Refurbished Macbook????

[busy mom]

We are considering a refurbished MacBook and would love any first hand opinions.

Also, would love recommendations on where to purchase...

Thank you!

 

[AquamarineSteph]

I purchased a refurbished Mac directly from Apple, and I was quite happy with it. I'm sure there are cheaper options, but that was my experience.

 

[princessfionasmom]

The great thing about the refurbished is you save a little $$ and you still get the one year warranty. If you are or have a college student in your house you might want to consider new with the back to school promo. You get a certain $ amount off the MacBook and free headphones. Might be worth looking into. Good luck!

 

[Stacy's a freak]

I also bought a refurbished iPad directly from Apple several years ago and had no problems with it. I have since upgraded and passed that iPad down to my mom. It is still going strong. I wouldn't buy a refurbished item from any other seller but I would buy one from Apple.

 

[AquaDame]

^Ditto. Source: worked at Apple. I would absolutely buy refurbished from them without qualms, especially around the time new models of machines come out. Guess where the brand new "old" machines go to be sold?

 

[Bree]

Check for employer discounts too if you work for a larger company. We just purchased two brand new 1TB hard drive Mac Mini for $620 each after discount and taxes.

 

[SunnieRN]

We've bought refurbished products directly from Apple without issues. You can also add Apple care when you buy from Apple, despite the fact the unit is refurbished.

 

[mickey'sbud]

I recommend Open Box items from Best Buy (I use to work there). The warranty is the same as new. They are usually returns or display items. They have been fully tested by Geek Squad to be like new. If the one you are looking at is not "like new," then it is clearly marked as why and the price will be marked down even further. It may only be missing a cable. Most cables are easily replaceable, but be careful when purchasing a new cable that it doesn't wipe out the money you saved.

I'd actually prefer a return. The worse part of a display is that the battery life suffers because it is constantly plugged in and that is not good for a rechargeable battery. Some batteries are difficult to replace and also require a techy to replace it. The best time to get a return (computer/tablet) is after Christmas or after school starts. There is a larger inventory of returns and the only reason it is returned is because they changed their mind about the one purchased. Again it should have been fully checked out by Geek Squad.

 

[auralia]

referb direct from apple is very good. but if you have a student in your house you can get the student pricing on a new lap top and if you state has a tax free weekend in the summer that can often stack with the student discount. I got a MacBook air, beets head phones (that I sold for 100$), student pricing and no tax last year... it was about 750 oop after I sold the headphones, may have been closer to 700 I forget.

 

[Anthony1971]

From Apple is fine... Others can sell you seller refurbished which will have a lesser warranty and likely quality...in other words make sure you buy an Apple refurbished by Apple that has an apple Warranty if you try to find it for less.....

 

[teacup princess]

We just bought a refurbished MacBook from Apple and it is in like-new condition with no problems. We saved about $100 off new. There were greater discounts from other sites but I was leary of them. My brother bought one from another dealer and the keyboard eventually began to warp like it had overheated at one point.

 

[disneyfab]

We've purchased many refurbished Apple products including a macbook and would not hesitate to do it again. FYI, if you have a credit card that offers cashback through a shopping portal, you may be able to save a few extra dollars.

 

[KristinU]

We bought DS a used/refurbished iMac from Mac of All Trades and were very happy with the purchase experience and are happy with his Mac. I wouldn't hesitate to go that route again.