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zipper1022

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 13, 2006
234
1
Long Island, NY/ Boston, MA
i want an iphone badly, my razor broke and its a 50 dollar deductible to get it fixed. forget that ill put it toward an iphone....

what do you guys ttink about apple refurb iphones... 100 dollars off aint bad and i can afford the 440 after tax and shipping before i can the 550 after tax and shipping....

are apple refurb products returnable, like if i buy one and i decide the "damaged part" (making it refurbished) is really bother me i can return it rite?
 
i want an iphone badly, my razor broke and its a 50 dollar deductible to get it fixed. forget that ill put it toward an iphone....

what do you guys ttink about apple refurb iphones... 100 dollars off aint bad and i can afford the 440 after tax and shipping before i can the 550 after tax and shipping....

are apple refurb products returnable, like if i buy one and i decide the "damaged part" (making it refurbished) is really bother me i can return it rite?

i would like o do the same thing! theylook great for the price!
 
Based on my experience with other Apple refurb products (Power Mac, PowerBooks and iPods), I'd say buy it. You will not be able to see any difference between the refurb and a brand-new iPhone.
 
I haven't personally bought any apple refurbished products, but everyone I know that has has always said they were very satisfied with their purchase. It sounds like a great opportunity to me.
 
The big question to me would not be if they had or had not repaired / replaced whatever caused it to be returned, as all products sold as refurbished have been brought back to working standards; instead, I'm wondering if they replace the "outer shell" of the iPhone (screen, back, and metal trim) to make the phone "like new." Anyone have any insight?

The way that I see it, with the money that I would save by buying a refurbished iPhone, I can get myself a Jawbone for next to nothing.
 
yea i think im gonna go for it because the way i see it, i can still get applecare for it and worst comes to worst and it does have a problem physically or internally apples been very kind to me with replacements and returns
 
I'd go for it, and if you notice any problems you can always return it for a new one.
But with apple refurbs you cant even tell the difference anyway.
 
It carries the same 1yr standard applecare warranty as a brand new iPhone. Trust me from experience...you most likely won't be dissappointed by any of apples refurbished products. You will mistake it for brand new.
 
The big question to me would not be if they had or had not repaired / replaced whatever caused it to be returned, as all products sold as refurbished have been brought back to working standards; instead, I'm wondering if they replace the "outer shell" of the iPhone (screen, back, and metal trim) to make the phone "like new." Anyone have any insight?

It probably depends on the iPhone. I there are dents or scratches on it, then absolutely they'd change out the outer shell. But if, say, the iPhone was returned because after an hour of usage it was discovered there was no AT&T coverage, or because the person simply didn't like it, then chances are the exterior is pristine and didn't need replacement.
 
Apple refurbs are great. I'm typing now on my refurb Blackbook which came in absolutely perfect condition - could not tell it had been used at all. If I get an iPhone I wouldn't hesitate to go refurb as well.
 
Refurbs are returnable, but I think your return time is shorter than retail.

I'm typing this on my refurb'd 24" iMac. The only thing I noticed different is, I got a free video upgrade :) The packaging was different, but it otherwise looked and felt brand new. And I saved about $300 over the cost of a new iMac at the time.
 
i've had nothing but great experiences with apple refurbs (2 imacs + current mbp). in fact i've had more trouble with brand new macs in the past. refurbished models seem to get a really good once-over before shipping and other than generic packaging they look/act like new.

as for the refurbed iphones... despite my original reluctance to plunk down $600+ for the iphone, i bought an 8GB iphone last monday within hours of them hitting the store. $100-off was just too tempting. now for the bad part... i am still waiting for the phone to arrive. it was scheduled for delivery on friday but didn't arrive. fedex now says i won't get it until next wednesday! that's a 9-day delivery wait for those of you counting...ahhhh! after selling my 8GB nano and blackberry pearl to partially fund this purchase, i am being tortured mercilessly without any way to call and complain!
 
I ordered both the 4GB (for the wife) and the 8GB (mine of course). I should get them both next week.

The way I like to look at it is... Since I got the 8GB for $499, and that is the real cost of the 4GB, I see it as buying the 4GB for $499 and getting the 8GB for $399! That is a sweet deal!

You gotta buy two of them to see it the way I do, but...
 
I ordered one, then almost immediately cancelled the order and bought one retail. A few years ago my daughter's iPod went on the blink during its warranty period, and she was sent a refurbished one, which died within weeks. She called Apple and said she expected better from such a company. Happily, they agreed, sent her a brand-new 30g model, PLUS a free Apple Care contract.

But that refurbed has always bothered me. I'm sure you'll have better luck with the phone, though.
 
Apple refurbs are greaat and the iPhone has a refurb price you can't beat. I have only had one refurb issue, and that is my :apple:TV, which I will be bringing into the Genius Bar this week. You get the same warranty and you shouldn't have to worry about any issues, anything broken on it is now fixed, the only thing you might notice is some slight signs of use, but I have never had this be an issue.
 
I bought a refurb iPhone

Apart from not coming in one of the pretty boxes the new ones come in (it comes in a white box that says iPhone on the cover and "Apple Certified" down at the bottom, I find no difference between this one and the one my wife got new.
 
Apple refurbs are great, I got a refurb iPod Nano last year and its still fine now, when I got it there wasent even a single scratch, which is good for a 1G iPod Nano. Im thinking of getting a 4GB iPhone shipped over here to the UK and unlocking it. Also, think of it as this: you can get a 8GB for the price of a 4GB.
 
UPDATE...

Got my refurb iPhone today. Holy sh*t is this thing addictive. The phone looks/acts just like new. For anyone waivering, I say go for it. $100 off is a really great deal. It takes iPod generations much longer to show such high refurb discounts. The 1 year warranty makes this a no-brainer. And remember, if you don't like it you can send it back without paying the restocking fee that is assessed to new retail versions - its already open, so somebody has already paid that fee.
 
I agree with the previous post. I received my 4Gb refurb iPhone today. It looks brand new. No scratches or fingerprints just like a brand new iPhone. I purchased both of my iPods and my iPhone as refurbs. Never had a problem. I'm loving my new iPhone. :)
 
My experiences with ANY refurb unit it that it is as good as new. It MAY contain minor scratches, but I have never actually seen a refurb that DID. It's just that since it is a returned item, they can't sell it as new.

I'd definitely advise to go for it. If I could find a decent price on a refurb laptop of the right setup, I'd definitely jump on it.

-jt2
 
I agree with the previous post. I received my 4Gb refurb iPhone today. It looks brand new. No scratches or fingerprints just like a brand new iPhone. I purchased both of my iPods and my iPhone as refurbs. Never had a problem. I'm loving my new iPhone. :)

Ditto

Got mine today, looks just like new. Ive bought several refurb ipods and a macbook and all look just like brand new, plus have same warranty. So why not save some money??
 
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