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interesting info about the white box refurbs and ranting

J

joneszee954

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 29, 2008
33
0
So I had an appointment today with an apple genius because my 2 week old white iphone already had a crack near the charger. After a lengthy wait which was funny because I was the next person up, but seriously waited for like an hour for them to get to me, I finally got to explain to them my phone has a crack and I didnt think this was acceptable for a 2 week old phone, and I didn't drop it, and that I know that MANY other people are finding cracks to according to this site.
They were cool and said I would get a new phone, and thats when I saw them bring out the white box refurb. I stopped the Genius and told them that I don't think I should be getting a refurb after only 2 weeks, the refurb is probabl older than my own phone.
Ths is where it is interesting. According to him they will only give u a new phone if you buy the phone at apple, if you get it at ATT (which I did) you are SOL and will be getting a refurb. I explained that I contacted ATT when I noticed the crack and was told that Apple deals with ALL hardware issues, and that I will get the exact service that if I bought it at apple.
I demanded to speak with a manager. Seriously 20 minutes later some gu finally comes to me. Things were moving so slow you could have mistaken the Apple store for a DMV. I mean seriously.
The manager said he can get me a new phone but I have to wait 2 weeks for them to get it sent to me (even though the have a million in the back room) and that they will be taking my old phone, meaning I will have no cell phone for 2 weeks, or I can just take the refurb.
Well, the sh.. hit the fan and I asked how I can speak to the district manager on this issue, or we are calling ATT together to work this out. After the manager went into the back for another 10 minutes, he decided I can keep my phone until a new one gets shipped special to the Apple, which makes no sense at all.
Has anyone had this issue. Why do I get screwed cause I bought it at ATT. Look, if ATT replaced it thats fine, but Apple and ATT have a deal where ATT deals with phone issues, Apple deals with hardware issues, so I should be treated the same if I bought it at apple or att.
Something is wrong here. Anybody have any ideas?
 
WOW thats all i can say wow i got mine at apple and got it replaced and it came in a white box but it still looked brand new.... EVERYONE GETS ONE IN A WHITE BOX and dude it is just a phone i think you made way too big of a deal out of it when the refurb (i dont even think they are refurbs) would have looked brand new.....probably the only reason they told you they would order you one was to get you to leave
 
The manager himself told me they are refurbished. You know, it is just a phone, but the point is I spent $300 on this phone. Maybe that is not a lot to you, but it is to me. I expect something I spent $300 on to not crack for no apparent reason. I didn't drop it or act rough on it, it just cracked. I should not get it replaced with an old phone after 2 weeks.
we shouldn't accept this. Apple should be held accountable for the defect.
 
BUT THE REFURBS ARE EXACTLY LIKE BRAND NEW!!!! the word just makes people freak:confused:
 
To me I guess, its just the point. I just expect to not have problems with something that is fairly expensive so soon. And if I do I believe it should be replaced with a new one. If I had this phone for 2 months instead of 2 weeks, then I would be happy that I could get any replacement.
But when you have waited to finally be up for an upgrade, saved up some money, got the phone you wanted, then have it crack right away, I just can't be cool with it. You can call me dumb, an a**, blowing things way out of proportion, but I still think I should be treated with a new phone, especially when if I would have bought it in the other store I would get a new one, and not the refurbs.
Apple must think the white box phones are different since they only give those to the ATT shoppers
 
whats with people feeling they are always "owed" something.

As it stands this "referb" is working better than your "new phone". So deal with it. If it works and doesn't have scratches... take it. Or keep your "new phone" that doesn't work...

Now stop your whining.
 
turd said:
whats with people feeling they are always "owed" something.
Click to expand...

You're right, I am owed something. I am owed what I paid for. I bought a new phone and expected high quality for $300 dollars. Instead, I got one that is cracked, and offered a used one. If they want to give me half my money back, I ll take a used phone. Otherwise I want what I paid for.
You can bet if everyone demanded a new phone because of cracks or other issues that should not be happening in its first 2 weeks, this issue would be solved by Apple. But, because we accept the refurbs that will have the same problems in a few weeks or months, nothing gets solved. just another lamb following the herd.
 
get over yourself. if nothing is wrong with the referb, take it. Its not always used, it may have just been in a box that they couldn't sell to someone.
Referb doesn't mean the phone is "used" all the time.
It works better than the phone you have.

I used to work in retail and when people acted the way you did I would be even more reluctant to help out.

You complaining to the people in the store isn't going to change anything other than make yourself look bad.
 
Yep, I'm the retard because I expect expensive equipment to not break in 14 days for no reason. I'm the baby because I don't understand why I get a refurb phone, then the guy next to me with the exact same issue gets a new one because of how he purchased it.
Yes, dumb me I guess, wanting higher quality and fairness.
But remember next time you get something that breaks right after you buy it, or you get slighted. Just suck it up and don't be a baby.
 
thats right.
i actually have an iphone right now that has a slight crack in it. but its not big enough for me to bother making a scene about. If it gets worse I will bring it in to get it exchanged for a "referb". Why? cuz my phone right now works good, there's no use in wasting like the rest of spoiled/selfish america.

But when if i do have to get it replaced i am not going to complain about a "referb" because i know it is in better condition than the phone i have now.

you have already unpacked the phone. you have the box and everything already at home. so whats the advantage of a new phone over a referb?
 
seriously though, doesn't it bother you that your phone already has a crack in it. $300 is a lot of money for a phone, it shouldn't be cracking for no reason after a few weeks. I personally feel that if everyone got pissed about their new phone cracking for no apparent reason, this issue would be resolved a lot sooner than later.
 
turd said:
thats right.
i actually have an iphone right now that has a slight crack in it. but its not big enough for me to bother making a scene about. If it gets worse I will bring it in to get it exchanged for a "referb". Why? cuz my phone right now works good, there's no use in wasting like the rest of spoiled/selfish america.
Click to expand...

You need to check yourself buddy. What the hell makes you think you're so much better than everybody else. And how can somebody be so blind to make such a broad statement like that??

Your name fits you well.
 
In my mind you're far less likely to get a lemon from a refurb'd phone than you are a new one.

Refurbs have to go through reconditioning, which means they'll get new parts if they need them, and extensive quality control (probably far FAR more than what they would get on the production line in China) to ensure they are ready to give to customers who have issues.

When I cracked my 3Gs screen here in the UK, I was sorted out with an "out of warrenty repair" which was basically a "new" phone. This phone was BRAND new, but it came in a taped up brown little box with nothing else in. At the end of the day, this phone could be younger than the phone I had.

At the end of the day that phone could be younger than the one you had sat in your pocket... could have been used for only 2 days - maybe not even used at all - shipped back to apple and then reconditioned extensively.

That could be the best damned iPhone ever produced.. Fact is, you could have taken that phone from the APPLE STORE, it would then have given you far much more leverage to get a brand spanking new phone if something went wrong with it.

I appreciate you want something new, you feel like you're getting ripped off because you feel like you're getting 2nd hand for nearly new (yours is still second hand too).. but I think you need to understand the reconditioning and refurbishment process that Apple deals with. It's far more extensive than "****, dude's returned his phone.." "Well stick it in a White Box and we'll give it to some loser later...".

x
 
This is an interesting issue and both sides of the argument have merit, but I have to side with the OP.

My wife and I both bought iphones in Miami Beach in January when the 16g came out. We paid $500 each for them. Shortly after we returned to NYC, my wife's iphone simply froze. Neither rebooting nor anything else worked. I took it to Apple's flagship store on Fifth Avenue, and they gave me a replacement. I didn't realize until later that this was a white-box refurbished phone, even though the original phone was still under guarantee.

The replacement looks fine and works perfectly, but I nevertheless believe that Apple should have given me a new phone to replace the defective one they sold me. It's a matter of principle.
 
thechidz said:
refurbs are better than new with apple..

its not a banana:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

thechidz is absolutely right. Refurbs are better than new. They go through a much stricter QC cycle. You have a better chance at having less problems with a refurb than you do a new phone.
 
warburg said:
This is an interesting issue and both sides of the argument have merit, but I have to side with the OP.

My wife and I both bought iphones in Miami Beach in January when the 16g came out. We paid $500 each for them. Shortly after we returned to NYC, my wife's iphone simply froze. Neither rebooting nor anything else worked. I took it to Apple's flagship store on Fifth Avenue, and they gave me a replacement. I didn't realize until later that this was a white-box refurbished phone, even though the original phone was still under guarantee.

The replacement looks fine and works perfectly, but I nevertheless believe that Apple should have given me a new phone to replace the defective one they sold me. It's a matter of principle.
Click to expand...
Well, as has been pointed out before, refurbs go through stricter QC. I think the basic idea is that nobody should have to come in 2, 3, 4 or 8 times for replacements until they get a flawless phone. That's going to happen a lot if they just keep giving people new phones every time. Another problem is that a lot of people abuse the return policy, anal perfectionists who keep coming back for replacements and replacements over some microscopic flaw, or dented packaging, or a folded page in the manual, or damage that they caused themselves and pretend that it was like that from the beginning. By offering refurbs rather than new, they deter these perfectionist parasites from coming back unless absolutely necessary.

Ultimately, though, it would be less of an issue if the quality control was stricter at the factory. But QC costs money, not only due to the labor power but also all the goods that have to be discarded. But customers don't want to pay a fortune for that, they want to pay as little as possible. Keeping the price low can't be done entirely without tradeoffs. It's like the dead pixel policy with LCD TV and monitor manufacturers:

- Hey people, how would you feel if we raised our prices by 50% and introduced a zero dead pixel policy?
- 50% more? No way!
- So you're OK with the fact that some TVs with dead pixels slip out of the factory once in a while?
- Yeah!
- And you're OK with this in case YOU are the one who happens to get one with dead pixels?
- Hell no, not *ME*! Let someone else have the broken ones, I want *mine* perfect.
- Mmmmmkay, uh...
 
joneszee954 said:
seriously though, doesn't it bother you that your phone already has a crack in it. $300 is a lot of money for a phone, it shouldn't be cracking for no reason after a few weeks. I personally feel that if everyone got pissed about their new phone cracking for no apparent reason, this issue would be resolved a lot sooner than later.
Click to expand...

Look, I had the same issue: cracked white iPhone took it to the Apple Store, got a white box phone.

Was it used? Maybe, maybe not. But it looked and felt new and quite frankly, because it went through a stricter QC, I actually preferred it since I knew it wasn't going to have any cracks or anything.

Just make sure you're satisfied with what you get at the store when you walk away.
 
skubish said:
Why does this thread say you got your phone in July?

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/553664/
Click to expand...

Because he's a whining liar who wants attention.

joneszee954 said:
...if you get it at ATT (which I did) you are SOL and will be getting a refurb.
Click to expand...

joneszee954 said:
...Finally, if that doesn't work I am guessing its off to the Apple store where I bought it. The problem is I have had the phone for 36 days now, passed my 30 day warranty. Do you think they would still exchange it for me, or give me a hard time. any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Click to expand...
 
AARRGHH!

okay, that's better. for the millionth time, the white box replacements are not automatically a refurb! all replacements are going to be a white boxer. Apple has special shipments for replacements and they come in a white box to trim as much cost of as possible. they come in a plain white box to save on packaging costs and are smaller than the original box because they do not come with accessories. There is no reason for replacements to come in the regular box.

secondly, Apple Stores have no idea whether their stock of replacements are new or refurbished. and as of right now there is no way to tell which you have gotten. the best guess you can make is that since the 3G is a relatively recent release, there's a pretty good chance that it is a new one.

so remember white box does not automatically equal a refurb.

also, somewhat interestingly, i have had several replacements, some with the 5K serial and some without, and one thing i have noticed is that with the 5K replacements, the document i signed had a sticker of the serial number affixed to it that was in the box. a search here: http://www.chipmunk.nl/klantenservice/applemodel.html shows my serial number indicates my 3G was manufactured in China. i have a feeling that this particular factory is responsible for making the replacements.
 
joneszee954 said:
. . . I stopped the Genius and told them that I don't think I should be getting a refurb after only 2 weeks, the refurb is probabl older than my own phone.
Click to expand...

Phones aren't like the produce section of the grocery store. If they sit around for a few weeks they won't spoil. In retail the word "refurb" is often used (incorrectly) to describe an item not manufactured for direct retail sale. That means that the phone in the white box *could* have been used but could also have been manufactured specifically for warranty replacements. That means it left the factory in a white box.

My original, retail boxed iphone worked like crap and had a scratch on the chrome--right out of the box. I took it back because it kept dropping my calls and I got a new one in a WHITE box in *pristine* condition with no scratches and worked better. I would have taken the white box phone over the retail one originally.

I guess if you are willing to bring the original box back and all the accessories you should be entitled to a retail boxed phone if you want one--but it probably wont be any better than the white boxed phone. Whatever phone you get, you should inspect it carefully *before* leaving the store.

In any case, was the phone really worth all the stress it put you through?--is any material gadget worth all that stress? If you get so upset over small issues like this what are you gonna do when you face real problems in your life?
 
Maybe the reason they were so late for your appointment was because they already had a previous customer like you taking up their time.

I can understand the weird feeling that comes with getting a refurbished unit when you just bought new. There is a reason refurbished tools cost less than new, after all. However, it is true that you'll probably end up with a better phone with the refurbished one in this case as has been explained above.

And for the record, not all replacements at the Apple Store come in a white box. Mine was pulled from a new box in the full retail packaging.
 
When I bought mine, it came in a white box...NEW. I seriously doubt new owners are being given returns, then again, I got mine from BB.

I think the meaning of "white box" is confusing people.
 
I bet most people would not be able to tell the difference between a refurb and a brand new iPhone if they were shown side by side. If you can't tell which is new, whats the problem?
 
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