Questions about Buying from a Mac Reseller

[SarahCat]

Hi everyone,

I am a first time mac purchaser, but unfortunately money is a big issue for me. I found a Mac Reseller that sells refurbished machines. I was wondering if anyone has ever heard of or done business with this retailer, and what their reputation is.

The listing mentioned that there is a minor scratch on the bottom casing. I can live with that, as long as there are no battery or screen defects etc

http://www.macconnection.com/buy/recon.-apple-macbook-pro-15-retina-display-2.2ghz-core-i7-16gb-256gb-flash-iris-pro/17948981?cac=Result
Thank you
Sarah

 

[GGJstudios]

I am a first time mac purchaser, but unfortunately money is a big issue for me. I found a Mac Reseller that sells refurbished machines. I was wondering if anyone has ever heard of or done business with this retailer, and what their reputation is.

Be aware that there are many retailers who may sell "refurbished" Macs, but there is no assurance about their refurbishment process. In many cases, they are not refurbished at all, but simply used products. One way to tell, as in the case of the one you posted, is the fact that it only comes with a 30 day warranty.

Apple sells certified refurbished products on the Apple Refurb Store, all of which come with an original 1 year warranty from Apple and they qualify for AppleCare, just like new models.

Apple refurbished products are considered by most to be a very good deal, as they're pretty much like buying a new Mac, except for the box.

Apple Certified Refurbished Products are pre-owned Apple products that undergo Apple's stringent refurbishment process prior to being offered for sale. While only some units are returned due to technical issues, all units undergo Apple's stringent quality refurbishment process.

Click the link in that quote for more details on the refurbishment process.

• Apple Certified Refurbished Products are available online from the Apple Refurb Store and are not sold in local Apple stores
• Educational discounts do not apply to refurb products.
• Refurb products come with the same warranty as new products, and qualify for AppleCare
• Refurb products have a changed serial number that identifies them as refurbished
• Refurb products come with whatever OS version and software they originally shipped with as new
• Refurb products come with the same items in the box as new products, only the box is a plain one, not the new box.
• A refurb product could have some cosmetic signs of prior use, but rarely do
• A refurb Mac notebook may have some cycles on the battery, but not a significant enough amount to affect usable life
• The refurb store inventory changes frequently, sometimes several times a day, and doesn't have any direct relation to upcoming product releases. What's available in the refurb store is determined by what has been returned to Apple.
• If you're looking for a particular item, refurb.me can alert you when it becomes available.

 

[robgendreau]

Hi everyone,

I am a first time mac purchaser, but unfortunately money is a big issue for me. I found a Mac Reseller that sells refurbished machines. I was wondering if anyone has ever heard of or done business with this retailer, and what their reputation is.

MacConnection has been selling Mac stuff since applications came on floppies. They are certainly a reputable company, but like any other, including Apple, your opinion might vary.

What you are asking about is a scratch and dent, which is really a used (they say "lightly") computer. It may or may not have Apple warranty time remaining (you might get the serial number from Mac Connection and check here: http://selfsolve.apple.com/agreementWarrantyDynamic.do). The Apple refurb store, by comparison, sells machines that are probably less used, and they at least have a regular warranty from date of YOUR purchase. There's a 2.0 GHz model for less than the one you're looking at in the US store now.

Frankly, I'd either go with the Apple refurb or get a better price on the used market. The 14 day return policy at MacConnection is pretty lame; you might discern defects in that short a time. By way of comparison, Expercom.com also sells reseller (ie non-Apple, but Apple authorized) refurbished Macs. But they offer a 90 day return, and a $100 warranty (but not Apple Care, since neither theirs nor MacConnection's quality). You might also look at macofalltrades.com; I haven't used them but have heard good things, and they have lots of older Macs, and also have a minimum 90 day warranty, and give much more info about the condition and Apple Care status of the products than MacConnection.