Refurbished Macbook Pro

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Hello everyone,

I have read that the refurbished Macbook Pro's from the Apple Store are supposed to be just "like new".

My questions are this: Do they mean just "like new" in regards to functionality or also cosmetically? Do people ever receive these refurbished products with scratches, blemishes, signs of wear, etc?

Is there any of you that have ever regretted purchasing a refurbished product from the Apple Store?

Thank you for your help.
 
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Only heard good things about the refurbs.... and only heard of them coming in mint condition.
Apple Certified Refurbished Products


Frequently Asked Questions:
(1) What are Apple Certified Reconditioned Products?

Apple Certified Reconditioned Products are pre-owned Apple products that undergo Apple's stringent refurbishment process prior to being offered for sale. While only some units are returned due to technical issues, all units undergo Apple's stringent quality refurbishment process.
Each Apple Certified Refurbished Product:

is fully tested.
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, new boxes, 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 placed into a Final QA inspection prior to being added to sellable refurbished stock.
Refurbishment procedures follow the same basic technical guidelines as Apple's Finished Goods testing procedures.
 
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Hello 6String,

Thank you for your response. I did see that on the Apple store website too. Although they mentioned it is given a thorough cleaning and inspection, too me that didn't indicate that the unit would come to me blemish/scratch free.

It does make me feel good that they give it a good inspection and repair anything that needs to be....but I still want the unit to be in like new cosmetic condition. If it is not, I will be willing to pay for a new unit. I was just thinking that if it does indeed look like new, the savings for the refurbished unit could be put towards the extended Applecare.

I hoping that more people will be willing to share their experiences with us, whether they be good or bad.

Thank you.
 
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We've had 6+ refurbished Macs in our house over the course of several years.
Only one has had visible damage, a small dent of a screwdriver next to the trackpad. All others were spotless.
 
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As I've said, I've only heard of people getting them in as new (blemish free).
My experience comes from receiving 2 refurbished iPhones, which were in mint condition.
I am certain, that if there were to be anything, it would be a minor scratch on the bottom casing.
Even then I doubt it, as it is a tax write off for Apple to just replace any damaged parts, regardless of how minor.
 
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hopefully apple store is better

I bought a refurbished mac from a site other than the Apple store...it looked good and had no blemishes, but hardware-wise it is a mess. Don't get me started.
 
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I bought a refurbished mac from a site other than the Apple store...it looked good and had no blemishes, but hardware-wise it is a mess. Don't get me started.

That's why one should only go to Apple for refurbished Apple products.
 
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The refurbished units from Apple are the greatest! I have purchased many units from Apple and they have been in excellent condition. The hardware is 100% and so is the cosmetic condition. If there were a cosmetic condition, Apple would state it .
 
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Thank you to everyone for sharing your experiences with me. It has given me the confidence to be able to order a refurbished Mac.

Thanks again.
 
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My questions are this: Do they mean just "like new" in regards to functionality or also cosmetically?
and
Do people ever receive these refurbished products with scratches, blemishes, signs of wear, etc?
It should be "scratch" free, if coming from the Apple online store. They replace problematic parts that are worn. when refurbishing.


Is there any of you that have ever regretted purchasing a refurbished product from the Apple Store?
No regrets here. I bought had bought a brand new 15"uMBP when the new unibody versions first came out, I quickly turned it in for a refurbished model, and have no regrets.

The only part that I somewhat dislike about getting a refurb is that they don't give you the original box as, as it would come with a *new* model. But, besides that, I saved a whole lot of money!

I actually would first look at the refurb line for almost all of my next purchases...as long as it's from Apple. As for other companies....ahhh...no
 
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I know that you already ordered (or made the choice to ) But I wanted to chime in and say that I also have had nothing but mint/like new items from the Apple refurb store. The biggest attraction to me was that they have full warranty/Applecare eligibility, it was just a plus to learn that the batteries are brand new, and the items were perfect cosmetically and functionally. We've only bought iPods from them, our computers were bought new, but I would have total confidence in buying a refurb computer from them if they had one up to the specs I needed at the time.

Best of luck with your purchase!! :) One thing to be said for Apple, you might pay a premium for these machines, but you get what you pay for. The quality is like no other, and they take excellent care of you. I ordered some software from them this past Friday, paid for next day, so it should have been here at the latest monday, but storms and all has kept Fedex from delivering them even at this date... Apple called last night wanting to make everything right, and I hadn't even complained. They are an amazing company. Buy with confidence :)
 

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I have nothing bad to say about Apple service or refurbs, but they aren't always mint. I ordered a 17" MBP from the refurb store and when I got it everything looked fine until I put it on my lap desk and noticed it didn't sit level.
I picked it up and sighted down the case and it was bowed. Everything seemed to work fine but for $2000 I didn't want a sagging body so I sent it back to Apple with no problems and bought my friends used 15in MBP.

I have since figured out this was probably why Apple switched to the unibody design as my MBP has developed a similar sag. Regardless, I would order refurb from Apple again without a second thought.
 
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I really appreciate all of the additional comments today. I have not placed my order as of yet. I'm still trying to decide if I should go hi-rez with antiglare or just go with the standard glossy display. Later this coming week I will be driving 4 hours round trip to an Apple Retail Store to compare the two.

When buying a refurb Macbook Pro, do you have to purchase the extended Applecare right away or just before the 1 year warranty expires?

I also wonder if the Applestore has any information regarding the item you want to purchase.....such as: How old is the unit? Why it was returned....traded in, defect, decided against Mac, etc.? What was all repaired or replaced on the unit?

Probably not....just wishful thinking.
 
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When buying a refurb Macbook Pro, do you have to purchase the extended Applecare right away or just before the 1 year warranty expires?
You have until just before the 12months warranty runs out to purchase the AppleCare.
As long as you don't forget to buy it before the 12months ends, you are all good to go.

I also wonder if the Applestore has any information regarding the item you want to purchase.....such as: How old is the unit? Why it was returned....traded in, defect, decided against Mac, etc.? What was all repaired or replaced on the unit?

Probably not....just wishful thinking.
Wishful thinking or just not necessary.
There is no reason to think a machine that someone changed their mind on a purchase and returned is going to be any better than a machine that was defective and repaired.
 
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I really appreciate all of the additional comments today. I have not placed my order as of yet. I'm still trying to decide if I should go hi-rez with antiglare or just go with the standard glossy display. Later this coming week I will be driving 4 hours round trip to an Apple Retail Store to compare the two.
Sounds like a sweet trip!

When buying a refurb Macbook Pro, do you have to purchase the extended Applecare right away or just before the 1 year warranty expires?
You can get it(activate it) on the last day of your 1 year warranty.

I also wonder if the Applestore has any information regarding the item you want to purchase.....such as: How old is the unit? Why it was returned....traded in, defect, decided against Mac, etc.? What was all repaired or replaced on the unit?
That, they won't know.
 

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I really appreciate all of the additional comments today. I have not placed my order as of yet. I'm still trying to decide if I should go hi-rez with antiglare or just go with the standard glossy display. Later this coming week I will be driving 4 hours round trip to an Apple Retail Store to compare the two.

When buying a refurb Macbook Pro, do you have to purchase the extended Applecare right away or just before the 1 year warranty expires?

I also wonder if the Applestore has any information regarding the item you want to purchase.....such as: How old is the unit? Why it was returned....traded in, defect, decided against Mac, etc.? What was all repaired or replaced on the unit?

Probably not....just wishful thinking.

You have the standard 1 year warranty. If you want the extended you need to purchase and register it before the 1 year warranty is up. You can do it the day before the warranty is up if you wanted...but that's kind of cutting it close.

Just because they say it's refurbished doesn't mean that it has been used or owned by anyone. It could have a factory defect or something and they just repaired it.
 
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It's amazing to hear how reliable these refurbs are ! I'm about to buy my first Mac notebook as well and was looking at the base MacBook for my needs and budget. After reading a lot I decided to try and wait for the new update but after reading about the refurbs is it better for me to get a MacBook pro refurb now ? Will the new MacBook specs be close to that of the MacBook pro. BTW I am referring to the base MacBook pro as well. Thanks
 
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If you spot a good Macbook Pro that fits what you're looking for in the refurb store, I would jump on it now. Number one, the refurb store stock changes by the hour (or more, depending how fast people buy) (a short example, I bought a refurb iPod nano for my wife, went back to get another i saw an hour later, they were all sold out). Number two, the new models, it's impossible to know how much more powerful they will be, if any. It could be a simple refresh, or drastic change. They could come next week, or late in the year. It's impossible to know, but it's highly unlikely they will be "light years" different than current/just passed models. You're not going to buy a Macbook from 2010 and then next month a 2011 model come out with leaps and bounds of power over it. ( I guess anything is possible, but I just don't see it...)

If you find a good deal that suits you in the refurb store, I'd jump on it now :) (That's just my personal opinion, though! )
 
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Thanks clockwork,
The new lion OS, does that make it worth waiting till the refresh ?
 
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Thanks clockwork,
The new lion OS, does that make it worth waiting till the refresh ?

Not really, any new/refurb mac available from Apple will be able to run Lion as it was intended. Whether or not it's worth the wait for an actual hardware update, now that's the question!
 

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