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Bought Open Box MacBook Pro, Wrong Specs

J

Jman14

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Apr 17, 2008
342
9
I bought another MacBook Pro for work last night on our way home from dinner. I stopped at Best Buy and they had an Open Box, with the just the specs I wanted (2.9Ghz, 8GB..etc) but this morning as I set it up, the specs are that of the lower model (2.5Ghz, 4GB..etc) and now looking the serial number of the machine doesn't match that of the one on the box.

Best Buy hasn't opened yet for today, but how should I go about getting this taken care of? Ask for a brand new of the specs I paid for, just ask for a refund..?

How would you go about this?
 
I think you may be screwed , Maybe not but yea I think they are going to say too bad. Sounds like the perfect scam:eek:
 
Nahh, best buy is a really huge company. They usually do the right thing ...they have for me anytime I've had an issue in the past with anything I've bought from them.

I would Just go back there and tell them what happen, they will most likely give you a refund or a store credit, especially if the machine is in perfect shape and what not.

If you get a hassle from them ask for the Mgr of the store and say I will be contacting Apple for false advertisement on they're products and the better business bureau. Honestly you shouldn't have a problem.

However this is why you have to really inspect open box items before even leaving the store.
 
Oh that sucks, sound like someone scammed best buy. Best buy is horrible at returning things, great for the first buyer, but the open box purchaser gets screwed. I remember i bought the 3rd gen ipad one week before then announced the new retina, i took it back to best buy for a refund....the lady never even opened the box! I could have tossed my 1st get ipad i have laying around the house and got away with it, but some of us are more honest then others and usually end up getting the short end of the stick like in your case.

The thing that stinks is its going to be really hard for you to argue your case. Good luck, let us know how it turns out.
 
I bought an open box mini in the last couple months.

Hdmi > dvi was missing,

ilife had already been redeemed with a different itunes account.

it was returned soon as apple listed 2012 i7 mini refurbs, the girl accepting the return didnt even check the serial, she also banged and scraped it around upside down on the counter.
 
I'd go return it. Tell them you just bought and the specs of the machine do not match what was sold.

And call your credit card company.
 
I think they'll accept a return in this case. Clearly what was in the box wasn't what was on sale. Just the serial numbers not matching should be enough.

For any used rMBP, there's a good chance the iLife apps have already been assigned to the original owner. I had this same situation and the App store customer support gave me a series of codes that let me download the apps for free. It may take them a few days to reach that point but I've heard of others successfully doing the same thing.
 
rrm998 said:
Just the serial numbers not matching should be enough.
Click to expand...

Exactly. He paid for the one that has the serial number matching to the box. Since he claims to have one with a different serial number, there's no proof that he purchased the wrong serial number one. That's why everyone is saying he's in such a bad position.
 
Buying an open box or used high quality expensive MBP is too risky in my opinion. Your time is valuable as is the money you spent.

No matter the outcome, it's so much wiser to buy new in a sealed box as it comes from Apple.

If you can't afford it, save up for one. It's certainly worth it.
 
Play dumb. Try returning it because you changed your mind. If they check the serial numbers, say you didn't know and the sales person didn't check the serial numbers when he sold it to you.

You might be screwed, but that's what I'd do. Good luck. :/
 
Sean76 said:
If you get a hassle from them ask for the Mgr of the store and say I will be contacting Apple for false advertisement on they're products and the better business bureau. Honestly you shouldn't have a problem.
Click to expand...
If you're a child do what this guy said. You need to know what you're paying for, inspect open box items, this seems like a no brainer.

As far as what should you do, go get your money back and move on with life. Don't threaten, whine, cry, beg.... just get your cash back and go.

maxosx said:
Buying an open box or used high quality expensive MBP is too risky in my opinion. Your time is valuable as is the money you spent.
No matter the outcome, it's so much wiser to buy new in a sealed box as it comes from Apple.
If you can't afford it, save up for one. It's certainly worth it.
Click to expand...
Why should this matter? IF you are an educated consumer you will have no issue with an open box item. Sorry but what kind of mental giant walks out with an open box item without inspecting it? Especially when it costs a thousand + dollars.
 
christof said:
Play dumb. Try returning it because you changed your mind. If they check the serial numbers, say you didn't know and the sales person didn't check the serial numbers when he sold it to you.
Click to expand...

Play dumb sounds like "I'm guilty, hope you don't find out." ;)
 
The end result on this was they returned the MacBook from what I paid. They didn't have any other open box, so I just bought a new one like I had planned on before being sold on this open box.

I would have checked the condition and specs but their Geek Squad agents "inspect" open boxes and reseal them with their seals.

In the end, it worked out great. I got what I wanted and they worked with me.
 
Jman14 said:
The end result on this was they returned the MacBook from what I paid. They didn't have any other open box, so I just bought a new one like I had planned on before being sold on this open box.

I would have checked the condition and specs but their Geek Squad agents "inspect" open boxes and reseal them with their seals.

In the end, it worked out great. I got what I wanted and they worked with me.
Click to expand...

It's good to know they took care of the issue. Enjoy that new computer!
 
Jman14 said:
I bought another MacBook Pro for work last night on our way home from dinner. I stopped at Best Buy and they had an Open Box, with the just the specs I wanted (2.9Ghz, 8GB..etc) but this morning as I set it up, the specs are that of the lower model (2.5Ghz, 4GB..etc) and now looking the serial number of the machine doesn't match that of the one on the box.

Best Buy hasn't opened yet for today, but how should I go about getting this taken care of? Ask for a brand new of the specs I paid for, just ask for a refund..?

How would you go about this?
Click to expand...

My story - very similar - mine ended better I guess. https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1279017/
 
Jman14 said:
The end result on this was they returned the MacBook from what I paid. They didn't have any other open box, so I just bought a new one like I had planned on before being sold on this open box.

I would have checked the condition and specs but their Geek Squad agents "inspect" open boxes and reseal them with their seals.

In the end, it worked out great. I got what I wanted and they worked with me.
Click to expand...

i bought an open box MBP from BB too, i opened that box and made sure that everything was in there and not scratched up. If they tell you you cant open it, their lying, you can open.
 
Spink10 said:
My story - very similar - mine ended better I guess.
Click to expand...

I guess if you're a demanding sook with a misplaced sense of entitlement, sometimes store managers do things to shut the whingers up.

You were wrong to demand anything other than a refund of what you paid, or an exchange for another open box.

Sure, they should have done better by verifying the serial number on the box, but to expect a benefit instead of being made whole is completely unreasonable.
 
Really glad it worked out. For us all, let's make sure we check the serial of the device and the box to make sure they match in the future. (I mistakenly didn't check the first open box I got, but fortunately had matched serials.)

Jman14 said:
The end result on this was they returned the MacBook from what I paid. They didn't have any other open box, so I just bought a new one like I had planned on before being sold on this open box.

I would have checked the condition and specs but their Geek Squad agents "inspect" open boxes and reseal them with their seals.

In the end, it worked out great. I got what I wanted and they worked with me.
Click to expand...


----------

He wasn't guilty, but I think "playing dumb" would have been the best way to proceed with the problem. I'm sure many folks don't check the serial numbers of the computer and box--I was one of them. I think "playing dumb" is probably the best route, especially if you aren't "guilty".

alphaod said:
Play dumb sounds like "I'm guilty, hope you don't find out." ;)
Click to expand...


----------

Absolutely, you can open it up. Even the ones that are saran wrapped with no box can be opened up. Just find a demo power adapter to use to test the device.

nokian93 said:
i bought an open box MBP from BB too, i opened that box and made sure that everything was in there and not scratched up. If they tell you you cant open it, their lying, you can open.
Click to expand...
 
I recently exchanged a new 13" base Retina for an open box from Best Buy about 4 days ago as I needed the stronger horsepower but couldn't pay any more than I already had for the 13" Retina. Picked up my base model 15" mid-2012 for $1332.99. Loving it so far! My only complaint is that when I registered it I found that the previous owner originally registered it on Dec 24, 2012. That leaves me with 2 months less warranty. I called Apple to see if they could roll that date forward but they said no can do. My only option to get the full 12/warranty 90/support is to buy a new machine which, at Best Buy, is going for $1709.99 right now. So basically, I could pay $377 more to get 2 more months of Apple warranty and a new machine. OR I could just pay $350 for AppleCare and 2 extra years of coverage. I've decided to keep this one. The battery only had about 6 charge cycles so for however long they used it, it doesn't seem like it was much. I'm guessing that's why they returned it.

There was one inconvenience I found after I got home with it. Best Buy had set the machine up with their user/password as admin so when I got home, I couldn't do anything. I tried wiping the drive and restoring but their user came back up. Eventually, I was able to do a time machine restore and remove their 'user' account. Everything seems to be working GREAT!

----------
gmikesell said:
I recently exchanged a new 13" base Retina for an open box from Best Buy about 4 days ago as I needed the stronger horsepower but couldn't pay any more than I already had for the 13" Retina. Picked up my base model 15" mid-2012 for $1332.99. Loving it so far! My only complaint is that when I registered it I found that the previous owner originally registered it on Dec 24, 2012. That leaves me with 2 months less warranty. I called Apple to see if they could roll that date forward but they said no can do. My only option to get the full 12/warranty 90/support is to buy a new machine which, at Best Buy, is going for $1709.99 right now. So basically, I could pay $377 more to get 2 more months of Apple warranty and a new machine. OR I could just pay $350 for AppleCare and 2 extra years of coverage. I've decided to keep this one. The battery only had about 6 charge cycles so for however long they used it, it doesn't seem like it was much. I'm guessing that's why they returned it.

There was one inconvenience I found after I got home with it. Best Buy had set the machine up with their user/password as admin so when I got home, I couldn't do anything. I tried wiping the drive and restoring but their user came back up. Eventually, I was able to do a time machine restore and remove their 'user' account. Everything seems to be working GREAT!
Click to expand...


I also failed to mention that I got a Samsung screen! Yay! lololol
 
Last edited:
gmikesell said:
I called Apple to see if they could roll that date forward but they said no can do. My only option to get the full 12/warranty 90/support is to buy a new machine which, at Best Buy, is going for $1709.99 right now.
Click to expand...

Open a support ticket after registering the machine, and include a copy of the scanned receipt. They've adjusted the date on 4 separate open box items I've bought from BB to the date I purchased it. Never an issue, and 1 was 6 months old.

https://daw.apple.com/cgi-bin/WebOb...618204c476572a1b5e5fb3518&path&language=US-EN
 
AFDoc said:
If you're a child do what this guy said. You need to know what you're paying for, inspect open box items, this seems like a no brainer.

As far as what should you do, go get your money back and move on with life. Don't threaten, whine, cry, beg.... just get your cash back and go.


Why should this matter? IF you are an educated consumer you will have no issue with an open box item. Sorry but what kind of mental giant walks out with an open box item without inspecting it? Especially when it costs a thousand + dollars.
Click to expand...


If your a child go do this...lol? From the looks of it all you did was bash everyone who gave the OP advice! Not very cool...

Who said to go cry and beg, I said if they give him a hard time then he should ask to speak to the Mgr, which in actuality I said they probably shouldn't give him a hard time. Yea just ask for your money back and go sail of into the sunset is great advice, for some parts of the world...But in others like NYC its not always that easy bud!

Either way the OP got his new computer....Good luck with this one man : )
 
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Ccrew said:
Open a support ticket after registering the machine, and include a copy of the scanned receipt. They've adjusted the date on 4 separate open box items I've bought from BB to the date I purchased it. Never an issue, and 1 was 6 months old.

https://daw.apple.com/cgi-bin/WebOb...618204c476572a1b5e5fb3518&path&language=US-EN
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip, Ccrew! I'll pursue that as suggested and see how it goes. The Apple rep indicated on the phone that Apple had made the policy adjustment recently, back in December and offered to consult his manager to see if there was something they could do to at least offer a partial date adjustment or something but then came back, no dice. I expect I'll get the same response here but we'll see. It's worth a shot I think.
 
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