Saving $170 Worth Returning My Mac?

[modit]

I ordered this refurb MacBook Pro Friday from the Canadian Apple Store for $1489.

Refurbished MacBook Pro 2.53GHz Intel Core i5

Originally released April 2010
15.4-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display (1440 x 900 pixel)
4GB (2 x 2GB) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM
500GB Serial ATA @ 5400 rpm
8x double-layer SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M graphics processor with 256MB of GDDR3 memory...

The cheaper i5 MacBook Pro with the same specs but with a smaller 320GB was sold out at a price of $1319.

I was told it's back in stock but since my order shipped, I need to send the Mac back for a return for refund which will take up to 1.5 weeks for my card to be cleared and I'm able to order again.

Question is this...

1. Is the hassle to return it worth saving money?
2. If my only concern is to sell this 9-12 months later, will the extra $170 be enough to make my resale price not competitive?
3. Can I sell my Mac for exactly the same price I bought it or should I take a loss of $200?

Thank you so much! My choice is yours

 

[axu539]

I ordered this refurb MacBook Pro Friday from the Canadian Apple Store for $1489.



The cheaper i5 MacBook Pro with the same specs but with a smaller 320GB was sold out at a price of $1319.

I was told it's back in stock but since my order shipped, I need to send the Mac back for a return for refund which will take up to 1.5 weeks for my card to be cleared and I'm able to order again.

Question is this...

1. Is the hassle to return it worth saving money?
2. If my only concern is to sell this 9-12 months later, will the extra $170 be enough to make my resale price not competitive?
3. Can I sell my Mac for exactly the same price I bought it or should I take a loss of $200?

Thank you so much! My choice is yours

Definitely return if you can. The resale value of cheaper machine vs. the one you already ordered will be virtually the same, since hard drives are so cheap anyway. The difference in prices for those hard drives is like $20, so you saving that much money is definitely worth it.

However, there are things to consider. By the time your card clears, the cheaper one might be out of stock again. Furthermore, are you SURE all the other specs are the same? I don't ever remember near identically spec'ed MBPs to be so differently priced.

When the time comes to sell your Mac, you will definitely take a loss for it. I sold my 2.5 year old machine for 50% of the original price. Do the math, and consider that the machine loses the most value in the first year of ownership. If you keep it for, say, a year, you'll probably take a $300 loss, especially if the next revision is significantly better than this one. Of course, these resale values are incredibly high compared to PCs, so do feel happy about that.

 

[modit]

Definitely return if you can. The resale value of cheaper machine vs. the one you already ordered will be virtually the same, since hard drives are so cheap anyway. The difference in prices for those hard drives is like $20, so you saving that much money is definitely worth it.

However, there are things to consider. By the time your card clears, the cheaper one might be out of stock again. Furthermore, are you SURE all the other specs are the same? I don't ever remember near identically spec'ed MBPs to be so differently priced.

When the time comes to sell your Mac, you will definitely take a loss for it. I sold my 2.5 year old machine for 50% of the original price. Do the math, and consider that the machine loses the most value in the first year of ownership. If you keep it for, say, a year, you'll probably take a $300 loss, especially if the next revision is significantly better than this one. Of course, these resale values are incredibly high compared to PCs, so do feel happy about that.

Here are the specs for the cheaper MacBook Pro.

Refurbished MacBook Pro 2.4GHz Intel Core i5
Originally released April 2010
15.4-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display (1440 x 900 pixel)
4GB (2 x 2GB) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM
320GB Serial ATA @ 5400 rpm
8x double-layer SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M graphics processor with 256MB of GDDR3 memory

So most Macs lose value like this?

1 Year = ~20%
Every 6 Months =~10%

Your case is 2.5 years which as you said was a 50% drop in price. If that's the case, thank you for opening my eyes. I'll keep the in mind while looking at the value of Macs on the open market.

If the specs are about the same, I'll send it back and take my chances on waiting for a refurb.

Thoughts? Please chime in

 

[axu539]

Here are the specs for the cheaper MacBook Pro.



So most Macs lose value like this?

1 Year = ~20%
Every 6 Months =~10%

Your case is 2.5 years which as you said 50% drop in price. If that's the case, thank you for opening my eyes. I'll keep the in mind while keepin track of the value of Macs on the open market.

If the specs are about the same, I'll send it back and take my chances on waiting for a refurb.

Thoughts? Please chime in

Ah, I see, so there's a processor downgrade too. Still, definitely go ahead with the return process, since I would have recommended that model over the 2.53 anyway (better bang for buck). I may have also spoke too soon. I realize now that this is obviously a refurb, so your depreciation should be MUCH less severe, as Apple has already eaten the cost of a lot of that depreciation. I see 07 and 08 MBPs (nonunibody) selling on Craigslist for around $800 regularly, so in 2-3 years, I'm guessing yours would still not dip below $800 (assuming good condition).

 

[modit]

Update!

I initiated the return late yesterday and surprisingly this morning, my available credit was free with no charges. I placed the order for the cheaper Mac and then called MasterCard who said it went through.

It's great that I got my order in today; earliest delivery is on March 4 and the latest is March 11 but I need to wait for my package to ship to be sure. Only hassle is to ship back the other ordered Mac but I don't mind.

The Mac I'm getting might be brand new as the refurb store is being flooded with unopened Macs!


Thanks axu539!

 

[axu539]

I initiated the return late yesterday and surprisingly this morning, my available credit was free with no charges. I placed the order for the cheaper Mac and then called MasterCard who said it went through.

It's great that I got my order in today; earliest delivery is on March 4 and the latest is March 11 but I need to wait for my package to ship to be sure. Only hassle is to ship back the other ordered Mac but I don't mind.

The Mac I'm getting might be brand new as the refurb store is being flooded with unopened Macs!


Thanks axu539!

You're very welcome. I actually did the same thing with my recent order (had to cancel to make a change), but I also had to call back several times to get my funds freed up quicker. I'm glad it was faster for you!

 

[Scalfani]

I also had to exchange a refurb. I was wondering how long it took for you to get the prepaid shipping label emailed? I am still waiting since Monday morning. (2 days).

 

[axu539]

I also had to exchange a refurb. I was wondering how long it took for you to get the prepaid shipping label emailed? I am still waiting since Monday morning. (2 days).

Call them and ask. I'm sure they can speed it up for you.