for the macbook pro line-up, it seems that refurb prices are no better than non-Apple store new prices. Why buy refurb?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Why buy refurbished over new?
- Thread starter rwh63
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Have you ever bought a refurbished MacBook from Apple? I have purchased two of them, and other than the outside of the box you cannot even tell they are refurbished rather than brand new.. they are even immediately eligible for AppleCare.
The refurbished units have been checked carefully by a human. The non-Apple store is just regular supply chain fodder off the assembly line that only gets a cursory look.
Carefully, yes.. very carefully. Refurbished iPhones and iPads even get new batteries. I won’t hesitate to purchase devices from the Apple Refurbished Store.
Refurbish prices are better by about 10%, sometimes more. If you cannot take advantage of the education or veteran discount then the refurbish prices are good. Sometimes selection can be really limited. As for the quality of the refurbished machines the quality is as good, or better, than retail as the machines are carefully checked before being placed in the refurbished store. Minor defects missed while packaging retail will be caught in the refurbished store.
well, i see on places like Amazon new discounted is nearly the same as Apple refurb. that's what i'm asking about.
The only thing I would want to double check is whether you can still buy Apple Care for a purchase from Amazon, I don't see why you wouldn't but I'd want to be sure, otherwise I see no difference then, except perhaps Apple's refurbishment process may be more thorough than Amazon's.
Being that you can find all manner of scams and trash on Amazon, I wouldn’t trust their “Refurbished” products any further than I could throw them. Amazon is only there to make money and the scams and garbage you can find there shows that they care little about quality.
Apple refurb process is much more strict than other companies. The items get looked at over again, new batteries, come with full year warranty.
For all the reasons the other people mentioned, I usually buy refurbs from Apple and never had any issues.
It only makes sense to buy the nano-texture refurbs or BTO configuration refurbs that you either can't buy or get discounts at third party retailers.
For stock configurations (like the base M4/16gb/512gb glossy screen), you should most definitely buy the brand new-in-box unit from third party authorized sellers over Apple refurb.
Last edited:
Refurb is a purchase of last resort. Usually, you buy refurb when there are no sales happening. Often, the edu discount is enough that people shouldn't be buying refurb unless they want a specific spec.
There have been cases where refurbs arrive still locked to the previous owner, so it's clear the refurb process isn't perfect. New parts are always better than salvaged parts.
There have been cases where refurbs arrive still locked to the previous owner, so it's clear the refurb process isn't perfect. New parts are always better than salvaged parts.
Not everyone is eligible for one of the student discounts etc. Not all of the product lines are eligible for those discounts. Not every country has retailers with as good a promotion as the US retailers often posted on MR News. So to them the refurb option might be as cheap as they can get an Apple warrantied, AppleCare covered device.
Though I agree on the part of for all you get off, why not spend a few more bucks and get a brand spanking new one?!
Though I agree on the part of for all you get off, why not spend a few more bucks and get a brand spanking new one?!
Yeah, if the price is the same it doesn't matter. The reason I often have ended up going with Apple Refurbished is that they're generally available in more configurations while Amazon etc are often only offering discounts on the base models.
No. This is all false. The OP is talking about refurbished devices directly from Apple. You're not going to get a refurbished device from Apple that's tied to the previous owner
. They also come with new parts installed to replace anything that didn't pass inspection. As far as I or anyone I've read about on these forums has experienced, Apple's refurb process is incredibly good.
For BTO units, Apple refurb is the way to go. But for standard spec units issued to retailers and put on sale, the prices are often close, you're correct OP. For example, I shopped a base model 14" M4 MBP. Amazon and B&H had it on sale for $1399. The same model as an Apple refurb was $1359, a very small savings.
I've bought two Apple-refurbished Minis.
First was a 2018.
Second is a 2024 I've had for a little more than a week.
It helps to qualify for the veteran's discount as well.
I was able to "piggyback" the veteran's discount on top of the refurbished discount, and it came out to just under 25%...
First was a 2018.
Second is a 2024 I've had for a little more than a week.
It helps to qualify for the veteran's discount as well.
I was able to "piggyback" the veteran's discount on top of the refurbished discount, and it came out to just under 25%...
Reburbished computers from Apple are 15% off, and have the option of purchasing Applecare with them. They are also not subject to tariffs as they ship from a state side warehouse in California.
My recent M4 Macbook is a refurb. Retail price was $2,600 * 0.85 = $2,210 was the price I paid. It has better specs/price than what Amazon could offer.
My recent M4 Macbook is a refurb. Retail price was $2,600 * 0.85 = $2,210 was the price I paid. It has better specs/price than what Amazon could offer.
Wow lol. Been buying from Amazon for nearly 25 years now and never had an issue. I bought a Samsung Tab S8 Ultra from them refurbished ("Amazon Renewed") and it was flawless. And if there's an issue, they take it back with return shipping paid within 90 days.
I've had more problems than not with Amazon Renewed, but I likewise haven't had an issue with a Tab S8 Ultra.
I did have to ship back two M1 Pro MBPs however - the first came with the keyboard sticking from a soda spill, the second had a defective backlight in the LCD that got worse over the month I had it.
Generally though I'd prefer just to buy from what used to be Amazon Warehouse - things that were returned rather than refurbished. And I don't expect to buy a Mac that way ever again.
As for OP, sometimes the sales aren't on, or you want a configuration that isn't one of the retail ones. That's when you buy refurbished from Apple. I've purchased an Apple Watch S1 and a HomePod from the Refurb store, both were just fine.
EDIT: I've also had fine experiences buying used from OWC, though that's been on older models.
Last edited:
Purchased 2 Macbooks, and an iPhone from Apple Refurbished. No hardware issues. Will do it again. You just have to keep an eye on the refurb site for when the one you want appears. It's constantly changing.
There has been a lot of 24" iMacs on there for a while. I guess they're not that compelling. I know I'm not interested.
There has been a lot of 24" iMacs on there for a while. I guess they're not that compelling. I know I'm not interested.