 
My first 15" MBP refurb had a warped bottom plate that would make it wobble back and forth when sat on a flat surface.

I called them up and they gave me a shipping label to send it back, the replacement came in 3-4 days. They refunded me my expedited shipping money since getting it sooner did me no good.

It felt like forever while I was using my old macbook after having used the new machine for a day, but the replacement has been perfect, just like new.
 
I've bought a handful of Apple refurbs in all my cases the product was defect free -- absolutely like new. I was surprised to hear other folks talk about scratches.
 
Hi Peter,

I got a lemon.

It was a 13 inch Macbook Pro 2.26 (refurbed) that shipped to me with the glass on the screen coming away from the frame, and was plagued with other problems too.

Video card was corrupt, battery wouldn't hold a proper charge. Took it to the apple store for repair after repair - asked for a replacement after repair number 3, but was told that although brick and mortar stores can do authorized repair work, they can't replace refurbished units - it's the only caveat, but it's a big one.

However, after whining loudly to applecare over the phone, they sent me a *brand new*, next generation MBP, (13 inch 2.4 ghz).

I'd go the refurbished route again, because I know it's rare to get a dud, and because applecare (phone) service is outstanding. (They also authorized the replacement of the cracked top case on my previous Macbook, no charge, 3 years out of warranty)

Go refurb! Save a few bucks, and count on applecare to make sure that you're looked after if anything goes wrong. That said, don't expect anyone in a brick and mortar store to help you beyond basic repairs.
-Win
 
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I've got a MBP (2010) from apple store online.
It didn't turn on.
I called the apple store in the mall, went there, got a brand new one right away. No questions asked.

Go refurb.
 
Non-lemon refurb here... saved $300 on a 15" i5 and you couldn't tell the difference between mine & one fresh out of an Apple store. Mint condition. Considering you get the same warranty as you would with a new Macbook it's a case of little risk, huge reward :D
 
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I had a refurb MBP 13". It was cosmetically perfect. I had a problem with it dropping wifi, so they changed the screen which has it built-in. Later on, the screen went white. I went to the Apple Store and they replaced it with a new one. I didn't even ask them to. What else is great is now I have 4 months extra warranty since that's how long I owned the refurb!
 
I just got my refurb MBP i5 2.4 15" this weekend delivered (not bad at 15% off compared to the brand new ones). Looks absolutely perfect!

I had "upgraded" from a mid-2009 2.66 C2D 15" MBP, but honestly, I haven't seen any improvement. I've had 2 lockups already and the spinning beachball has shown more times than I think I ever had with the previous one. ALSO, the battery life is no better than the previous (actually seems like it will only go about 4-5 hours instead of the advertised 8-9.

Should I take it to a Genius Bar? Or do these take some time to break in or something?
 
My 2006 refurb MBP had clicking issues with the fan. Took it to an Apple reseller, they claimed they fixed it but it was still the same. In the end I took it to Apple and they gave me a newer C2D model :D
 
imo, it's pretty much dumb not to buy a refurb :D

i've had 4 (2 macpros and 2 mbps) refurbs and they've all looked & worked (work) perfectly.
 
what if you buy a refurb and it comes with a couple of scratches? would they replace it or are scratches part of the 'refurb' sale price?
 
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