You can still buy a refurb Macbook Pro model from the Apple Online Store that was originally released in February 2011. So if I buy one of those Macbook Pros today and order a used OEM SSD from eBay that SSD could be up to 16 months old now. So if my machine stops working because the 16 month old SSD is bad on my one month old machine Apple has a financial motivation, and the absolute right, to deny my warranty claim. You might slide it by Apple and you might not. But you can't deny it is taking a risk if there are warranty issues and that is my point. Anyone considering this route needs to weigh the risks.
No they don't have any right to deny your claim.
But who would do that, go into a Apple store and say 'this drive failed that I bought off of e'bay, can you fix it? Seriously.
Especially at a Apple store. You can go to a Apple depot, and tell them you bought it off of ebay, they might ask you 'how much did you get it for? I recommend going to a depot. They make money off of upgrades and repairs, not the parts themselves, labor.
If it fails even though it did not come with your machine, they have to honor the warranty. They have no way of knowing how old the drive is.
If it is a third party drive then they will not void your warranty, they just will not cover the drive if something happens to it.
Most Apple employees are not versed properly on warranty issues. Actually most are not when it comes to upgrades and repair. Like I said I would go to a depot.
They cannot deny your warranty claim. If my HD fails, and I buy a 'used newer Apple SSD' off of e'bay to replace it with, and take my MBP for my model year, say a 2011 Apple SSD for a 2011 MBP, in for repair they have to honor the warranty. Period.
You do know that you are allowed under the warranty to replace your own HD, or upgrade it if you wish with Apple authorized parts for your machine. Apple even has a turtional on how to do this.
I would recommend taking with you a copy of the warranty. Especially the pages which show you how to change out the HD and Ram if you go to a Apple store.
Print this out take it with you. If your machine has all Apple user upgrade-able authorized parts, they cannot say anything. And that includes a Apple SSD bought off of ebay for your model year of laptop. If it's a authorized part for your machine, they cannot say anything. Zero, nothing.
This is from 2009 and is the current one avail and the one for the current uni-body MBP's. Notice it says "DIY'.
https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=...en_US/MBPRO_13inch_Mid2009_Hard_Drive_DIY.pdf
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1270
That is why I said 'new pull' or 'new' SSD. But a used one will work as well.
Buy the newest you can. But neither will have a effect on warranty. There is no risk with the warranty. None. If you have a authorized part for your machine in a user upgrade-able area. They cannot by the terms of the warranty deny your claim. They can try. If you go to a Apple store and not a depot, there is a greater risk. If you go to a depot, there really isn't any risk what so ever.
The only risk is that if you say you installed it yourself, that they can say you damaged it in the process. The same can be said for RAM. But that is a weak argument. And one that will not hold up. They have to prove you damaged it, which they cannot. I highly they would even try it.
If you say you sent it to a repair center, they cannot say anything. And the terms of your warranty you don't have to say where you got it done. No where in the warranty states that you have to provide a receipt or service proof on a user upgrade able part. That is the loophole. That is why they call them user upgrade-able parts.
I wouldn't suggest to lie. You don't have too. If it's a authorized part, on a interchangeable user upgrade able part a OEM part, you have no worries. Zero. Don't they sell ram at the Apple store or used too? They also sell upgrades at the store, you can go to a Apple depot and ask them to install a Apple SSD.
A early 2011 refurb is not a new machine. It is like new. The case is new but the innards are guess what, 16 months old, save for the case and part that was not functional or replaced. All parts were tested sure, but is no reason for Apple to deny warranty. They are still 16 months old, same as a possible 2011 SSD. The same can be said if you put a late 2011 SSD which is only six months old into a 16 month old MBP. Apple has no way of knowing the difference. None. Zero. Zip. Nor would they question it as it is a authorized user part made by Apple for that particular machine.
The parts in a refurb are not labeled refurbished, only the model of your refurb product.
Do you have know how many times I did exactly that over the last ten years? Too many too count. Apple has no way of knowing how old the drive is, only that it's a user replaceable part and that it is a authorized part. that's it.
