2018 15" Refurbished rMBP ?

[augustya]

Hi Guys,

I wanted to know, just some days back Macrumors published the news that now 2018 15" Apple Retina Macbook Pro are available on the Apple site, I still do not see it, can anyone give me the link or tell me how do I see it on the Apple Website, I do not see it there.

 

[maflynn]

https://www.apple.com/shop/browse/home/specialdeals/mac


Looks like they're no longer there, which occurs often enough, i.e., they're sold out.

 

[augustya]

https://www.apple.com/shop/browse/home/specialdeals/mac


Looks like they're no longer there, which occurs often enough, i.e., they're sold out.

Do you remember seeing it ? How much were they available for ?

 

[maflynn]

Do you remember seeing it ? How much were they available for ?

I am not in the market for a MBP, I bought mine when they first came out. You had asked for the link, so I typed in refurb in the search on apple.com.

Apple typically reduces prices of refurbs by 12% so, you can probably assume that the 2018 MBPs were discounted by that much. They'll re-appear again, though its anyone's guess when that will be.

 

[augustya]

A meagre 12% is no joy at all. It is not a big deal. Why would I not buy a Brand New unit ? if the difference amount only comes to $100. Meh !!

 

[deeddawg]

tell me how do I see it on the Apple Website, I do not see it there.

Go to store.apple.com and scroll to the bottom. Click on "Refurbished and Clearance". See image at bottom of this post.

It'll just show what's in stock -- and something like a 2018 refurb MBP isn't going to stay in stock for long.

I'd suggest using a tracking site to identify your desired config and alert you to when it comes in stock -- just remember to move quick if you get the alert, as you're probably not the only one shopping for a 2018 refurb.

Here's a good site for that -- https://refurb-tracker.com/

 

[Sterkenburg]

Why would I not buy a Brand New unit ? if the difference amount only comes to $100. Meh !!

I think a 12% discount on a 2018 15" is more than just $100.
But aside from that, why wouldn't you buy a product that is basically 100% equivalent to a new unit, comes with the same warranty, has been tested for hardware issues even more throughly than a new unit, and on top of that is also cheaper? There is a reason why Apple refurbs sell like hotcakes, they're great.

 

[deeddawg]

A meagre 12% is no joy at all. It is not a big deal. Why would I not buy a Brand New unit ? if the difference amount only comes to $100. Meh !!

Yeah, why would anyone want a measly $420 savings?

(from https://refurb-tracker.com/)

 

[augustya]

Yeah, why would anyone want a measly $420 savings?

View attachment 797324
(from https://refurb-tracker.com/)

Ok $420 is something that would make a big difference, I agree

 

[deeddawg]

Ok $420 is something that would make a big difference, I agree

Yep...

Now, all that said, you do need to factor in sales tax depending on where you live and the current laws. Particularly if you went to college in a different state from where you currently live. Some (many?) colleges will sell to alumni under the education program, which not only involves $$$ off MSRP, but can also entail substantial savings on AppleCare+

In my case, I bought my MBP15 through my old undergrad school during the back to school promo -- but looking today the MBP15 pricing is $150-200 below MSRP, and AC+ for MBP15 is $259 ($120 savings) -- net is that refurb+AC+ is still ~$50 more expensive after tax than buying from my old college's campus store.

Alternately look at the various deals listed at Apple Insider -- https://prices.appleinsider.com/15-macbook-pro-with-touch-bar-mid-2018

Up to $300 off depending on config, for brand new, with no sales tax if out of NY/NJ (depending again on your current local laws regarding such). Downside of course is much more limited returnability of non-defective units, so be sure you know what you want.

One other factor to consider -- some credit cards (Citi and Amex to my knowledge) offer extended warranty protection, which actually becomes active after AC+ runs out. What was unclear in my research though was whether those programs applied to refurbished equipment. Depending on whether you have one of those credit cards and your expected length of ownership, there may be value to you in ensuring your coverage is clear and not ambiguous.

 

[IngerMan]

Stock is back in the refurbished section for 15". They have all kinds of crazy configurations. i9 with 555X 256GB


Refurbished 15.4-inch MacBook Pro 2.9GHz 6-core Intel Core i9 with Retina display - Space Gray

Originally released July 2018
Touch Bar with integrated Touch ID sensor
15.4-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2880-by-1800 native resolution at 220 pixels per inch
16GB of 2400MHz DDR4 onboard memory
256GB SSD
720p FaceTime HD Camera
Radeon Pro Graphics 555X
$2,379.00

Refurbished 15.4-inch MacBook Pro 2.9GHz 6-core Intel Core i9 with Retina display - Space Gray


Originally released July 2018
Touch Bar with integrated Touch ID sensor
15.4-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2880-by-1800 native resolution at 220 pixels per inch
16GB of 2400MHz DDR4 onboard memory
512GB SSD
720p FaceTime HD Camera
Radeon Pro Graphics 555X
$2,549.00

Select

 

[augustya]

Yep ! Had a look at these.

I just wanted to you guys I have never ever seen a refurbished MacBook Pro ever in my life, does it come in the same pristine, quality wrapped in a plastic I am talking about the inside unit, as it comes in a Brand new unit ?

 

[deeddawg]

I just wanted to you guys I have never ever seen a refurbished MacBook Pro ever in my life, does it come in the same pristine, quality wrapped in a plastic I am talking about the inside unit, as it comes in a Brand new unit ?

Over the years I've purchased various Apple-refurbished products including a Mac Mini and a Macbook Air, plus a couple ipads and other devices.

The only discernible difference from brand new has been the packaging. Plain white box instead of the retail packaging. I think I remember the internal packaging including the device being wrapped but it's also been a couple years.

I would not hesitate for a second to buy an Apple-refurbished device if the $$$ was better than any of the new options. Same warranty. Same ability to apply AppleCare if you wish. Same returnability if you're not pleased with the unit.

Note: there _are_ third party refurbishers out there, so take care to ensure you're buying from store.apple.com -- at least that's how it is in the US. Elsewhere YMMV.

 

[augustya]

Note: there _are_ third party refurbishers out there, so take care to ensure you're buying from store.apple.com -- at least that's how it is in the US. Elsewhere YMMV.

What do you mean by Third Party Refurbishers ?

 

[deeddawg]

What do you mean by Third Party Refurbishers ?

I'm not sure what's unclear about the term...

Third-Party = companies who aren't the original manufacturer.

You'll see a lot of third-party-refurbished on Amazon. Companies other than Apple buy used Macs, clean them up and resell them as refurbished. The degree to which they've returned it to new condition can vary.

Example: https://www.amazon.com/Apple-MD101LL-13-3-Inch-Dual-Core-Refurbished/dp/B07FY2W33Y/

Note the seller is NOT Apple, so I would assume this to be a third-party-refurbished unit.