My MacBook Refurb Experience

[VoodooDaddy]

None of the stores carry refurbs.

Trust me a lot of people are like me and i almost bought new because i wanted it that day. I think that if the stores carried Refurb then new sales would go down significantly. The wait is well worth it. Resist.

First Macbook we bought for my wife came from an Apple store. Was either open box or refurb. In fact, we were at CompUSA looking at the Macbooks, think they were priced about 1199, cant remember for sure. I knew Apple sold refurbs on their website for a decent savings. I called the Apple store which was right down the street and specifically asked if they had refurbed ones in-store and was told yes. We went down and picked one up for 1049.

My theory is it was a demo unit, perhaps the stores swap them out on a regular basis and resell them. It came in the retail box and everything inside looked brand new. So refurb, open box, or return, the stores may possibly have discounted Macbooks if you just ask.

As far as getting one with specs above what is listed, seems EVERYONE gets this but me. Since that first Macbook bought at the Apple store, Ive bought another Macbook and and iMac refurb from Apple.com and they have both come as listed.

 

[BenK01]

I'm typing this on my 2.2 ghz refurb black MacBook. Got it a week ago. Mint condition, but no "upgrades." Works well, but doesn't burn DVDs from the finder. Only coasters. Works fine burning from Disk Utility and iDVD. Anyone else find a similar problem?

 

[coachingguy]

I guess the downfall is I couldn't take it to the store if it arrives in rough condition. Do stores carry refurbs? I can't imagine many do.

I've been buying Mac refurbs for years. I've had great luck, except for one iBook G3 900mhz. It arrived at work. Was buggier than crap. I was heading to a city with an apple store after work that day. I brought it with me, got to the Southdale store about 8:15, they close at 9pm. I waited to show it to a "genius", I'd already done all the things they were going to do. He spent 15 minutes running through it. Went and got his manager. I showed the the receipt and packing slip (confirming it having arrived 7 hours before). The manager went in the back room, brought out a new iBook, we transfered some stuff over, and by 8:45, I was walking out the door with a NEW iBook to replace the refurbed one.

Out of the 9 or 10 computers I've bought refurbed, that's the only one with an issue. And Apple handled it amazingly!

Coachingguy