Refurbished iPhone 4 stock at Apple stores

[vastoholic]

with all this talk of people returning iPhones (sometimes, several of them) and getting them replaced at the Apple Stores, why can't the Apple Store offer some of these refurbs for sale at the store? It sounds like they must have a decent supply of them, unless I'm misunderstanding something. For those of you who have returned iPhones for replacement, did you get the replacement that same day or did they tell you when to come back when more are in?

I finally ordered one from apple's online store but it's not shipping till the end of the month (as it states right now). I would have no quarrels in buying a refurbed iPhone 4 just so I could get one sooner.

Maybe I just answered my own question by just now looking on their store website and they don't even sell refurbed iPhones (any model) there either. Can someone tell me why they don't offer refurbished iPhones for sale?

 

[spades1412]

As far as I know, all Apple stores keep a separate stock of phones for warranty replacements. These could be new or refurbished units.

 

[vastoholic]

As far as I know, all Apple stores keep a separate stock of phones for warranty replacements. These could be new or refurbished units.

I kind of figured they would keep a certain stock for that purpose. I just figured with the demand still high for new purchases, they should start selling those and let the production crank out more for to replenish that stock, since hopefully by the now the return rate has slowed down.

 

[Jwill26]

Apple does not sell refurbished phones, you would have to go to AT&T for one of those and I don't think they have any yet.

 

[BlondeBuddhist]

The Apple Online Store normally has had refurb's for sale of past models.

 

[VivaV]

Yeah - in the past year the refurbs have been made available around December time. I know that they have been available from Apple.com - but I just found an email that I sent about it on Nov. 29th last year - when a 16GB 3GS refurb was available for $50 on the ATT site.

They are a good deal for CA residents - since you are only charged tax on what you pay - and not the unsubsidized cost of the iphone (it cost $55 instead of $260 inc tax.

 

[vastoholic]

Yeah - in the past year the refurbs have been made available around December time. I know that they have been available from Apple.com - but I just found an email that I sent about it on Nov. 29th last year - when a 16GB 3GS refurb was available for $50 on the ATT site.

They are a good deal for CA residents - since you are only charged tax on what you pay - and not the unsubsidized cost of the iphone (it cost $55 instead of $260 inc tax.

Yeah I saw that tax. I was all excited because my billing zip for AT&T was still in OK and tax was only like $16, but I didn't want it shipped to my parents in OK first. Then the excitement wore off after I changed to my CA address.

 

[vastoholic]

The Apple Online Store normally has had refurb's for sale of past models.

I don't see them on the store now for older models. I took that as meaning they don't sell them. My bad. It just has a mac and iPod section.