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Who has experience with refurbished Macs?

ArkabaS

ArkabaS

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 3, 2004
91
0
The Moon
Hey everyone,

Like a lot of others, I am eyeing the 2.2 refurbished SR MBP. Does anyone have experience buying refurbished Macs, particularly laptops? The price is killer and the Apple website makes it sound like refurbished macs are in fact better than new ones (instead of straight of the boat, they are run through two series of full diagnostic tests).

My apologies if this has been answered 100 times already. I tried searching but had no luck. Don't have the time right now to dig deeper.

Many thanks in advance.
 
Nearly everyone on MR agrees the refurbs are as good as new (or better). And they're a terrific deal at the new prices.
BUY!
 
I have a refurb SR 2.2 MBP, been very happy with it. It comes in brand-new condition, no scratches, fingerprints, etc.. anything that is cosmetically damages is replaced at the time of refurbishment.
It came with brand new cables, power adapter, etc.
The only difference between a refurb and new is the box it comes in (a brown box instead of the nice black one), and the refurbished serial number.
It is widely believed that refurbs are better than brand new because a real live person checks each one.
 
i just bought a refurb 2.2 SR MBP last tues.. juest when the price dropped.. it's in transit.. expecting it tom.
one more thing, if you're lucky, you might benefit from an extra RAM upgrade or HDD:)
 
I bought a refurb MBP last April. It arrived in flawless condition, and has served me well ever since.I did end up with a wonky battery, but that was replaced by AppleCare with ease.

I fully expect to purchase refurb products again in the future, and recommend them to people who ask.

As noted by the OP, current refurb prices are great (thanks to the recent price drop) and refurbs have a reputation of more extensive QA procedures than brand new machines.
 
I bought a refurb iMac G4 years ago and it still works great. I also just bought a refurb black MacBook SR 2.2 and it came today. A nice perk of refurbs is that sometimes you get extra memory or a larger hard drive than the base model ordered.

macbook2.jpg
 
Viper2005 said:
The only difference between a refurb and new is the box it comes in (a brown box instead of the nice black one), and the refurbished serial number.
Click to expand...

So since the serial number changes, does that mean the refurbs get a new outer casing? The serial is etched or painted onto the surface... so it would be hard to change without being noticeable that the number was changed... Just wondering :)
 
If you have any worries with refurbs you can get a new 2.2 MBP for $1536 after rebates, tax free and free shipping on Amazon. This comes out cheaper than paying $1449 + tax. I'm surprised some Marketplace sellers are asking $1800+ for their 2.2 MBP with little warranty left :eek:
 
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Get a new one

I advise getting a new one(if you're getting a previous gen) and here's why

1)The Refurb one is $1449, after taxes around $1560.
2)The previous gen is New at Amazon for $1534.

I got a refurb because i needed a printer and they had one for free available.

Refurbs are good, but if you dont want a free printer buy a new one from Amazon
 
Flyer0815 said:
So since the serial number changes, does that mean the refurbs get a new outer casing? The serial is etched or painted onto the surface... so it would be hard to change without being noticeable that the number was changed... Just wondering :)
Click to expand...

I might be blind, or it's something to do with it being 2:30 am here, but I don't see any serial number etched on the bottom of my MBP?
Maybe it's under the battery, but I can't take mine out currently to see if that's the case..
 
phiberglass said:
IMO I would never buy a refurbished mac. If I had to I would save up for the new one.
Click to expand...

I'm in the opposite boat as you. I love Apple refurbs, as well as Dell refurbs.
I've bought from both multiple times, and I've *never* had any problem with refurbs from either company. The computers always came in brand new condition, and I saved a lot of money. And the warranty is the same as brand new.
 
Viper2005 said:
I have a refurb SR 2.2 MBP, been very happy with it. It comes in brand-new condition, no scratches, fingerprints, etc.. anything that is cosmetically damages is replaced at the time of refurbishment.
It came with brand new cables, power adapter, etc.
The only difference between a refurb and new is the box it comes in (a brown box instead of the nice black one), and the refurbished serial number.
It is widely believed that refurbs are better than brand new because a real live person checks each one.
Click to expand...

That describes my experience with two 12"G4 powerbooks and a 15" g4 powerbook. I was too impatient for a MacBook Air to wait for refurbs to show up (and wasn't sure there'd be a 1.8 SSD refurb anytime soon anyway) but usually I do prefer that extra Q&A that the refurb gets. With iPods too!

I don't get the thing about the serial number. So it's a refurb. So what? Refurb means it maybe had a bum logic board, now it has a good one. Had a wonky screen or fan, now it has a good one. Means it works out of the box for sure, short of having been drop-kicked on its way out of Apple's hands for the second time.

So what more could you want. I'll take the refurb from Apple and pay the tax over getting a new one from Amazon and wondering if it will be the odd duck that shows up DOA. Nothing against Amazon for other stuff but not a laptop. I love that feeling of unboxing a refurb Mac and pushing the power button with no fear!
 
Tax

You don't always avoid tax at Amazon. Amazon makes you pay tax in some states if there is a major distribution center or if local laws mandate it. I live in WA and I've had to pay tax at a Amazon (don't remember when this started).

From Amazon.com

"Items sold by Amazon.com LLC, or its subsidiaries, and shipped to destinations in the states of Kansas, Kentucky, North Dakota, or Washington are subject to tax."
 
Viper2005 said:
I'm in the opposite boat as you. I love Apple refurbs, as well as Dell refurbs.
I've bought from both multiple times, and I've *never* had any problem with refurbs from either company. The computers always came in brand new condition, and I saved a lot of money. And the warranty is the same as brand new.
Click to expand...

same here!
i'm more confident with the REfurbs now.
my partner literally have to exchange her NEWLY purchased MBP 3 time for different problems like dead pixels etc.

the quality control for the refurbs IMO is better than the new ones.
because it's lke having them inspected again, before they shipped it to you..
 
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