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Refreshed vs Refurbished

BestBuyBoy

BestBuyBoy

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 20, 2007
56
0
I just got off the phone with the apple store guy and he tells me he has a black C2D that was returned that he will wipe clean (the hard drive I assumed :( )and sell it for 10% off. Thats only 50 above what I can get it refurbished and i still qualify for FC express... I never see anyone discussing "refreshed" mac's... is this not a good way to buy a Mac? Thanks!
 
I always thought "refreshed" meant a small upgrade of the relevant line?

BestBuyBoy said:
I just got off the phone with the apple store guy and he tells me he has a black C2D that was returned that he will wipe clean (the hard drive I assumed :( )and sell it for 10% off. Thats only 50 above what I can get it refurbished and i still qualify for FC express... I never see anyone discussing "refreshed" mac's... is this not a good way to buy a Mac? Thanks!
Click to expand...
 
Refreshed in this case means that it was bought and returned to a brick and mortar Apple Store. They are the equivilent of refurbished products sold on Apple's website.

Personally, I would rather buy refurbished because:
a) many have never been touched by human hands outside of Apple.
b) they have the possibility of being higher spec'd than advertised.
c) refreshed machines are examined as closely as refurbished.
 
Refreshed products always tend to be cheaper (at least here).

I got a Black Macbook for $1199ca refreshed when even the student price was like $1399 or something.

Plus you get the nice box too. heh.
 
topgunn said:
Refreshed in this case means that it was bought and returned to a brick and mortar Apple Store. They are the equivilent of refurbished products sold on Apple's website.

Personally, I would rather buy refurbished because:
a) many have never been touched by human hands outside of Apple.
b) they have the possibility of being higher spec'd than advertised.
c) refreshed machines are examined as closely as refurbished.
Click to expand...

I purchased a Refreshed MBP. There are some key differences

1. you can see it first hand before purchase... If it doesn't meet your expectation you don't have to buy it
2. refreshed machines are examined, but are not picked over as thoroughly as Refurbs. The drive is simply factory restored and it's reboxed. I looked at a few refreshed models and noticed one with scratches on the case, a bulging latch, and very inconsistent screen. I hope no one ever bought it. Again, you can look at them and decide for yourself
3. You can not return a Refreshed model after purchase. Even if you don't like it, it doesn't qualify for the 14 day policy.
4. It does qualify for rebates on software and hardware offered to "new" purchases.. Refurbs don't qualify.

I'm extremely happy with mine, which is a week 48 and virtually flawless. Not bad for saving 10% +rebates.. $550 savings
 
jimytheassassin said:
4. It does qualify for rebates on software and hardware offered to "new" purchases.. Refurbs don't qualify.
Click to expand...

Actually, refurbs often do qualify for promos. But you have to read the promo. I got a refurbed Mac Mini in Oct (the early 2006 1.66 Superdrive model) for $649, and a Canon printer PIXMA MP530 $199, and used the perfect companion printer promo to get a $100 rebate on the printer. Not a bad deal. Now I called in advance to verify that the refurb qualified. As far as the FCE $99 promo that ends next week, not sure if refurbs qualify, but I would expect that they do.

Also, I think that refurbs are great because they were faulty for some reason or another, DOA or whatever, and so have been through an extra level of Q.C., meaning you are less likely to have an issue down the line, whereas there is little to no Q.C. with refreshed other than wiping the drive.
 
I got a refreshed iPod mini couple of years ago from an apple store.

It was brand new, I asked to see it before I purchased, and it was untouched.

They said that they were unwanted xmas presents returned unopened
 
roland.g said:
Actually, refurbs often do qualify for promos. But you have to read the promo. I got a refurbed Mac Mini in Oct (the early 2006 1.66 Superdrive model) for $649, and a Canon printer PIXMA MP530 $199, and used the perfect companion printer promo to get a $100 rebate on the printer. Not a bad deal. Now I called in advance to verify that the refurb qualified. As far as the FCE $99 promo that ends next week, not sure if refurbs qualify, but I would expect that they do.

Also, I think that refurbs are great because they were faulty for some reason or another, DOA or whatever, and so have been through an extra level of Q.C., meaning you are less likely to have an issue down the line, whereas there is little to no Q.C. with refreshed other than wiping the drive.
Click to expand...
You're right, there are probably promo circumstances that allow refurbs, but FCE specifically says "new" purchases and lists the products.. Refurbs don't appear to qualify. Perhaps this can be fudged, I dunno
 
Refurb Mac

I bought a refurbished macbook black on the website for $1000.00. The first day I got it, the thing began giving me problems with some "kernel" errors, shutting down without warning, and the fan running presumably at high speed. I called applecare and took it to a apple store to see if they could fix it. My only true option was sending it back for a new one since I was still under the 14 days warranty. I am waiting for another refurb.

Aside form the problems, the computer seemed brand new with no scratches, ran smoothly and the programs are awesome. I guess the moral of the story is to make sure everything is running well and take full advantage of your warranty or buy the extended warranty if considering to buy a referb product from apple.
 
Allow me to clear a few things up:

A "refreshed" item means the item was purchased brand new, taken out of the store, opened, and then returned for whatever reason. In the case of a computer, ipod, or apple TV, the customer returning the product is charged a 10% restocking fee if the box has been opened. We then sell it as an open box item to the next customer with a 10% discount. Again, this is simply an open box item - good as new.

Sometimes we have 'refreshed' items that are actually demos (computers that were on display out on the retail floor) Demos may have some scratches, or other minor cosmetic blemishes, and are usually sold at a slightly higher discount.

In both cases, the 14 day return policy still applies. All items come with the standard 1 year warranty just like a new model.

"Refurbished" products are only available online. A refurbished product is a damaged item that has been fixed. 1 year warranty still applies.

In my opinion, you can't go wrong either way.
 
I recently bought a refreshed MacBook and actually received a $200 discount instead of the usual 10%...it's the low-end C2D, sells for $1099, and I purchased it for $899. That's $50 cheaper than the refurb price. I have a refurb iMac that I am typing on right now which I am also extremely pleased with, but I do like the fact that with the refreshed product I was able to look at it before I bought it -- it wasn't just a crapshoot on whether or not the one I got would have significant cosmetic blemishes. It was eligible for the 14-day return policy as well as the printer rebate.
 
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