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happy with your refurb?

G

greeneeguy

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 19, 2009
1
0
Hi--

Just wondering if anyone here has gotten one of the recent batch of refurb 3G's from AT&T, and if so, are you pleased/displeased/annoyed/nonplussed/overjoyed/vaguely dissastisfied/pleasantly surprised...

Thanks,

David
 
I have a friend who took advantage of the 99.00 deal and he said its good as new if not better, Couldn't be happier. I'd Say go for it! :)
 
I had to take my phone in to replace the cracks in the plastic, and most certainly was given a refurb replacement.

From day one I didn't like the quiality. Sounds knitpicky, but the screen didn't feel set in the phone correctly, and on one corner the metal bezel had a pronounced lip. The Home button wouldn't click when I hit it, and seemed not to register clicks as well as my original phone. To top it off, three weeks in and my new phone's plastic is cracking too.

Thumbs down on my refurb.
 
My first replacement/refurb had a pretty bad light leak. They wouldn't give me another until the screen ended up having a problem. The second replacement/refurb I got is fine though.

The thing that worries me is I think they sometimes let people exchange their phone b/c of a light leak (and sometimes not). Therefore, I wonder if there is a more likely chance that a refurb would have a light leak. Some people don't really mind it though...
 
greeneeguy said:
Hi--

Just wondering if anyone here has gotten one of the recent batch of refurb 3G's from AT&T, and if so, are you pleased/displeased/annoyed/nonplussed/overjoyed/vaguely dissastisfied/pleasantly surprised...

Thanks,

David
Click to expand...

Actually, I'm much happier with my refurb (got just before new years, original phone bought on 3G Day 1) than I was with my original phone. My original had a bit of screen bleed on the left side, not enough to be annoying unless looking for it but it was there, and it had an annoying tendency for the vibrate button to get shifted back to off when in my pocket. My refurb has no screen bleed whatsoever, the vibrate button stays where it is, and I'm getting noticeably better battery life (same settings, my old one could get to maybe 1 day 11 hours with 5 hours of 3G surfing and running programs, this one gets consistently between 2 days and 2 days 10 hours under the same conditions).

Only difference....the home button is a bit difficult to push. I actually prefer it, as my original was a bit too sensitive, too easy to accidentally hit.
 
Are these in the stores or online only? I just bought two NEW iPhones yesterday. A refurb would have done me proper.
 
Gix1k said:
Are these in the stores or online only? I just bought two NEW iPhones yesterday. A refurb would have done me proper.
Click to expand...

online via ATT....not sure if you can buy a referb at the Apple store or not. Now when you get an exchange from the apple store, it may be new or a referb....
 
I am headed to Apple today for an exchange. If they try the refurb deal, I am returning my NEW phone to ATT that I bought yesterday and get an actual REFURB from the site. F that!
 
Gix1k said:
I am headed to Apple today for an exchange. If they try the refurb deal, I am returning my NEW phone to ATT that I bought yesterday and get an actual REFURB from the site. F that!
Click to expand...

my original 3g was a referb, the one that apple gave me as a replacement....I have no idea what it was, it looked new, had no indications of previous use, so i think you will be fine, even if you get a referb (i doubt you will be able to tell and the Genius really does not know either since the replacement phones come in grey boxes and do not indicate "new" or "referb")
 
I see what you're saying. Although, we both know it's really a refurb in that gray box. My appt is at 4pm. Headed there now. Will update the thread.
 
How you can tell if you iPhone is new or a refurb?
1. Get one of those infrared things that detects germs
2. Go to a dark room
3. Aim at iPhone
4. The green things glowing on the refurb iPhone are the fecal matter/germs from previous owner; a new one is crystal clear.
 
Gix1k said:
I see what you're saying. Although, we both know it's really a refurb in that gray box. My appt is at 4pm. Headed there now. Will update the thread.
Click to expand...


Not true, the paperwork says they can either be new or a referb, it just does not tell you what YOU actually received...:p

I’ll say this. If mine was a referb, you could not tell, at all.
 
bryanc28 said:
How you can tell if you iPhone is new or a refurb?
1. Get one of those infrared things that detects germs
2. Go to a dark room
3. Aim at iPhone
4. The green things glowing on the refurb iPhone are the fecal matter/germs from previous owner; a new one is crystal clear.
Click to expand...

Wasn't there a thread on this board about serial numbers betraying refurb status? My old phone had a searial that started with a #8. That was supposedly one of the new model numbers (which makes sense as I got mine on day 1). Then refurbs were supposed to have serial numbers that started with a #5, or 5 and a letter (which also fits my replacement phone).

I recall this was disputed to an extent but seemed to fit for a lot of phones.
 
I bought an EDGE refurb in April at $250 (yeah yeah, shutup). No problems at all when I received it despite a few horror stories I read about scratches. Nope, all of my scratches are custom-made by ME!
 
I got my 16GB black 3G refurb about 2 weeks ago and i love it! Was in perfect condition and may as well have been brand new. No complaints here
 
I got a "white box" replacement. Genius said they dont know if new or refurb.
 
i got have a refurbished iphone from AT&T for $99. The phone is in immaculate condition. Best Deal ever! The only thing that sucks is that when i called apple to see if i can get applecare they said no because it was a refurbished unit!!! Besides that i think it was a really good buy. OH BTW THE INVISIBLE SHIELD SUCKS!! :apple:
 
iPhone envy said:
I had to take my phone in to replace the cracks in the plastic, and most certainly was given a refurb replacement.

From day one I didn't like the quiality. Sounds knitpicky, but the screen didn't feel set in the phone correctly, and on one corner the metal bezel had a pronounced lip. The Home button wouldn't click when I hit it, and seemed not to register clicks as well as my original phone. To top it off, three weeks in and my new phone's plastic is cracking too.

Thumbs down on my refurb.
Click to expand...

My first refurb was like this, but I got used to it. Second time around after replacing for cracks, I found that this one is the best. The vibrate is good (not good on first one) and the screen near the bezel sits flush.
 
bryanc28 said:
How you can tell if you iPhone is new or a refurb?
1. Get one of those infrared things that detects germs
2. Go to a dark room
3. Aim at iPhone
4. The green things glowing on the refurb iPhone are the fecal matter/germs from previous owner; a new one is crystal clear.
Click to expand...

What about the person in the factory? They could have taken a ****, not washed their hands, put your iPhone in the box then coughed on it and sealed it up?
 
theDUB said:
What about the person in the factory? They could have taken a ****, not washed their hands, put your iPhone in the box then coughed on it and sealed it up?
Click to expand...

If you ever saw those iPhone manufacturing factory photos, the engineers and workers were wearing gloves and caps to keep foreign objects and hair and **** entering the iPhone 3G box. ;)

I think everyone should go to China and see for themselves how things are done before stereotypes are made or just keep their mouths shut.
 
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