I read often on this forum of people who buy refurbished Apple hardware. I am kinda tempted due to the savings but I am worried about possible hardware problems if the unit is not new. What's your experience with refurbished devices?
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Are refurb MBPs reliable?
- Thread starter VitoBotta
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I have bought numerous refurbs from Apple. If there was something wrong, they fix it, with the same warranty as new. If they had the model I was looking for, I wouldn't hesitate to buy it.
Can you even get an extended Apple Care with refurbs like with new devices?
Yep, and I’ve bought a few refurbished products and haven’t had issues with any of them.
Refurb late 2012 iMac, ordered mid-2014 Still using it today, so a 10 year run, and counting.
Refurb 2013 15" MBP, ordered early-2015. Replaced battery early 2020. Was still using it until replaced by M1 MBP in late 2021, so nearly a 7 year run, which could have gone longer.
The only Mac I've had die on me was one of the M1 MBPs ordered new. Just suddenly died 9 months in.
Refurb 2013 15" MBP, ordered early-2015. Replaced battery early 2020. Was still using it until replaced by M1 MBP in late 2021, so nearly a 7 year run, which could have gone longer.
The only Mac I've had die on me was one of the M1 MBPs ordered new. Just suddenly died 9 months in.
I bought my 15” 2012 MacBook Pro non-Retina certified refurbished and I’m still using it. It still has the original battery. I actually bought it on eBay from a seller in Hong Kong after Apple stopped selling them. It looks like they liquidated their remaining inventory to a 3rd party. So it didn’t come with a warranty. I found that out after I received it because the spinning hard drive made clunking sounds and so I took it into the Apple Store. They were confused about where it came from because even though it came in the white refurbished box it doesn’t have a refurbished serial number. So it must have been a new return, probably due to the hard drive, and was intended to be refurbished, but wasn’t. It was perfect condition and I intended to put an SSD in it anyways.
I’ve bought other refurbished Apple products too, direct from Apple, and other 3rd parties. A refurbished 2013 Mac Pro had some display issues, but that’s common for those. A brand new one also had issues. Buy AppleCare+ and don’t worry about it.
I’ve bought other refurbished Apple products too, direct from Apple, and other 3rd parties. A refurbished 2013 Mac Pro had some display issues, but that’s common for those. A brand new one also had issues. Buy AppleCare+ and don’t worry about it.
As someone who has purchased many Apple Refurbs for my fleet over the years, they are sometimes better than new, since whatever problem it had was replaced/fixed (many returned for no issues too) and the unit is cleaned to new specifications and gone over with a fine tooth comb. New could have all kinds of issues.
This has always been the case with a Mac purchased as Apple Refurbished. I've never had any issues myself.
Plus, return and warranty are the same as new. That makes it a no brainer, if you are on a strict budget for the purchase. Don't like it or something you feel is wrong, just return it.
This has always been the case with a Mac purchased as Apple Refurbished. I've never had any issues myself.
Plus, return and warranty are the same as new. That makes it a no brainer, if you are on a strict budget for the purchase. Don't like it or something you feel is wrong, just return it.
Yes, the are very reliable. I never had a problem with the ones I bought. Also, cosmetically. they look new.
Thanks everyone. I am convinced I will buy a refurb next time and save some cash!
I have purchased a handful of refurbished Apple products without any problems. They're as good as new, minus the original product box. A product will not be put on the refurb store if there are hardware problems as Apple puts each product through a thorough inspection, hardware test, and burn-in test beforehand.
Frequently Asked Questions:
(1) What are Apple Certified Refurbished Products?
Apple Certified Refurbished Products are pre-owned Apple products that undergo Apple's stringent refurbishment process prior to being offered for sale. These products have been returned under Apple's Return and Refund Policies or have been used as Demonstration units. While only some units are returned due to technical issues, all units undergo Apple's stringent quality refurbishment process.
They are in 100% working condition, and are then sold as refurbished product. As these refurbished products have been unpacked and manipulated, they might however exhibit some minor cosmetic imperfection, such as scratches, marks or discolorations.
Each Apple Certified Refurbished Product:
- is fully tested (including full burn-in testing).
- is refurbished with replacement parts for any defective modules identified in testing.
- is put through a thorough cleaning process and inspection.
- is repackaged (including appropriate manuals, cables, etc.).
- includes the operating software originally shipped with the unit and the custom software offered with that system. See each products "Learn More" for more details.
- is given a new refurbished part number and serial number.
- is placed into a Final QA inspection prior to being added to sellable refurbished stock.
- is repacked in special packaging (including appropriate manuals, cables, etc. that originally shipped with the unit).
(2) What should I expect when I purchase an Apple Certified Refurbished Product?
- Substantial savings
- A fully functional unit with complete documentation
- The assurance that the unit meets Apple's premiere quality standards, and that its defective components have been replaced by genuine Apple components
It could be different in your country, but in the U.S. it's around 15 percent though some MBP configurations could be discounted more.
For example, a 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Chip, 8‑Core CPU, 10‑Core GPU, 8GB memory, 256GB storage is discounted by 23 percent ($300) from its original retail price because it's the old body/design.
All the more recent models are 15 percent off.
Another thing to keep in mind is if you have a back to school sale, the Apple gift card you get on top of the student discount could make it a better value than buying a refurbished unit. Last year MBP buyers got a $150 gift card.
Bought lots of Apple store refurbs. Besides the white box they were indistinguishable from new. Not even a fingerprint on them.
Yes. Just like you would for a new device. I had ordered a MBA in 2013 from refurb store. Apple bumped up the processor, RAM and storage when I got the delivery. I guess they ran out of lower end model I ordered.
If your military/vet, you can stack a military discount with the refurbished discount as well.
Another +1 for Apple Refurbs ... bought several from the Apple Refurb store and most recently my M3 Max 16". Saved £800 on RRP and just added AC+ to it.
They're actually QC'd better than "retail" ones as they are personally inspected to a higher standard.
It really is a no-brainer TBH.
They're actually QC'd better than "retail" ones as they are personally inspected to a higher standard.
It really is a no-brainer TBH.
I had this with my 2014 13" MBP. Came with an i7 and 8GB RAM when I had ordered the i5 with 4GB.
Don't think that luck happens nowadays.
Yep. Its timing and luck, more than anything. Last time i ordered a 2018 iPad Pro in summer of 2020 from refurb store, they sent me a cellular iPP with same config as WiFi model. It was right after covid shutdowns, and Apple was trying to ramp up.
We’ve always bought refurbs as a general rule except when the ram/storage config we wanted wasn’t available. They’ve always seemed brand new to me.
Downsides are:
1. Can’t use the trade in process. You can trade in your old computer afterwards and get a gift card, but not to apply to the purchase price.
2. Can’t get the renewable AppleCare option.
Downsides are:
1. Can’t use the trade in process. You can trade in your old computer afterwards and get a gift card, but not to apply to the purchase price.
2. Can’t get the renewable AppleCare option.
In the UK you can certainly get the renewable AC+ option on a refurb. I've done it. £149 a year until I cancel it.
When I clicked on the "you have xxx days to add AC+" option, it gave me the option of 3 years, or 1 year renewing every year.
Great memories.
The Mac Pro 2010 was notorious for this since almost everyone purchased the higher spec'ed graphics card when buying new. So instead of the entry level graphics card ATI 5770, I received the high end ATI 5870 even though it was purchased with the 5770. It isn't like that anymore but back then, it sure was cool to get a higher spec'ed model then what you thought you were buying.
Must have been a Steve Jobs thing of delighting customers who couldn't afford new because by 2014/2015, I never heard of it happening very much, if at all, when before it was very prevalent when buying a refurbished Mac.