Apple's online store has a special refurbished section where you can buy both current and previous generation Mac hardware at an attractive discount.
Courtesy of Apple
I've blogged before about the refurb store, how discounts can range from 10 to 30 percent, and how it offers discounted Mac products with the same one-year warranty as new Macs. You can buy AppleCare protection as well.
So, seeing as how I've suggested the refurb store as a good place to find Apple bargains, it was only logical that we give the store a try when it came time for my wife to replace her older iMac.
We kept an eye on the refurb store, checking each day for a 27-inch Core 2 Duo iMac. Unlike Apple's normal store, the refurb store has no standard stock. Instead, the Macs (and other Apple products) listed in the store can change from day to day. Some of the most popular Macs at the refurb store, the MacBook and Mac mini, tend to be gone almost as quickly as they're posted.
Over the weekend, Apple posted a couple of listings for 27-inch iMacs, and we scooped one up right away. Good thing, too, since by Sunday morning they were gone from the store.
Besides refurb Macs, you can also find refurbished iPods and occasional clearance items, usually third-party products the Apple Store sells, but may have over-committed to, or is removing from stock to make way for future products. Unlike the refurb store, items in the clearance section are all new.
So, just what is a refurb? When Apple replaces a Mac that's under warranty, it's sent back to one of Apple's facilities, where it will be cleaned up, tested, and recertified as meeting or exceeding the original specifications for the product. A new one-year warranty is assigned to the serial number for the Mac and the item is placed in Apple's refurb store or sold to authorized Apple resellers as a refurbished Mac. Refurb items are never sold as new.
We've received confirmation that FedEx is processing the shipment. We'll report back as we learn more about the shipping schedule. We'll also let you know when we receive the iMac, as well as follow up with a review.
Happy bargain hunting! Let us know if you find any good ones.
Hi Tom,
So how is the refurb working?
I am planning on getting either the 27in dual or 27in quad core refurb. Are you glad that you purchased a refurb? Have you had any problems? Did you purchase the extended warranty? Any feedback is appreciated!
Thank you,
Larry
Hi Larry,
My wife is happily using her 27-inch refurb iMac as I type. We had a great experience with the Apple refurb store, and would buy from them again.
We did have one issue with the original refurb we received; the display would occasionally flicker. This was a known problem with the first 27-inch models, and at the time, Apple was trying very hard to figure out the problem and correct it. We contacted Apple about the issue, and spoke with their engineers, who decided to list the iMac as DOA, just so it could be easily processed back to them and a new one sent out to us.
We have had no other problems with the iMac since then; in a little over a month, it will be a year old.
We did not buy the AppleCare extended warranty, but many people feel much more comfortable doing so.
Let us know how it goes for you.
Tom
The refurb turned out to be a dud, but that is still not a problem? I’d say it does not speak well for Apple’s vetting process.
Think you have a warranty with a refurbished mac? Think again. Since I am not currently in a financial position to afford a new mac, I thought I’d struck gold when I found out that a local school district in Utah sold back a bunch of macbooks after only using 2 of the 3 years of the original warranty. Thereby keeping one year for the new owner, or so I was told by the salesman. After only 4 (that’s four) months after the date of purchase, the hard drive sizzled. When I took it in to take advantage of the help, I was told quite quickly and summarily from the same SimplyMac store that I bought it from that it wasn’t covered. They, of course, would be willing to take more money from to fix it for a premium price, but no go on that mystical warranty that I thought I would be enjoying. Slick salesmanship and I that I was lied to in order to make a sale. I though SimplyMac out of Ft Union, UT would be an honest company to work with- it turns out, not so much.
I’m sure that they really don’t care about making me mad, because of their momentum in the market right now, however, keep pulling stuff like this and another competitor will surely rise up to take their market position. Ephemoralization.
Matt,
What this artical mostly covers is the certified apple refurbished store, which is very much diffrent from most other sellers. I myself wouldn’t buy anywhere else, just because scams like yours can be common.
If I get this wrong, I’m sorry, I just could’nt help but respond