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Does anyone have experience, good or bad, buying Refurbished Apple products?

over 4 years ago from

I have some purchases in my future and I'm wondering what the mileage is on products from the dusty bin on the Apple site?

Has anyone ever purchased a laptop that was certified refurbished? Did it work out? Were you ultimately happy?

24 comments

  • Chris KeithChris Keith, over 4 years ago

    Multiple times. No issues.

    5 points
  • Stephen Thomas, over 4 years ago

    I've purchased several refurbished products from Apple: Cinema Display, Thunderbolt Display, iMac, MacBook. Every single one has been indistinguishable from a brand new product. I couldn't be happier and would recommend the approach to anyone who doesn't want the absolute latest product. Note that I am talking about buying from the official Apple refurbished store on apple.com. I wouldn't trust, e.g., products from Amazon.

    5 points
  • Ian CarrIan Carr, over 4 years ago

    I have bought two iMacs and an iPad from Apples refurbished store. Being able to buy the full Apple care warranty and enjoy a discount on the price of the hardware makes it a great way to shop apple. As far as I could tell those devices were as good as brand new. The 2011 model iMac is still going strong!

    3 points
  • Giulio MichelonGiulio Michelon, over 4 years ago

    I just buy refurb for a long time. Recommended!

    1 point
  • Cameron GettyCameron Getty, over 4 years ago

    My 2015 MBP was from the refurbished site. It had the display coating issue but I got that repaired and haven't had any issues since.

    1 point
  • Dan WilkinsonDan Wilkinson, over 4 years ago

    The company I work for buy Apple Reurbs all the time. They've been pretty much brand new looking and never had a problem.

    1 point
  • Jake MauerJake Mauer, over 4 years ago

    I've ordered 2 MacBook Airs and a 13" MacBook Pro for my mom all from the Apple refurb section of the store. All of them looked and worked perfectly fine. I treat products from Apple's refurb site as basically good as new.

    1 point
  • Long Zheng, over 4 years ago

    Had good experience with refurbished iPads for my parents. As new quality screen and case, and new battery means no battery degradation.

    1 point
  • Blaine KBlaine K, over 4 years ago

    I have many times, zero problems. The only reason I don't more often is because I usually want something that was just released.

    1 point
  • Allyson Elliott, 3 days ago

    Hi all! If you are in Barrie and need appliance repair, https://appliancestar.ca/appliance-repair-barrie/ will be your savior. Their personalized services, especially the free phone estimate, made the entire process hassle-free for me. I can say that they are really very attentive to every little thing and know how to fix everything in the shortest possible time!

    0 points
  • samuel lord, 9 months ago

    While it's important to consider the quality and reliability of refurbished Apple products, it's equally important to protect your investment with a reliable home warranty service. Americas Preferred Home Warranty customer service has received high praise for their prompt and efficient responses to customer inquiries and claims. Investing in a home warranty can give you peace of mind knowing that your electronics and appliances are covered in case of unexpected repairs or replacements.

    0 points
  • Manny Larios, over 4 years ago

    Former Apple employee here — the majority of the time Apple Refurbished Products are items customers returned before the 14-day return policy. Apple can't sell as new anymore , so they inspect the product and sell at a discounted price.

    0 points
  • Darren Krape, over 4 years ago

    I bought an iPad Mini several years ago and it looked pretty indistinguishable from a new while being a decent bit cheaper (I'd have to check the difference). The warranty may have been different, but I've generally found Apple products to be so reliable that I wasn't worried. Overall, it was definitely a good experience and would recommend it.

    0 points
  • Kramer _, over 4 years ago

    I have a 2013 Macbook Pro I purchased in Aug 2014. No issues and it's still working strong. My company also get's all Apple products from the refurbished site (iMacs, iPads, etc) and we've only ever have one issue and got a replacement.

    0 points
  • Chris CChris C, over 4 years ago

    Almost every one of my 6 MacBook Air and Pros have been refurb and I've never ever had an issue with them. Highly recommend.

    0 points
  • Andrew Washuta, over 4 years ago

    Have a buddy I worked with who purchased a 2017 MB Pro from the refurb site. He had an issue where it wouldn't turn back on, but it sort of solved itself and he didn't need to go to the Apple Store. Other than that, he said it was basically a new laptop.

    0 points
  • Peedu TuiskPeedu Tuisk, over 4 years ago

    Only perfect experiences.

    0 points
  • Jeff Dashley, over 4 years ago

    Another comment with nothing but great things to say about certified refurbished Apple products both from their store and through even Amazon sellers with impeccable reputations. However, be sure to check out BH Photo and Adorama as well. With tax and shipping savings, you can usually buy new and compete or beat refurb pricing at Apple or Amazon depending on year of release. That's what I've done in the recent past with MBPs.

    https://www.bhphotovideo.com

    https://www.adorama.com

    0 points
  • , over 4 years ago

    Thank you everyone for your comments. I don't see anyone reporting any negative experiences so that is good to hear! Thanks again.

    0 points
  • Luke Bugbee, over 4 years ago

    I've bought a couple iPods. No issues. The only downside is you don't get the super neat unboxing experience you normally get with apple products (unless they do it differently these days). My refurb products came shrink wrapped in a regular cardboard box.

    0 points
  • oli ingram, over 4 years ago

    I bought a late 2013 13inch Mac book pro from the Apple refurb site. This was probably around 2014-2015. All in all it worked just like a new mac, i've had no problems and it's still going strong, although the 8gb of ram it came with struggles with the demands of modern multiple apps.

    All in al great experience. they really have a good refurb process, replacing a lot of parts which are a little worn out etc. I'd recommend.

    0 points
  • Matt KMatt K, over 4 years ago

    All of my Apple products for the last 20 years have been refurbished or second hand. Would recommend it to anyone. The only difference, as far as I can see, is that the box it comes in is a little less fancy.

    Most recently I bought an Apple refurbished top-of-the-range 2015 MacBook Pro at almost half the price than the newest version would have been. And it's got a good keyboard.

    0 points
  • Nelson TarucNelson Taruc, over 4 years ago

    As long as you're sure it's coming certified from Apple, it's a good deal. Have gotten multiple laptops, tablets and phones without a problem, and you can add on AppleCare for peace of mind.

    0 points