While I absolutely agree that an Apple-refurbished MacBook can be worth the piece of mind the question the issues is more complicated. Of course you need to consider the usual risks of purchasing used that apply to every platform, from eBay to Facebook Marketplace to Craigslist to neighborhood garage sales. There are, however, ways to minimize your risks, such as for example buying from a reputable seller with a decent return policy. I assumed that much common sense. The question at hand was not how exactly a used MacBook differs from a refurbished one and how one would be better over the other. The question was: with full consideration of the differences between a used and an Apple-refurbished device, how much cheaper would a used 2017 MacBook have to be over an Apple-refurbished one to constitute a better deal?
In some cases that could mean a 50% price difference. In others, even 20% can be a steal. Take my example: for $925 I got a 12" MacBook in its original packaging that was like new from a reputable seller on eBay with a no-questions-asked 30-day return policy without restocking fees. The charger and USB-C cable were still in their original plastic wrapping, and the MacBook itself looked completely unused with a total of 7 cycles on the battery and 9 months of full initial Apple warranty remaining. It cost me $265 less than the exact same Apple-refurbished 2017 12" MacBook ($1,189.67 incl. tax). Which, coincidentally, is more than AppleCare+ with two additional years of warranty costs, bringing the total to 33 months. For me, that definitely constitutes a good deal. And that's all I said 😉
