How to tell if a MAC has ever been refurbished

[nfs2]

Just out of cuuriosity, is there a way to tell if a particular mac had ever been refurbished and then resold?

The mac in question is mine, and i suspect its been refurbished. Im just wondering if there is a way to tell for sure

 

[evil_santa]

I have 2 refurb ipods & I could not tell they were refurbished. All the packing and everything was perfect.

What makes you think it is a refurb?

 

[nfs2]

Just a hunch.. My iBook's screen looks old, kinda unevenly lit. Barley noticable though, and the whole lid assembly was slightly "off" being crooked. Again, very slight.

Those could be just manufacturing issues, i know nothing is perfect, but there is one thing that made me think its a refurb. The plastic inside the ethernet port is a slightly different color then the plastic in the modem port. The modem port has the standard grey plastic inside that matches the rest of the grey plastic found on my iBook, but the plastic in the ethernet port is kinda beige.. A color found nowhere else on this laptop.. Seems like a replacement

 

[Voch]

Try checking the serial number. My TiBook is refurbished and its serial number starts with "R".

(Yay! My first post after years of lurking)

Voch

 

[MacAficionado]

Apple will not sell something as new that has been refurbished. If you got it from a reputable reseller, you have nothing to worry about. I think the refurbs say so in the battery compartment when you take off the battery.

 

[MRU]

If you carefully look under the surface you can see a few layers of paint and some nice brown 1970's wallpaper.. Oh wait that's houses

Only other way to tell is that they usually ship in a plain brown box.

 

[nfs2]

I got it as a gift, thats why im not sure. Either way it wont bug me im just curious.

My serial number starts with 4H so thats not it, i'll check the battery now.

 

[nfs2]

If you carefully look under the surface you can see a few layers of paint and some nice brown 1970's wallpaper.. Oh wait that's houses

Only other way to tell is that they usually ship in a plain brown box.

Mine came in all the fancy packaging that apple stuff usually comes in

I guess thats a good sign

 

[MRU]

Mine came in all the fancy packaging that apple stuff usually comes in

I guess thats a good sign

Look's like it As long as it's all working and makes you happy, what more could you ask for

 

[dcv]

Only other way to tell is that they usually ship in a plain brown box.

Not necessarily... my refurb iMac came in the pretty box, although there were bright yellow 'Apple Certified' stickers on it. However since I peeled the stickers off there's no way of telling that it's a refurb and the unit itself is in mint condition.