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IMAC i7 REFURB just opened the box - FIRST IMPRESSIONS/SERIAL NUMBERS
- Thread starter rgp19699
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I think you should just turn it on a see what it's like, it might be a perfectly good one.
I've just had a similar problem, I received my 27" i7 refurb yesterday, it's the first refurb I've bought and I won't be buying another one.
The box arrived really tatty, the handle was broken, the box was dented and it had a big gouge in it that almost went through the cardboard, I did not worry to much when I received it as I assumed it would be double boxed, and was surprised to see when I peeled of the small amount of tape the iMac was directly inside the grubby damaged box.
I was worried that the iMac might have to dented or the screen broken but was happily surprised when i took it out, all looked well, I gave it a good look over and the only problem I could see was a small scuff on the foot, not a problem, I'm not obsessed about 100% perfection, I just want a functional machine, so for me, the scuff was a small price to pay for the discount I received for buying a refurb.
When I turned it on I was pleased to see it did not seem in any way damaged by it's ordeal and seemed to work perfectly, however, it has significant yellow coloration on the lower part of the screen, the lower right hand side seems the worst. As I said before I'm prepared to accept less than perfection, but it really seems to be intrusive and noticeable, however, I played with it for an hour or so in the hope that I would get used to it and it would not seem so bad after a while, however, I found it hard to ignore so I packed it up again, and arranged for it to be returned.
At that point I started reading up about the yellow screen problem, and it seemed like most, if not all screens have it in some form or another, I haven't got the patience to go through the rigmarole of returning lots of imacs in the hope of getting a good one, so I considered just keeping the one I'd got. I decided to go to my nearest Apple store and have a look at the new ones to see if they seemed to have the issue, so I drove 30 miles to Meadowhall and played with the two 27" they had, they had the yellow problem, but they were nowhere near as bad as mine.
Anyway, I decided that maybe I was being too picky, so I unpacked mine and tried using it again, I made myself use it for a couple of hours, but the yellow problem just got more and more annoying, so I've packed it up again and it's going back.
Now I'm not sure what to do, I might try a new iMac, it will have to be a lower model as I can't afford a new i7, I think I'd actually be happy just sticking with my 24" now, but a friend wants to buy it off me, they have a G4 iMac and are desperate for an upgrade, so they are really excited about getting my old iMac, and i don't want to let them down.
I"ve just checked my serial number, and mine in a Week 22,
Julie
I've just had a similar problem, I received my 27" i7 refurb yesterday, it's the first refurb I've bought and I won't be buying another one.
The box arrived really tatty, the handle was broken, the box was dented and it had a big gouge in it that almost went through the cardboard, I did not worry to much when I received it as I assumed it would be double boxed, and was surprised to see when I peeled of the small amount of tape the iMac was directly inside the grubby damaged box.
I was worried that the iMac might have to dented or the screen broken but was happily surprised when i took it out, all looked well, I gave it a good look over and the only problem I could see was a small scuff on the foot, not a problem, I'm not obsessed about 100% perfection, I just want a functional machine, so for me, the scuff was a small price to pay for the discount I received for buying a refurb.
When I turned it on I was pleased to see it did not seem in any way damaged by it's ordeal and seemed to work perfectly, however, it has significant yellow coloration on the lower part of the screen, the lower right hand side seems the worst. As I said before I'm prepared to accept less than perfection, but it really seems to be intrusive and noticeable, however, I played with it for an hour or so in the hope that I would get used to it and it would not seem so bad after a while, however, I found it hard to ignore so I packed it up again, and arranged for it to be returned.
At that point I started reading up about the yellow screen problem, and it seemed like most, if not all screens have it in some form or another, I haven't got the patience to go through the rigmarole of returning lots of imacs in the hope of getting a good one, so I considered just keeping the one I'd got. I decided to go to my nearest Apple store and have a look at the new ones to see if they seemed to have the issue, so I drove 30 miles to Meadowhall and played with the two 27" they had, they had the yellow problem, but they were nowhere near as bad as mine.
Anyway, I decided that maybe I was being too picky, so I unpacked mine and tried using it again, I made myself use it for a couple of hours, but the yellow problem just got more and more annoying, so I've packed it up again and it's going back.
Now I'm not sure what to do, I might try a new iMac, it will have to be a lower model as I can't afford a new i7, I think I'd actually be happy just sticking with my 24" now, but a friend wants to buy it off me, they have a G4 iMac and are desperate for an upgrade, so they are really excited about getting my old iMac, and i don't want to let them down.
I"ve just checked my serial number, and mine in a Week 22,
Julie
My 27" i7 Refurb is arrving today and I really hope the only problems with it are a dented box and scratched disc.
This thread has made me more confident that I made the right decision and saved over £400 on a refurb model.
This thread has made me more confident that I made the right decision and saved over £400 on a refurb model.
I don't know what to say, the last posts made me a bit insecure about this refurbing... bad experiences seems more important to us when we read them as the good ones... as a good experience on the buy of an expensive iMac should be the normal thing.
Well I won't get to see my iMac until I get home from work tonight but I will let you all know how my experience is.
However, I must warn you that a slightly dented box or scratched discs will not bother me in the slightest. Apple can't ensure new or refurbished product boxes won't get damaged during delivery.
Okay, okay! I did turn it on, obviously. Then i had dinner and thought I'd let the thread die because people were just being negative for the sake of being negative.
Despite the condition of the box, the computer looks perfect, cosmetically. The screen looked great, too. However, after I played around a while it started to look yellow. (Like a lot of other people's have.) In fact, when I move this window with its white background to the top of the screen it looks good, but I can see a distinct shift as I lower it. Rawr... I hope my eyes are just playing tricks on me. It's late where I am, gonna sleep, then do the test tomorrow.
Still hoping for the best. By the way, for everybody else... the primary purpose of this thread was to find out where the information on the serial number was. MMomega answered the question. The other stuff about the condition of the box was just a side note. Got it?
And Simar, my box was very much like yours, I just didn't get into that much detail. I also thought there would for sure be an inner box, but i was more shocked by the fact that the whole bottom of my box fell open.
Not sure about the quality control of these refurbs...
Despite the condition of the box, the computer looks perfect, cosmetically. The screen looked great, too. However, after I played around a while it started to look yellow. (Like a lot of other people's have.) In fact, when I move this window with its white background to the top of the screen it looks good, but I can see a distinct shift as I lower it. Rawr... I hope my eyes are just playing tricks on me. It's late where I am, gonna sleep, then do the test tomorrow.
Still hoping for the best. By the way, for everybody else... the primary purpose of this thread was to find out where the information on the serial number was. MMomega answered the question. The other stuff about the condition of the box was just a side note. Got it?
And Simar, my box was very much like yours, I just didn't get into that much detail. I also thought there would for sure be an inner box, but i was more shocked by the fact that the whole bottom of my box fell open.
Not sure about the quality control of these refurbs...WARNING: IF YOU ARE NOT SUPER "PICKY" ABOUT STUFF, THE BEGINNING OF THIS THREAD IS NOT FOR YOU. It is hopefully for people, like myself, who have never bought a refurbished product before and want to look at every detail. HOWEVER, I DO HAVE AN IMPORTANT QUESTION AT THE BOTTOM, CAN ANYBODY PLEASE HELP ME WITH THAT? THANKS!!!
I thought I might do an "unboxing" of my refurbished iMac 27" for all of you guys who were/are concerned about buying a refurb. At this point in time, the jury is still out. I will update this thread after I turn the computer on. I haven't taken the plastic seal off the display because I want to vacuum first. I am extremely picky, like a lot of us here, and I think it serves to be so when inspecting a refurbished machine.
My first two impressions are NOT GOOD. For those of you who are more "kick back," you might LOL at the fact that I haven't even turned the computer on yet. But I wanted to study the box and packaging to see if possibly I received a "new" refurb like I was hoping for, and the Apple rep (that's a whole other story) thought I had a good chance of getting, too.
Anyway, first two impressions. I have pictures, and I will post them later if anyone wants. But I do want to turn the imac on and run the "yellow tint" test, first. So far, though:
1) BOTH the OS X Install DVD and the Applications install DVD have issues. One has some very fine scratches on it, and the other has a "band," almost a rainbow arc of discoloration on it. WTF? I must admit I've never studied the install DVD's of any computer I've ever gotten before, so I can't really tell if these are indications that the machine is used or not. I mean, a scratch is a scratch. But the discoloration?
2) The box, itself. I CANNOT BELIEVE APPLE WOULD ALLOW A $1699 PIECE OF EQUIPMENT TO BE SHIPPED THIS WAY. The box itself, has dents and crumpled edges. Oh, well. It was when I picked it up off the floor that "it" almost happened. The worst possible scenario. Luckily, I am only 5'3" and not the strongest woman. Because if I had been able to carry the box by the handle all the way to my table and been able to heft it up using just the handle, the computer UNDOUBTEDLY would have fallen through the bottom of the box and onto the floor (or table.) Instead, I had both arms around the box and basically slid it onto the table. (I couldn't lift it any higher, and didn't think I needed to.) When the box got about a third of the way onto the table, I heard the tape "pop" and the entire bottom flaps sprung open. Stuff literally fell out onto the floor. It was just a couple of bags of silica gel, luckily. I quickly slid the computer onto the table and laid it on its side in order to inspect the packaging. The (plain white, btw,) box had been secured by a single piece of THIN packing tape, and the tape was halfway off. I did not have to "razor" it open, or anything. It separated along the middle of the flaps, and with a gentle tug I was able to pull the whole bottom part open. I cannot believe it made it here under these circumstances. It's almost as if the first owner, or computer tech guy scored the tape and then just closed it and nobody noticed it wasn't secure when they reshipped it!! I would LOL myself, but I really want this computer to be as perfect as possible. Anyway, the computer looks fine with a brief inspection. I'll post more later if I find any evidence the imac fell out. One more thing: the silica bags that fell out both had masking tape on them. It looked like they were supposed to be taped onto something but somebody just sloppily taped that part of the tape back onto the bag, itself, so that's why they just fell out.
The question: Re: serial numbers: I know how to read them... I think.
i've handled CD's and DVD's since the mid 1990's. they all have scratches and discoloration. the actual disc is inside a plastic housing which is supposed to scratch and protect the disc.
This thread is either some big inside joke or some serious insane OCD ramblings. Who buys and receives a new computer without even pushing the on button?
one time my mom bought a TV in the winter time and was afraid to turn it on for like an hour because she thought the TV was too cold and needed to warm up.
someone i know who is 70 has had a cell phone since the late 1990's before everyone else had them. 10 years ago he used to turn it off and only turned it on to make calls. it had free long distance which was cheaper than Bell Atlantic.
this same person also had a laptop since the late 1990's. he bought a dell inspiron for $3000 or so, back when Dell had Apple's margins. he took a computer class because he was afraid to use it.
old people are so funny sometimes
OP can't be that old, her handle is 19699, which I assume means she was born in 1969, which would put her at 41 y/o which isn't old at all. I think she's just as neurotic and batty as Meg Ryan's character in When Harry Met Sally.
Ok, so I got home and got my refurb unboxed and I'm typing from it now
The first thing I will say is that the OP may have been a little dramatic about it but my iMac was not well packaged either. There was a rip in the box and it was only single boxed so good thing nothing bad happened to the iMac itself during delivery.
Now, moving on swiftly. The iMac itself is amazing! There is no scratches, no yellow tint, not even a fingerprint on the machine. The mouse and keyboard look as good as new also. I am so very happy right now that I went for a refurbished model and I sincerely hope that this thread will not discourage anyone from buying a refurb. My attitude is that if there is a problem, it will be going straight back.
I do understand that when you pay huge amounts of money you expect perfection, but at the end of the day I didn't pay for the box... the machine is perfect.
Edit: Also my serial number is 74028Hxxxxx. Is that a 2010 build or am I misreading the code?
The first thing I will say is that the OP may have been a little dramatic about it but my iMac was not well packaged either. There was a rip in the box and it was only single boxed so good thing nothing bad happened to the iMac itself during delivery.
Now, moving on swiftly. The iMac itself is amazing! There is no scratches, no yellow tint, not even a fingerprint on the machine. The mouse and keyboard look as good as new also. I am so very happy right now that I went for a refurbished model and I sincerely hope that this thread will not discourage anyone from buying a refurb. My attitude is that if there is a problem, it will be going straight back.
I do understand that when you pay huge amounts of money you expect perfection, but at the end of the day I didn't pay for the box... the machine is perfect.
Edit: Also my serial number is 74028Hxxxxx. Is that a 2010 build or am I misreading the code?
Sorry for peeing on your thread.Ravich, I don't know what your problem is... that was just a passing comment. I wasn't putting down your special Apple salesman. When I said "that's a whole other story," I was referring to something he really did screw up. It turned out okay in the end, though, because customer service gave me a free trackpad and overnight shipping because of it.
Boy, some people just love to piss on other people's threads, don't they? Even if they don't know what they're talking about.
Ok. Thread closed.
Love my imac. If anyone wants to know what the final lowdown on what I think of my refurb purchase, PM me if you want.
holy jeeze, that serial number link is neat
it even tells you the current value of your mac
i've had a 23" refurb cinema HD display that's been flawless
for 5 years
it even tells you the current value of your mac
i've had a 23" refurb cinema HD display that's been flawless
for 5 years
back when I got my first family pc (2000 I think) my grandad wouldn't let me touch it for 2 days, and even when he did let me on it the keyboard was off limits for some reason XD
Got my i7 refurb today - a few fingerprints on the back near the power switch, an itsy bitsy, teeeny tiny scratch in the upper left corner just off the actual screen, about 1.5 mm in length and thats it. Everything else working well. No yellow, whistle weird noises etc. I'm happy. Can live with the prints and the scratch I can no longer find, have to really look for it.
Even after having 24 for the past year or 2 the 27 is big, I mean huge...LOVE it. Screen is AMAZING!!!! Speedy machine and with the $$$ saved will throw another 8gig of ram in. Just thrilled with my refurb! Edit...Forgot to include serial number shows build is week 28 2010.
Therese
Even after having 24 for the past year or 2 the 27 is big, I mean huge...LOVE it. Screen is AMAZING!!!! Speedy machine and with the $$$ saved will throw another 8gig of ram in. Just thrilled with my refurb! Edit...Forgot to include serial number shows build is week 28 2010.
Therese
Well, I'm not that good at this sort of stuff, but it looks like I have the dreaded yellow tint problem pretty bad.
Just so I know I followed the right procedure; I did the gray bar test. I thought there was some yellowing, but I wasn't sure. So, I took a picture and it became much more obvious. Then I cut and pasted the bottom bars and put them directly under the top bars.
http://att.macrumors.com/images/attach/jpg.gif
What do you guys think? I'm bummed. I hope I did it right. Despite my angst over the crummy job they did boxing, it didn't cause this, obviously. My eyes are bad anyway, does anyone think it's acceptable? I had to resize it.
Thoughts? I'll be back in a half hour.
Just so I know I followed the right procedure; I did the gray bar test. I thought there was some yellowing, but I wasn't sure. So, I took a picture and it became much more obvious. Then I cut and pasted the bottom bars and put them directly under the top bars.
http://att.macrumors.com/images/attach/jpg.gif
What do you guys think? I'm bummed. I hope I did it right. Despite my angst over the crummy job they did boxing, it didn't cause this, obviously. My eyes are bad anyway, does anyone think it's acceptable? I had to resize it.
Thoughts? I'll be back in a half hour.
Attachments
You could have saved yourself a lot of time if you just turned it on right away. Call Apple, send it back.
I haven't purchased a refurbished mac for several years, so my observation is based on old experience.
Refurbished Macs didn't come in the same retail box. The are repackaged in a different box. I think all the units are thoroughly tested and Serial numbers are changed. I don't know why they change the serial numbers.
At the end of the day it didn't matter. The refurbished unit looked brand new, all of the accessories appeared to be brand new and in new sealed packaging. And it was much cheaper.
I think most have good luck with refurbished.
My last purchase was new, only because I purchased close to the release date and there were no refurbished units yet.
Refurbished Macs didn't come in the same retail box. The are repackaged in a different box. I think all the units are thoroughly tested and Serial numbers are changed. I don't know why they change the serial numbers.
At the end of the day it didn't matter. The refurbished unit looked brand new, all of the accessories appeared to be brand new and in new sealed packaging. And it was much cheaper.
I think most have good luck with refurbished.
My last purchase was new, only because I purchased close to the release date and there were no refurbished units yet.