Refurbished... are they worth it?

[bobcomer]

Is it worth buying a refurbished MacBookPro? Giving out $AU 4.000 for one seems kinda risky, or isn't it? What exactly are refurbished products?

I certainly hope so, I just bought an 27" iMac from the apple refurbished store.

I don't expect any problems, and if there are, I also bought Apple care for it too.

 

[mmcneil]

When buying a Mac, given the choice between new and retail price, and Apple Refurbished at a decent discount, I would go for the refurbished every time.

I have purchased a lot of Apple Refurbished devices over the years, with a few Macs included, and they have never disappointed.

Actually, my 2006 Mac Pro 1,1 was an Apple Refurbished Mac, I purchased it as soon as the refurbished Mac Pros started showing up in the Apple Refurbished Store. It is still daily used, and has never given me any trouble.

I would purchase all Apple Refurbished Macs, but the trouble is the wait until they start appearing in the Refurbished Store, and then trying to find the desired configuration. If you find it, you got to get it quick, because they sell quick, and that configuration may not come back for a long time.




It could actually be less "risky" to buy an Apple Refurbished Mac than a new one.

What I am about to say about Apple Refurbished products, applies to the US, as I am unsure of how it is handled outside of the US,

Apple Refurbished Macs are tested well beyond the tests that the new Mac are subject to, so (in theory), the Apple Refurbished Macs that pass these tests are less likely to develop problems due to a manufacture flaw, such as a faulty component.

A side note, again this applies to the US and maybe elsewhere, but in the in US there are no consumer protection laws governing what constitutes a "refurbished" product. Anyone that sells a something called "refurbished" could just mean that the seller or business wipes the device down with a damp cloth.

Apple advertises its refurbished process, letting the customers know what to expect.

Basically, a refurbished Mac sold by anyone other than Apple is not the same thing as an Apple Refurbished Mac.


Here is a link:

Why Refurbished

Save up to 15% and get a one-year warranty with the Apple Refurbished purchasing program. Read more on the Apple Refurbished promise.

www.apple.com

Apple used to have a more detailed description of their how they refurbish their devices, but they seemed to have shorten it a bit.

Concur completely, have purchased several refurbished pole products, greaT option

 

[zoran]

Do refurbished MacBookPros have higher chances of having hardware issues after some time,?due to having more delicate hardware parts than desktop computers (iMac, Mac mini, Mac studio)?

 

[DeltaMac]

Apple-refurbished undergo more testing than non-refurbs, so, if anything (maybe only my own opinion) a refurbished could be less likely to have hardware issues (hard to predict, however.)

What parts of of a MacBook Pro would you consider to be more delicate, and could affect long-term hardware life - well, other than battery and the display - and, of course, considering that any laptop lives its life in potentially hazardous conditions than most desktops ever encounter? And, any of that would be part of how you treat your laptop, and not related to refurbished or not.

 

[zoran]

What parts of of a MacBook Pro would you consider to be more delicate, and could affect long-term hardware life

All the thin and tiny boards that are used to host the logic board etc. etc.
Also the fact that heat is really pushing their life cycle, that does give me a small headache on their life span

And, any of that would be part of how you treat your laptop, and not related to refurbished or not.

What would be a bad way to treat a laptop?

 

[Night Spring]

What would be a bad way to treat a laptop?

Oh, there are a thousand ways. Drop it, bang it against a wall, sit/step on it, spill coffee on it, stick it in a bag with sharp objects, do that with the lid not completely closed... Anyone have more creative ways to maltreat a laptop?

 

[BigMcGuire]

@zoran - I agree with DeltaMac and Night Spring. IMO refurbished is actually more guarantee that you'll have a solid device. Less of a chance of a bad egg from the factory (which in itself is a rare chance).

 

[ignatius345]

The only problem I see with refurbished Apple products is that, at least in my country, you can’t finance them and you can’t trade your current device in, even at a discount, those devices still come with an important price tag.

Yeah, in the US you can't do a trade-in on Apple Refurbished products either. You can finance them at 0% through the Apple Card, if you have that, and get 3% cash back as well. Apple's trade-in credit isn't great, but it can be a lot less hassle than selling on your own.

 

[ignatius345]

I've bought refurbished from Apple and they are indistinguishable from new. But I do hate the website because they don't have selectors for what I'm looking for, like 10GB Ethernet and a specific GPU. So I have to look through all that's on offer to see if they have what I want, which is a time-waster. Not sure why they're so inept at this.

You might try https://refurb-tracker.com/, which lets you set search criteria. Not sure if it'll pick up stuff like 10GB Ethernet, but it might.

 

[SkyTruckDriver]

Thought I’d chime in as I just received my refurbished M1 Pro MacBook Pro 14” (32GB/2TB) today in the mail. Purchased from the Apple Refurbished store and it did have some cosmetic imperfections. See photos attached. I’ve purchased many Apple refurbished products and this is the first one that doesn’t look completely brand new.

 

[zoran]

I’ve purchased many Apple refurbished products and this is the first one that doesn’t look completely brand new.

Cant you send an email with those photos and a few words expressing your disappointment?

 

[SkyTruckDriver]

Cant you send an email with those photos and a few words expressing your disappointment?

I called Apple and the lady kindly read me the policy for refurbished Macs:

“Full functional testing, genuine Apple part replacements (if necessary), and a thorough cleaning.”

She was sure to distinguish it from the refurbished iPhone policy which states:

“All refurbished iPhone models come with a new battery, new outer shell, are backed by a one-year warranty, have free delivery and returns.”

So new outer shell is not a given on a refurbished Mac. She advised that my only option was to set up a return and place another order.

 

[zoran]

She advised that my only option was to set up a return and place another order.

Would you consider that?

 

[SkyTruckDriver]

Would you consider that?

Yes I’ve just sent it back. Another refurb is on the way. I’d rather scratch it myself than have it arrive scratched. If this one has some minor cosmetic damage I’ll just accept it as is…it’s still worth it to me for the large savings.

 

[BigMcGuire]

Yes I’ve just sent it back. Another refurb is on the way. I’d rather scratch it myself than have it arrive scratched. If this one has some minor cosmetic damage I’ll just accept it as is…it’s still worth it to me for the large savings.

I believe the refurbished units are treated just like new - in terms of the return policy, one gets 14 days to return. Very cool.

Agreed, for the price, and only a reduction of a few hundred bucks, I'd be on the fence for returning it or not. Thank you for sharing your experience.

 

[Surfsalot]

They clean the screens and send then out again hoping the next person won't notice or care about the reason it was initially returned.
In saying that if you get a good one ok, we have a early 2015 13" MBP refurb still going strong.