Refurbished Macbook Pro - Your Opinion

[CheMillan]

I'm ready to buy a Macbook Pro and I've looked at the refurbished ones available on the Apple online store. I know refurbished Macs come with the same 1 year warranty and are eligible for Applecare but I still don't feel comfortable buying a refurbished Macbook Pro. I don't what to deal with hardware problems it may have had such as logic board defects, trackpad problems or dead/stuck on pixels. I have considered and thought about the pros and cons of a refurb but I've decided to go with a new Macbook Pro for peace of mind. I welcome your opinion.

 

[T5BRICK]

I have considered and thought about the pros and cons of a refurb but I've decided to go with a new Macbook Pro for peace of mind. I welcome your opinion.

Sounds like you've already made up your mind to buy a new unit.

I have purchased several refurb Apple laptops and none of them have had any of the problems you mentioned. At this point in time though, I'd be buying new because the current model isn't avaialble as a refurb yet.

 

[Cvx5832]

I've bought a few things from the refurb store and they've all been perfect. The only time I stray from the refurb store is if I want an iDevice bad enough to get it on launch day, like the upcoming 12-inch MacBook.

 

[dubhe]

Refurbs are completely tested and work fine, if not better (due to the additional testing) than brand new. The only question you have to ask is price vs. specification.

I went for the 2015 rMBP because I think the force touch trackpad is going to be more future proof.

My Mac mini is a refurb because the spec was not important.

 

[GGJstudios]

I'm ready to buy a Macbook Pro and I've looked at the refurbished ones available on the Apple online store. I know refurbished Macs come with the same 1 year warranty and are eligible for Applecare but I still don't feel comfortable buying a refurbished Macbook Pro. I don't what to deal with hardware problems it may have had such as logic board defects, trackpad problems or dead/stuck on pixels. I have considered and thought about the pros and cons of a refurb but I've decided to go with a new Macbook Pro for peace of mind. I welcome your opinion.

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.

 

[gerbilbox]

If it's in your budget a completely new unit is fine and you should feel comfortable about your purchase, but I think you're passing out on a deal. Refurbished doesn't mean that Apple just takes any old computer and rushes them to any sucker with cash; they are repaired and cleaned before being sold to the point that they are indistinguishable from new machines.

I've purchased 4 Macs in my life, 2 new, 2 refurbished, all portables and no issues with the refurbished models. One, a refurb MacBook Pro worked fine for 5 years. The only "problem" I have with refurbs is that the configurations I want are not always available, which is critical now since we can't upgrade the RAM or SSD after the fact. Custom configuration was the only reason why I went with a new machine this time. I suggest you consider a refurb as an option.

 

[CheMillan]

Thanks guys for your opinion. I will reconsider buying a refurbished Macbook Pro. I suppose it never hurts to save on cost even though I set aside a budget and was ready to buy it new at full retail price. So out of curiosity I crunched some numbers and saw that the savings were pretty substantial when compared to new vs refurbished. If I end up with a crappy refurb I'm going to blame all of you. Just kidding!

 

[adamhenry]

So far my refurb rMBP has been perfect.

 

[totten76]

Have you looked into the 10% Best Buy movers coupon? You seem very set on a new machine and this would just save you money. however, I think a refurb would go just fine.

 

[newellj]

Refurbs are completely tested and work fine, if not better (due to the additional testing) than brand new. The only question you have to ask is price vs. specification.

I went for the 2015 rMBP because I think the force touch trackpad is going to be more future proof.

My Mac mini is a refurb because the spec was not important.

Yes. And a refurb wasn't necessarily returned for a defect, but if it was, the odds that it will have further problems are much lower than that a new unit will have a problem.

 

[thadoggfather]

Yes. And a refurb wasn't necessarily returned for a defect, but if it was, the odds that it will have further problems are much lower than that a new unit will have a problem.

watch apple start charging a premium for this "reassurance"

 

[sigmadog]

Sometimes Apple surprises you with a bonus on your refurb.

I ordered a 2.8GHz i5 processor but it came with a 3.0GHz i7 processor. No extra charge. There's no guarantee of a spec bump, but it's nice when it happens.

 

[gpatrick15]

I just purchased a refurb rMBP 13. There's absolutely no way to distinguish it from a new unit. I honestly think they sent me a new one since I bought the previous model and they may have tried to get rid of stock. Not sure. However I am very happy with the purchase. $979 after the education discount. I was originally going to get an 11" MBA but this deal was too good to pass up.

 

[thadoggfather]

yeah i've heard that too, I didn't luck out in that regard.

Got a good screen second time though, phew!

That's worth its weight in gold alone