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Opinion on Apple refurb iPad Pro?

TwiceNightly

TwiceNightly

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 20, 2008
547
478
Hi all,

Thinking of getting myself an iPad Pro from Apple Refurb and wondered whether anybody had any experience of that?

Seems like they’re basically brand new as they get a new battery and that and it’s only the chips that remain from the original iPad?

Do they come packed as if you bought them new?

Thanks for any advice.
 
TwiceNightly said:
Hi all,

Thinking of getting myself an iPad Pro from Apple Refurb and wondered whether anybody had any experience of that?

Seems like they’re basically brand new as they get a new battery and that and it’s only the chips that remain from the original iPad?

Do they come packed as if you bought them new?

Thanks for any advice.
Click to expand...
If you are not in a hurry to buy an iPad, you can wait for the regular deals that some stores have on them. It is easy enough to buy a NEW unit from them on sale that is CHEAPER than the comparable REFURB from Apple.
 
Bought many macs over the years via Apple refurb. Good as new in all cases, no need to worry. If you can get an iPP at a discount you’re happy with, I’d go for it. Aside from the box it comes in, you’d never know the difference. And if you’re not happy for any reason, you can return it without quibble.
 
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How much are you saving? New is always better from watching YouTube videos on refurbs.
 
Last edited:
TwiceNightly said:
Seems like they’re basically brand new as they get a new battery and that and it’s only the chips that remain from the original iPad?

Do they come packed as if you bought them new?

Thanks for any advice.
Click to expand...

The body and battery and replaced. Other major components like the display and logic board are kept.

It's packed as if it were new with new accessories.

You don't save much with Apple refurbs but you're also getting a virtually new product.
 
Hankcah said:
I've always understood any refurbished process to be even better than new. They caught the defect sooner, fixed it, and tested the entire product. Apple stands by their products.

What am I not aware of?
Click to expand...
If you are happy with refurbs over new, then enjoy. There is nothing to "be aware of". These days it is easy to buy a new unit for less than Apple's refurb.
 
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sracer said:
If you are happy with refurbs over new, then enjoy. There is nothing to "be aware of". These days it is easy to buy a new unit for less than Apple's refurb.
Click to expand...
WiFi-only models in the USA, sure. If you want a cellular model without strings attached, Apple certified refurb is often the best bet if you want something that still has warranty.
 
TwiceNightly said:
Hi all,

Thinking of getting myself an iPad Pro from Apple Refurb and wondered whether anybody had any experience of that?

Seems like they’re basically brand new as they get a new battery and that and it’s only the chips that remain from the original iPad?

Do they come packed as if you bought them new?

Thanks for any advice.
Click to expand...

This very iPad Pro I'm composing this reply is a refurbished unit directly from Apple.

It looks brand new and is pristine. Apple is the only retailer that I would ever consider purchasing a refurb from. They just do an outstanding job and have incredibly high quality control standards.

You definetly can't go wrong with a retort directly from Apple so save yourself a few buck and by from them.
 
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Reactions: rui no onna
Go for it. Apple has a high reputation for it's refurbished units. They go though vigorous testing before they hit the shelves. Just shop around and make sure Apple is offering the best price. You might be able to get a deal on a new one.
 
Thanks for all the advice everyone.

Well I went ahead and ordered a Pro 256gb and with the money I saved I also got the keyboard cover.

Well, it seems like I was one of the unlucky ones who got a dodgy refurb unit as it won’t stop crashing or rebooting. If I’m using the iPad it quite often freezes and I have to restart it myself, if it’s asleep or charging it just restarts itself so every time I come to use it I have to enter my passcode. This happens with or without the keyboard attached (I was hoping it might have just been the keyboard).

I have reset all settings, erased all content and settings and it’s being set up as a new iPad on the latest software. Just got off the phone to Apple Support who have suggested one last thing before I take it into an Apple Genius, they have said I should connect it to iTunes and restore it.

Not a very good experience, it’s a lovely device and I love the keyboard but this just hasn’t been fun at all :-(

If I take it into an Apple Store do they replace it with another refurb unit?
 
TwiceNightly said:
Thanks for all the advice everyone.

Well I went ahead and ordered a Pro 256gb and with the money I saved I also got the keyboard cover.

Well, it seems like I was one of the unlucky ones who got a dodgy refurb unit as it won’t stop crashing or rebooting. If I’m using the iPad it quite often freezes and I have to restart it myself, if it’s asleep or charging it just restarts itself so every time I come to use it I have to enter my passcode. This happens with or without the keyboard attached (I was hoping it might have just been the keyboard).

I have reset all settings, erased all content and settings and it’s being set up as a new iPad on the latest software. Just got off the phone to Apple Support who have suggested one last thing before I take it into an Apple Genius, they have said I should connect it to iTunes and restore it.

Not a very good experience, it’s a lovely device and I love the keyboard but this just hasn’t been fun at all :-(

If I take it into an Apple Store do they replace it with another refurb unit?
Click to expand...
Yes, you'll get another refurb unit. Sorry to hear that you're experiencing these issues.

Although it is possible to buy a new unit and get a lemon, the things about refurbs are: (A) the iPad is NOT really designed to be repaired, so the things they do to refurb it (internals) are worse for it than a unit that has never been opened for repair. (See an enterprise ThinkPad for a computing device designed to be repaired) and (B) Maybe Apple doesn't exactly do everything they say they do to refurb a unit.

The quality control on new iPads is stellar IMO. I've bought many iPads over the years, all new, not one issue that required physically opening it to repair it. But as a percentage of all iPads sold globally, my anecdotal experience means nothing, except the being the basis for my opinion.

Hopefully connecting to iTunes and restoring will resolve the issue.
 
Apple’s are better than new for me: all known parts that need to be changed, upgraded, ships with latest OS. New battery. Hand inspected. I prefer their refurbished models.
 
TwiceNightly said:
Thanks for all the advice everyone.

Well I went ahead and ordered a Pro 256gb and with the money I saved I also got the keyboard cover.

Well, it seems like I was one of the unlucky ones who got a dodgy refurb unit as it won’t stop crashing or rebooting. If I’m using the iPad it quite often freezes and I have to restart it myself, if it’s asleep or charging it just restarts itself so every time I come to use it I have to enter my passcode. This happens with or without the keyboard attached (I was hoping it might have just been the keyboard).

I have reset all settings, erased all content and settings and it’s being set up as a new iPad on the latest software. Just got off the phone to Apple Support who have suggested one last thing before I take it into an Apple Genius, they have said I should connect it to iTunes and restore it.

Not a very good experience, it’s a lovely device and I love the keyboard but this just hasn’t been fun at all :-(

If I take it into an Apple Store do they replace it with another refurb unit?
Click to expand...
Just have it replaced. That's what the warranty is for. You'll most likely get another refurb but chances are that one works properly.
 
The iTunes restore didn’t work so looks like I’ll be getting a new one (hopefully they’ll have one in stock!)
 
Final update to this - I won't be buying refurb again!

I took the iPad into the Apple Store for a Genius appointment as instructed by Apple. They took a look at my order and the iPad and said "no problem, we'll replace it". It was then that they realised it was refurbished and there was what seemed to be a total shift in attitude on their part. I got pushed around departments and told:

We can't replace refurbished iPads, you'll have to arrange that by calling Apple.

Someone else told me they could replace them but they never had my exact model in stock. I offered to pay the difference between my 256gb and their 512gb and was told that it had to be "like for like" so they couldn't do it.

Someone then told me they could refund this iPad and order another, then another person told me they couldn't.

I was told that they could arrange that someone would deliver me a new one the next day and the courier would collect the old one.

then I was told that they couldn't do that and would have to receive my iPad before they sent out a new one.

It went on like this for a long time, with nobody seemingly wanting to touch the refurb product until I got fed up and walked out of the store. I had to call AppleCare from outside of the store and walk back in and give my phone to one of the staff to get them to eventually refund my iPad onto a gift card so that I could buy a new one.

I was there for a very long, frustrating time, being passed around many different people when if I had bought a full price iPad I would have been in and out of the door in minutes.

Sorry to blab on, but hopefully this might help someone else. If you buy refurb and get a dodgy unit don't expect to be treated as well as a full-paying customer.
 
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