# My experience with Apple Refurbished store



## archimed (Jan 10, 2007)

I just wanted to write a quick note regarding my 3 week saga with the refurbished products store. The process has been anything but smooth, but in the end it seems to be working out. We'll see though - I won't set my hopes too high anymore.

- Ordered a 15" Macbook Pro 2.16 C2D (Glossy) from the refurb store for $1799 on Jan. 17th
- After a snafu with Purolator, I picked it up from the depot on Jan 22nd. Shipping took 5 days over standard.
- Open the refurb box, MBP has two dead pixels (side-by-side) dead-center on the screen. This may be anyone's personal preference, but I consider dead pixels unacceptable, so I call tech support.
- CSR walks me through the 'pixel massage' routine to get the pixels working again. Doesn't work. He spends the next 20 minutes doing research on apple policies for pixels (I already know the policy: 6 dead pixels = DOA). He is extremely polite, and does his best to understand the situation. I'm polite, but absolutely firm on the fact that I cannot use this laptop as it is (I'm a web designer by trade, and I hate staring at a blemish on the area of the screen that I use 99.9% of the time).
- He finally comes back saying that he can't do much unless there are 6 or more dead pixels. Then he repeats himself: *"There ARE six or more dead pixels right?"*. I pause. Uh.. *Because that's what I wrote in the support document. You told me that you saw 6 dead pixels on the screen.* At that point, I say "Yeah, that's right. Six."
- "Okay, now we're dealing with a DOA." He puts in a DOA requisition, and I receive the shipping labels for Fedex 5 days later. What a nice guy. 
- I ship it via fedex, call Apple to inform them that the DOA has been shipped, and they 'release' my replacement refurb. It arrives in my city in 2 days, and gets stuck at the Fedex depot because it missed the 6am 'truck loading' cutoff. I call Apple and ask if I can pick it up at the depot, and due to internal policy they "must have one attempted delivery before a pickup can be allowed". I'm irritated by this, because I took the day off of work to receive the package at the door. I spend 5 minutes on the phone with the manager, and he offers me a $100 discount on the MBP for the trouble the shipping error has caused. I accept, and I drive to the depot the next day to pick up the package.
- I open up the replacement refurb at home. 4 dead pixels. The case is bent in one place, and there are scuffs on the bottom of the case. This is getting ridiculous. I call Apple sales support, and explain the situation to a CSR then immediately ask to speak with a manager. The manager is polite and understanding. I tell her that I know that this is probably a freak coincidence (BULL****!), but I've gotten 2 DOA Macbook Pro's in 3 weeks, and I've lost my faith in the quality assurance of their refurbs (true). She offers me a $200 discount on the purchase of a NEW MBP from the online store. I ask her to work out the numbers - and she says it will now cost me $1999 to buy a new machine. I tell her that I can get the machine for the same price at the educational pricing, sans discount. She then offers the $200 discount + educational pricing, which works out to $1799! Perfect. Done. Sold.

So now I'm waiting for the shipping labels for my DOA MBP, so I can send it back. All and all, this has been a ridiculous experience. It's now 3 weeks, and I still don't have a proper working MBP. However, I *did* manage to get a new MBP for $1799 which ain't bad at all - but considering the MANY calls I made to apple during this time (approx. 10), I doubt I saved any money-time.

So, moral of the story: I STRONGLY suspect that Apple stocks their refurb store with returns from people who have bought *new* MBP's flawed with dead pixels. Your luck may vary, but mine was certainly bad. Comments welcome - I'd love to hear what other people's experiences with the refurb store were like, especially if they received products with obvious damage or flaws.

*UPDATE: Received my brand new Macbook Pro this week - and it's absolutely flawless. Not bad, considering I only paid $1700 for it in the end!*


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## Jason H (Feb 1, 2004)

I'll add in my story. I purchased a 4th gen 20gig iPod. It has failed three times since I got it and Apple replaced it with a *new* 5th gen 30gig Video iPod. YAY!

I'm on the phone to transfer my applecare over to it now!


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## martman (May 5, 2005)

Jason H said:


> I'll add in my story. I purchased a 4th gen 20gig iPod. It has failed three times since I got it and Apple replaced it with a *new* 5th gen 30gig Video iPod. YAY!
> 
> I'm on the phone to transfer my applecare over to it now!


SWEET! I love a happy ending!


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## RAF42 (Jan 30, 2007)

My experience was with a refurb black MacBook ordered Jan. 25, received Jan. 29 in North Bay. No dead pixels, everything looks perfect so far.

RAF


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## mikef (Jun 24, 2003)

archimed, your experience is exactly the type that would keep me from buying refurb. Those two machines you have sent back are probably going back into the refurb pool for the next guy (perhaps with/without replacement parts to make them "better").

And again with dead pixels... something's got to give. At least they went to bat for you, but there's no guarantee the new machine they're replacing the refurbs with won't have the same issue.


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## interlude (May 30, 2006)

*Refurbs*

There's a reason why people return it!


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## mikef (Jun 24, 2003)

Exactly!


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## Atroz (Aug 7, 2005)

I bought a refurb iMac last year. As far as I can tell, it was perfect. I saved a lot of money and the only thing that I could find that was different is the box it came in (brown flat box instead of the upright white box). 

My bought new Powerbook started off perfect, but developed a dead pixel after 6 months. 

So, on my VERY limited sample set, I did better on the refurb.


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## infinity8 (Feb 19, 2006)

Congrats, I think all and all you did pretty good, a new macbook pro for the price of a refurbished. I can say anything bad about apple, many may disagree with me but apple always solved my problems quickly and painlessly.


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## lightbulb (Oct 24, 2005)

In the last couple of months, I picked up a Nano and iPod through the re-furb area of Apple store. Both units were promptly delivered in the traditional Brown Box but were absolutely pristine. There was no evidence they were anything but perfect and right off the assembly line. I wouldn't hesitate to order anything refurbished, as I would expect Apple to make good on any problem goods.


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## Demosthenes X (Sep 23, 2004)

I too ordered an iPod from the refurb store. Paid a lot less than retail and it arrived in perfect condition, and far faster than I was expecting. Very pleased all around.


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## fyrefly (Apr 16, 2005)

Through work we've ordered a total of 30 iPods -- all refurbished and all but one has worked flawlessly. That one was taken to the Genius Bar and swapped out for another one and it's worked excellent ever since.


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## Pelao (Oct 2, 2003)

> I'll add in my story. I purchased a 4th gen 20gig iPod. It has failed three times since I got it and Apple replaced it with a *new* 5th gen 30gig Video iPod. YAY!


Good service, though it's tough to go through 3 failures.

I have only ever purchased a Nano through refurb - no issues.


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## fuzzyface (Oct 17, 2006)

I bought a refreshed macbook a couple of months ago at the Yorkdale Apple store for $1000 WITH TAXES IN. Within a couple of days, i noticed that it just wouldn't stay asleep when the lid was closed. I brought it back, and it was switched out for another refreshed macbook. About a month or so later, that macbook developed a crack on the palmrest - right where the spacers are that keep the lid from making contact with the palmrest (google Macbook/crack and see what you come up with). They replaced that one with a brand new macbook CORE 2 DUO with 2x the memory (1 gig) without interrogating me on the origin of the crack (they must have seen a few already)! Now that's what i call customer service! The palmrest on the C2D macbook seems to be a lot more solid than the one on the 1st gen - but the moral of the story is: If you want to save a bundle, then buy a refreshed/refurbished Mac, but be prepared for some bumps. My brother bought a black mabook with logic board issues. The LB was replaced 2x in the first couple of months, and they replaced it with a new one! It was a replacement through apple - they didn't want to send it through their reseller in Kingston. My brother thinks there's some tension there since Apple made a point of purolating the new one to him...


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## Deep Blue (Sep 16, 2005)

I bought a refurbed 20" Imac last year. It arrived with 1gb of RAM instead of 512mb and had extra video specs too. No dead pixels.

A good deal all round.


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## Jason H (Feb 1, 2004)

fuzzyface said:


> The LB was replaced 2x in the first couple of months, and they replaced it with a new one! It was a replacement through apple - they didn't want to send it through their reseller in Kingston. My brother thinks there's some tension there since Apple made a point of purolating the new one to him...


They always do that. That way YOU get YOUR laptop. No room for error. Signature proof it arrived at your address.


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## SoyMac (Apr 16, 2005)

I know everyone's experience will be a bit different;

I bought a refurb Airport Express a few months ago. 
It arrived in about half the promised time, has worked perfectly (well, there are no moving parts - what's going to happen?!) and there is not a scratch or scuff on it. Except for the packaging, it looks absolutely brand new.

I'm very happy with my Apple refurb experience.
(I know, not a very good comparison between a laptop and an Airport  )


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## Captstn (May 22, 2003)

I Just received my Black MacBook Core 2 Duo ( 1GB ram and 120GB HD ) that I ordered via Apple Refurb. Booted up and checked for dead/stuck pixels (none) I
was pleasantly surprised after checking the system profiler and finding :clap: 

TOSHIBA MK2035GSS:
Capacity:	186.31 GB
Model:	TOSHIBA MK2035GSS
Revision:	DK021B
Serial Number:	
Native Command Queuing:	Yes
Queue Depth:	4
Removable Media:	No
Detachable Drive:	No
BSD Name:	disk0
OS9 Drivers:	No
S.M.A.R.T. status:	Verified
Volumes:
Macintosh HD:
Capacity:	185.87 GB
Available:	170.46 GB
Writable:	Yes
File System:	Journaled HFS+
BSD Name:	disk0s2
Mount Point:	/

My question is how will this affect my Applecare Warranty ?
I was not even aware you could get a laptop drive of this size yet.


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## mikef (Jun 24, 2003)

You got a free upgrade to the optional 200GB hard drive. Good score!

It's an Apple option so it'll be covered under regular warranty.


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## kloan (Feb 22, 2002)

wow, definitely a nice score there!


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## mcdermij (Oct 13, 2006)

sweet....that's a $240 upgrade

On the downside the 200gb drive runs at 4200rpm while the 120gb runs at 5400rpm. But with 1gb of ram I don't suspect you'll notice much of a difference.


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## twolf3232 (Jan 26, 2006)

Something similar happened to me when I bought my floor model MacBook in December. The box only indicated 512MB of RAM, and that's what I was expecting. I got it home and it has 1Gig in it.

On the refurb side, I've never bought new from the Apple Store. A BlackBook (that I sent back and had no issues with the return), an iPod mini and an Airport Express. All arrived in perfect shape. And my floor model MacBook I bought at retail in person that I love almost as much as my fiancee  I have nothing but good things to say about Apple refurbs and I can't imagine buying any other way.

Cheers,
Paul


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## Radio Flyer (Feb 11, 2007)

My wife and I bought an iMac G5 from the refurbish store. The first try on-line was sold before our order was accepted and we had to try again. The second attempt was successful and the machine arrived before it was promised. Its in perfect shape and has run flawlessly for a year now.


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## cath999 (Nov 1, 2008)

*buying a refurbished Macbook*

I have been reading all your pros et cons regarding buying a refurbished Macbook from the Apple center. I was wondering exactly which Apple center you would recommend me to go to in case I choose to do that instead of buying a Macbook via Ebay?
By the way - how does one see dead pixels? Forgive me for asking but I am new into Mac. Want to buy one now so I need to know what to be cautious of.


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## satchmo (May 26, 2005)

cath999 said:


> I have been reading all your pros et cons regarding buying a refurbished Macbook from the Apple center. I was wondering exactly which Apple center you would recommend me to go to in case I choose to do that instead of buying a Macbook via Ebay?
> By the way - how does one see dead pixels? Forgive me for asking but I am new into Mac. Want to buy one now so I need to know what to be cautious of.


If you buy refurbished, you'll have to order it online here.


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## jef (Dec 9, 2007)

You can order a refurb directly from the Apple Store web site:

Special Deals - Apple Store (Canada)

Make sure you click on the Refurbished Mac button at the top for the full selection - no need to go anywhere! You can buy directly online or phone your order in. It pays to monitor the models/stock over a few days so you know which model/price is best for you and you can return it if you are not happy and you are covered by Apple's warranty with optional Apple Care. I have had no issues with refurbished Apple products - but a small %age of people will. With the refub store, you know you will end up with a fully working Mac. With Ebay/Kijiji etc, you take your chances.

(If dead pixels are not obvious when you turn the Mac on, you probably don't have any. You can check with this free tool - 

Ekim Software - LCDtest

But dead pixels are not nearly as common now as they were with the early flat screen displays so I would not worry about it.)


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## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

I'll just add that prior to last year I bought ALL my Mac equipment (where the cost came out of my pocket) refurb. This amounts to about five computers over the course of a dozen years.

All of them without exception were like-new and performed beautifully during their entire warranty periods. Several lasted so long I sold them to friends and they are still hobbling along, which in one case means about 9 years ago now!

Buy with confidence from the Refurb Store. Great way to save a few bucks, and the risk is equal to or lower of a bad one than you'd get from buying new.


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## CanadaRAM (Jul 24, 2005)

IDK if it has been mentioned yet, but one important thing about Apple refurbs is that they qualify for the optional extended Applecare (which any used machine older than 365 days would not). I consider 3 years of warranty to be an essential purchase for any notebook.


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## JTTech (Dec 11, 2008)

I'll also add in that I've gotten an imac from the refurb store.

With some companies, refurb stores are more like "buyer beware," but for me the apple refurbs are always top notch.


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## cath999 (Nov 1, 2008)

*MacBook*



CanadaRAM said:


> IDK if it has been mentioned yet, but one important thing about Apple refurbs is that they qualify for the optional extended Applecare (which any used machine older than 365 days would not). I consider 3 years of warranty to be an essential purchase for any notebook.


That is good to know. Now I have peace of mind. This weekend I will go find an Apple store so I can find a good refurbished MacBook.
I am so glad I have gotten all the imput from you guys.
Thank you


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## cath999 (Nov 1, 2008)

chas_m said:


> I'll just add that prior to last year I bought ALL my Mac equipment (where the cost came out of my pocket) refurb. This amounts to about five computers over the course of a dozen years.
> 
> All of them without exception were like-new and performed beautifully during their entire warranty periods. Several lasted so long I sold them to friends and they are still hobbling along, which in one case means about 9 years ago now!
> 
> Buy with confidence from the Refurb Store. Great way to save a few bucks, and the risk is equal to or lower of a bad one than you'd get from buying new.


As mentioned before I now know for sure that I WILL buy from an Apple store. The advantages sounds to be so good that I have to do that.
Hopefully they have a good offer for me.......


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## eggman (Jun 24, 2006)

cath999 said:


> That is good to know. Now I have peace of mind. This weekend I will go find an Apple store so I can find a good refurbished MacBook.
> I am so glad I have gotten all the imput from you guys.
> Thank you


If you're hoping to walk out of a physical store with a refurb -* call ahead first*.

I'm not sure if the stores carry them.

They may only be available from the online Apple.ca store.


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## cath999 (Nov 1, 2008)

CanadaRAM said:


> IDK if it has been mentioned yet, but one important thing about Apple refurbs is that they qualify for the optional extended Applecare (which any used machine older than 365 days would not). I consider 3 years of warranty to be an essential purchase for any notebook.


You have all convinced me. I will go to an APple store to find the right refurbished MacBook for me.
I am very excited about this as this will be a very new path for me. I have akways used PC - it will be exciting to see how much I will like Mac....


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## jef (Dec 9, 2007)

You may not find ANY refurbished Macs at an Apple Store - best to order online...


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## Clockwork (Feb 24, 2002)

When I bought my Macbook at Yorkdale I asked them about refurbished products and they told me you need to order on-line. I am not sure if it was just that Apple store or if he meant that none of the stores carry refurbished machines.

I have heard some people have success with the refurbished machines, and some people have nightmares, so I personally would not buy a refurbished machine unless I could look over it first. Unless it was the best Buy 14 day guarantee where you could take it back if it was no good.


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## cath999 (Nov 1, 2008)

*MacBook*



eggman said:


> If you're hoping to walk out of a physical store with a refurb -* call ahead first*.
> 
> I'm not sure if the stores carry them.
> 
> They may only be available from the online Apple.ca store.


Hm....Someone else EhMac suggested that I should always go to the store instead of just calling.........Now I am confused.......


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## jef (Dec 9, 2007)

Most refurbs are sold through the Apple Online Store - if anything is wrong when you receive it (not very likely), you can always send it back...


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## cath999 (Nov 1, 2008)

*MacBook*



jef said:


> Most refurbs are sold through the Apple Online Store - if anything is wrong when you receive it (not very likely), you can always send it back...


But - someone told me that it is better to actually go to the Apple store as he had experienced them telling him online that there wasn't any refurbished however when he came to the store there was three available......


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## jef (Dec 9, 2007)

um, no - I think you have your posts mixed up... 

Its rare to find refurbs in a physical Apple store - the store mentioned that had some was Best Buy - but I wouldn't trust a Best Buy refurb... best to buy a refurb from the Apple online store.


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## eggman (Jun 24, 2006)

*BestBuy return != refurbished*

If it is from Bestbuy it will either be a return or an "open box" item, technically *not* a refurbished item. I don't know what Bestbuy does, you can find out what Apple does by checking out their website... 

Apple does:



> Apple Certified Refurbished Products
> 
> Frequently Asked Questions:
> 
> ...


I've had four Apple refurbished items - other than the outside box on 3 of them being plain brown cardboard they were identical to new Apple items (iPods or computers). The fourth one was in normal Apple packaging as far as I could tell. I had no problems with any of them, and if I had - as another poster mentioned - I'd call Apple and return it for an exchange. Yes, that would be a hassle, but from what I can tell the chances of that happening are pretty low.

The only thing you miss buying from the Apple store online is the instant gratification of walking into physical store and walking out with less money and a really nice box under your arm. Of course by doing that you'd miss the thrill of waiting for the delivery person, or driving to the FedEx depot... but that is another story!


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## shawrules34 (Dec 13, 2008)

I've had a fairly good experience at an Apple Store with refurbished, I got an iPod Nano 3rd generation, they had about 10 in stock. Works like a charm! Although, I'm not really sure about Macbooks...


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## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

I think what (the collective) we are trying to say is that if there is an Apple Store near you, go down and check out all the models and see which one appeals. If you want, buy it right then and there (new).

If you prefer a refurbished model, you can use that "research" to assist you ONLINE to get a quality refurbished one at a great price.

Hope that makes things clearer. Have fun!


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## lightbulb (Oct 24, 2005)

cath999 said:


> That is good to know. Now I have peace of mind. This weekend I will go find an Apple store so I can find a good refurbished MacBook.
> I am so glad I have gotten all the imput from you guys.
> Thank you


I've never seen a refurb at a physical Apple store, only online. I bought a refurb MBP last month and it looks exactly like a regular new one, except for the plain brown box. My unit was shipped from California. My prior refurb history includes several iPods and without exception, all were "perfect".

Keep in mind the refurb stock changes throughout the day as new items are added and others are sold.


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## cath999 (Nov 1, 2008)

lightbulb said:


> I've never seen a refurb at a physical Apple store, only online. I bought a refurb MBP last month and it looks exactly like a regular new one, except for the plain brown box. My unit was shipped from California. My prior refurb history includes several iPods and without exception, all were "perfect".
> 
> Keep in mind the refurb stock changes throughout the day as new items are added and others are sold.


It's just that I like to see/try whatever computer I am going to buy. As mentioned before this is the first time I am going to buy a Mac computer so it would be nice to actually talk with a sales person before I buy it


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## mc3251 (Sep 28, 2007)

I purchased a 15" 2.4ghz MBP two days after the new ones came out. Mine was refurbed and came from early 2008.
No stuck pixels. Virtually brand new looking. Battery had 3 cycles on it. I will be putting AppleCare on it soon, but I am absolutely thrilled. I paid $1440. I'd love a new one, but I can't afford it.


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## flybenjefly (Feb 15, 2005)

*Refurb MB C2D 2.4 - Great condition, white box*

Bought mine on "Black Friday", works great, just like new...that is until I banged up the corner. Fortunately, it still works perfectly.


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## Madalina (Aug 13, 2005)

I had no idea so many people have had serious issues with refurb purchases. So far, I've bought three portables from the Canadian refurb store: one of the old ibooks, and two black macbooks. I have not had a single problem with any one of them. 

I even added AppleCare for all three after purchase, and have never taken advantage of it. I've always been a little bitter about the price of AppleCare, but I guess considering the alternative, not having to use it is better.


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## mc3251 (Sep 28, 2007)

Madalina said:


> I had no idea so many people have had serious issues with refurb purchases. So far, I've bought three portables from the Canadian refurb store: one of the old ibooks, and two black macbooks. I have not had a single problem with any one of them.
> 
> I even added AppleCare for all three after purchase, and have never taken advantage of it. I've always been a little bitter about the price of AppleCare, but I guess considering the alternative, not having to use it is better.


I can't say for sure, but I think it may be a matter of hearing about all of the negative stuff and not the positives. Refurbs are debated quite enthusiastically on EhMac. Personally, my experience has been great with the one I bought..I'm stalling on AppleCare for the first year waiting for it to go on sale somewhere.

Apple discounts are just not that frequent or great, and their stuff is expensive, so for me refurb is the way to go.
cheers
michael


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

mc3251 said:


> I can't say for sure, but I think it may be a matter of hearing about all of the negative stuff and not the positives. Refurbs are debated quite enthusiastically on EhMac. Personally, my experience has been great with the one I bought..I'm stalling on AppleCare for the first year waiting for it to go on sale somewhere.
> 
> Apple discounts are just not that frequent or great, and their stuff is expensive, so for me refurb is the way to go.
> cheers
> michael


Keep an eye on eBay. I just bought Applecare for my son's refurb MacBook, Apple priced at $299 for $161 US from a lady in Yellowknife, NWT. I saved $100 even with the US exchange.


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## mc3251 (Sep 28, 2007)

I'll do that Don....and thanks!


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## krs (Mar 18, 2005)

I have bought both new and refurb from the Apple store.
Other than the outer package itself - no difference that I noticed. On refurb there is actually a possibility you may get more than you bargained for, either extra memory or a bigger hard drive.

I would not hesitate to but refurb *from the Applestore* again.


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## mc3251 (Sep 28, 2007)

As I said my new MBP refurb only had 3 battery cycles.


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## preformalover (May 23, 2009)

*Whatever happened to quality control*

if its a refurb why did some one at apple not test it before it was shipped still no one beats apples support


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## lara (Mar 15, 2009)

Ordered an iMac from Apple Canada's refurb site. Minutes later, a faster iMac got listed for $50 more. Called Apple to cancel the first order but was told it was already "in prep for shipping." Can't cancel but they told me to refuse the shipment when it arrives. They also said there will be no restocking fee or any other penalties for refusing shipment. Was skeptical so I took down the name, rank and serial number of the person I was talking to. (They also told to address the second iMac differently so I would know which box to refuse when it's delivered.)

Nine days later, both iMacs arrived via FedEx from California. Refused the first iMac. FedEx kept it in their warehouse for 10 days, then shipped it "back" to Apple in Markham, Ontario. My credit card got credited the full amount a few days later. (FYI: Even tho the iMac came from California via FedEx, there were no shipping or brokerage charges beyond the PST/GST the Apple Store Canada already charged.)

The iMac that I kept was absolutely like new. (Except that the DVD player was set to Region 5. No big deal to change the region setting.)

110% happy with the iMac I kept, and 200% happy with Apple's customer service.

L


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## mc3251 (Sep 28, 2007)

On balance, Apple seems to do well in the customer service, refurb area. AppleCare is heaven knows expensive so it ought to be good, and it is.
We're always going to see exceptions and anomalies, and there will always be horror stories. It's enlightening to me, though, that if we compare, on ehMac, Future Shop or BestBuy vs Apple stories, they are opposite. With FS, horror stories are the norm, with Apple they are the exception.


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## Sitting Bull (Feb 4, 2008)

Good day all,
Well I bought my first Mac 1 1/2 yrs ago. It was a refurb and I have had no problems with it. I also got a refurb nano and I just bought a refurb Time capsule 2 days ago along with a new Macbook. So far so good. I have been absolutely impressed with the support received from apple care and the phone support. Very friendly, kind and considerate. Not like my Dell, I could not even understand the person I was talking to.


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