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Refurb questions

W

wahoo10

macrumors 6502
Original poster
So I had planned to buy a MBalu, but have recently decided that a 15" screen would be much better for me. I don't need extensive mobility, but I do need to take it for the 10-15min walk onto campus, so the 17" is out. Obviously the MBP is more expensive, so I've been thinking about going the refurb route, so I have a few questions.
1. I know that you can still get AppleCare and stuff with it, but is it really treated as a brand new comp? So if anything covered breaks, it's fixed, no questions asked?
2. What's the chance I get a lemon? I know that's a dumb question because no one knows for sure, but has anyone had this experience?
3. If it is a lemon, do they replace it with another refurb?
4. What's the general condition that refurbs come in? Flawless? Minor wear? Say there's a large scratch across the bottom, can I get of repaired for free?
5. Any other comments on refurbs?

Thanks!
 
I'll be brief...GO AHEAD !!! you won't be able to see the difference with a brand new...it's actually new !!! The warranty is the same ans you can add up to 2 more years. For the lemon..i've actually got one...but they replace it with a brand new one..not another refurb. But keep in ming that you can get a brand new lemon !!!

The only real difference..is that you gonna have more money in your pocket !!!

Hope it help you 😉
 
i purchased a refurb a few months back and it was flawless, same as many other posts i have read about the refurb store. it was a great decision and i could not be more pleased. save yourself the money, the only difference is the box your mac will show up in.
 
I have had nothing but good results with my wife's refurb MBP. I would highly recommend it.

Unless there is a huge step in the next generation of laptops, I would suggest getting the refurb over a new one any day - same warranty, support, software, etc.

I am waiting right now to save up the money to buy a refurb MB Alum.

The only other item to note is that you should check the refurb store often as they often update it and the cheaper MBPs disappear fast.
 
wahoo10 said:
I don't need extensive mobility, but I do need to take it for the 10-15min walk onto campus, so the 17" is out....
5. Any other comments on refurbs?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Three things:

1) I would have no worries about buying a refurb. I have, and they're basically no different besides packaging vs a new machine.

2) If you're talking about walking to campus, presumably you're a student. don't know about the US, but here in the UK the higher educational discount makes new machines cost about the same as refurbs anyway, BUT (and it's a big but) you get 3 year warranty included in the price (and if you want to upgrade that to the full applecare service then it's an extra ~£50). So IF you're planning on buying Applecare and you're a student, you may be able to do better than refurb prices anyway.

3) I have a MacBook Air so I'm being a bit hypocritical, but the difference in weight between the 15 and 17" unibody mbp is only ~400g. I wouldn't carry it around for the sake of it, but if you have other reasons for wanting 17" it might be worth not dismissing it entirely.
 
Perhaps the specifics differ slightly from country to country but AFAIK, in Canada, the refurb pricing is still lower than the education pricing and the latter does not include free Apple Care.

I just got my refurb'd 2.4 Macbook last week and it is absolutely pristine. No scratches, marks, dead pixels. All the accessories looked brand new with cellophane wrapping and stickers intact. The battery count says 5 recharge cycles. I would have been content with very minor scratches since it will happen eventually.

Apple treats the refurb'd products exactly the same as new ones. If Apple does need to replace it, they'd probably go with another refurb if possible.

Best,

Mike
 
hodgeheg said:
Three things:

1) I would have no worries about buying a refurb. I have, and they're basically no different besides packaging vs a new machine.

2) If you're talking about walking to campus, presumably you're a student. don't know about the US, but here in the UK the higher educational discount makes new machines cost about the same as refurbs anyway, BUT (and it's a big but) you get 3 year warranty included in the price (and if you want to upgrade that to the full applecare service then it's an extra ~£50). So IF you're planning on buying Applecare and you're a student, you may be able to do better than refurb prices anyway.

3) I have a MacBook Air so I'm being a bit hypocritical, but the difference in weight between the 15 and 17" unibody mbp is only ~400g. I wouldn't carry it around for the sake of it, but if you have other reasons for wanting 17" it might be worth not dismissing it entirely.
Click to expand...
In the US you don't get a three year warranty being a student. You just get the factory 1 year warranty and the option to buy applecare. Student price is 1899 for the bottom mbp. refirb is 1699. i would buy a refirb and then use the student discount or ebay for applecare.
 
wahoo10 said:
1. I know that you can still get AppleCare and stuff with it, but is it really treated as a brand new comp? So if anything covered breaks, it's fixed, no questions asked?
Click to expand...
Yes.
2. What's the chance I get a lemon? I know that's a dumb question because no one knows for sure, but has anyone had this experience?
Click to expand...
Your chance of getting a lemon with a refurb is no different than if you bought "new."
3. If it is a lemon, do they replace it with another refurb?
Click to expand...
I imagine it depends on what they have in stock at the time you have it replaced.
4. What's the general condition that refurbs come in? Flawless? Minor wear? Say there's a large scratch across the bottom, can I get of repaired for free?
Click to expand...
Refurb typically means "restored to factory specifications." If their specifications say it's okay to have a large scratch across the bottom of a new machine, then it's okay to have a large scratch across the bottom of a refurb. If a scratch is considered "not okay" on a new machine, then it won't be okay on a refurb, either.
5. Any other comments on refurbs?
Click to expand...
Brown box instead of white. Otherwise you're fine.

EDIT: One more thing with refurbs - you can't do a BTO.
 
The education store is $1499 for 2.4MB, $1899 for 2.4 MBP. I think 2.4 will suffice fully for 3-5 years, so I see no reason to increase it, especially if I upgrade to 4GB RAM. Refurbs seem to be holding around $1699 so with that discount, I essentially get the edu price with free AppleCare.
I figure there's a smaller chance of a refurb breaking farther down the road, but that's just my hunch. It's tested fully, whereas a brand new one isn't. Would be nice to get that sweet box, but who cares, it's just going to sit in a closet.

Next questions
1) what's a burn in test? Is this bad for he refurb?
2) I assume I can't buy refurbs at stores. Right?
3) what are the best times to check out the refurb store? I've only ever seen a 1699 2.4 uni. Or is it hit or miss?
 
The best time to check is all the time. You just never know when stock is going to be updated. Just leave a tab open in your browser and refresh it a few times a day.
 
Tomorrow said:
EDIT: One more thing with refurbs - you can't do a BTO.
Click to expand...

But some people are lucky and get a BTO for free 😀

Meaning: If BTO's with some upgrades are returned for whatever reason, they will just be mixed in with the other refurbs, and you can be lucky and get one of those.

wahoo10 said:
1) what's a burn in test? Is this bad for he refurb?
Click to expand...

Most electronic goods either are built Ok, or they are not. If you buy a brand new Mac (or any other computer), then there is a slight chance that it will fail on the first day. If it runs for 24 hours without problems then it will go on running for years. "Burn in test" means they do this 24 hour test, and the computer has survived this, so it will be fine for years.
 
I strongly recommend refurb Mac computers; you are buying something that has been individually tested and tried, has a very competitive price, comes with Apple's warranty, and the possibility of upgrading to Applecare should you wish to do so, and - as a refurb - has had the teething problems of newly introduced models long dealt with.

Cheers and good luck
 
Well, cool. Looks like I'll be seriously considering the Refurb store then, because this just made the MBP much more attractive. Why on earth don't more people take advantage of the refurb store?
 
wahoo10 said:
Well, cool. Looks like I'll be seriously considering the Refurb store then, because this just made the MBP much more attractive. Why on earth don't more people take advantage of the refurb store?
Click to expand...

Just received my REFURB 2.4ghz aluminum Macbook Pro last week and I could not tell it was a "refurb." I kept looking at the Apple Refurb Store everyday and it seemed they updated their stock in the morning and at night. I have heard stories on these forums that sometimes you get lucky and might receive some upgraded RAM or HD, but I received the stock 2.4ghz 2gb ram and 200gb HD.
 
wahoo10 said:
Well, cool. Looks like I'll be seriously considering the Refurb store then, because this just made the MBP much more attractive. Why on earth don't more people take advantage of the refurb store?
Click to expand...
Thanks for this thread. I too am entitled to student discount but for the 2.4 MB (aluminium) I'd save nearly £80 off the student price by buying it refurbed.

Still about £150 off buying one, but should have enough by the end of the month, fingers crossed.

Do they ship as quick as buying a new one?

Took ages to get my imac as I paid for extra ram. The wait nearly killed me, lol. 😱
 
3) what are the best times to check out the refurb store? I've only ever seen a 1699 2.4 uni. Or is it hit or miss?[/QUOTE]

i found they usually update there store around 7pm

i ordered my mbp 2.4uni about a month ago. its a refurb...and i LOVE IT!!

also, i ordered mine on wednesday night around 9pm, paid for overnight shipping, and recieved it on friday! best part is i called apple asking if my mac was shipped out yet, and the girl waived my overnight shipping charge😀

i <3 :apple:
 
Only 15" MBPs are there. $1699 seems to be the holding price for 2.4. There's also MBP 2.53s.
There probably won't be any 17"s for a few more weeks, if that's what you're looking for. Since they just came out, it will take another week or two for major issues to arise, then they have to take it back, send it out, test it/replace stuff/test again, and then package it up again. It'll be weeks before the 17"s come into the refurb store.
 
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