fbpx

10 Things You Need to Know Before Buying a Refurbished Mac

Buying a Refurbished Mac

Everyone loves Apple products, but owning one is a luxury. MacBooks and Mac Laptops are known for their high efficiency. Yet, buying a brand new Mac product is unaffordable for many of us.

Refurbished products are certified pre-owned, factory-reconditioned products that work just as well as a new product would. Buying a refurbished Apple product is much more affordable than buying one brand new.

Going for a refurbished Mac is now a popular choice. Here are a few things you need to know before you choose the right refurbished Mac for you.

Refurbished Macs Are Easier on Your Pocket

As wonderful as it is to use Apple products, they are expensive. When you buy a remanufactured Mac, the price drops significantly.

You can get at least 20% off your purchase. Sometimes the prices are even slashed to half of their original price!

That’s what makes a refurbished Mac so affordable. Instead of making a dent in your wallet, you can get a functional product for less.

Find the Right Seller for You

If you’re not careful, you can easily be exploited when you buy a factory reconditioned Mac. There are many con artists out there who sell used Macs they refreshed on their own.

That’s why you should always buy your Mac from established sellers who sell Apple factory-reconditioned products.

RefurbMe gives you an easy way to figure out where to buy a refurbished Macbook. They list  Apple refurbished products sold only by professional refurbishers such as Apple, Gazelle, Amazon, etc.

Using RefurbMe can give you a comparison based on quality, warranty and the return policy so that you can make the right choice.

Tests Are Carried Out to Check the Mac’s Functionality

All Apple reconditioned products go through a rigorous testing process. These tests will decide whether the product is fit to be resold.

A Mac can only make the cut after it passes the test. A product that fails won’t be resold unless the factory manages to fix the problem.

Hence, the product you receive will always be highly functional and often work as good as new.

You Will Receive a Sterile Mac

Each reconditioned Mac will go through a sterilization process. The entire laptop will be cleaned, from the inside to the outside and every nook and cranny in-between.

Most importantly, the processor and the hard drive will be entirely refreshed. Your reconditioned Mac will have no sign of ever having been used.

No Sign of Past Users on the Storage Disk

If you’re worried about the storage drive of your reconditioned Mac, don’t worry. It will be a completely refreshed device.

The laptop will be totally rebooted and all past data will be removed. It will feel like a brand new Mac.

Refurbished Macs Are in Good Enough Condition

Even if it’s not brand new, your Mac will be more than good enough for you to use. The reconditioning process of the factory ensures that your Mac works optimally, otherwise it won’t be resold.

What you will receive is a clean product with no outer sign of having been used – just at a much lower price.

Only Buy Products with Official Certification

Once you receive your product, you should immediately check for the official Apple certification. Do not buy reconditioned products without the official certification.

The certification proves that your Mac has gone through the strenuous process that deems it worthy of resale. As mentioned before, people will try to sell you Macs that haven’t gone through the official reconditioning process.

Stay safe by only buying Macs that have the official certification. If possible, check this before you buy it and return a product immediately if it doesn’t have it.

Thoroughly Check Your Refurbished Mac Before & After Buying

Before you buy anything, always ask the seller about the time period the Mac has been used for, the battery life and its current capacity.

After receiving your Mac, give it a thorough check. Make sure it’s working well. Test the screen, keys, touchpad, etc. Check if there are any errors within the software. Check for viruses and bugs too.

Startup the Mac and see if the system has been refreshed. A completely reconditioned Mac will have no past data or sign of use. By doing an initial check, you can avoid being scammed.

If your Mac is not in prime condition, contact the seller immediately to return it.

It Comes With a Short Return Period

Apple refurbished products come with a short return period. If you buy it directly from Apple, you need to return it within two weeks. This is why you need to thoroughly check your product for any issues as soon as possible.

Most other sellers, such as Amazon and Gazelle have a return period of 30 days. If your Mac is not in prime condition, start the return process immediately.

Avoid Buying an Ancient Mac

Electronics do go “out of fashion” and it’s because their operating system goes out of date. This is why people buy refurbished products. By spending less money now, you can easily replace your Mac later.

Avoid buying a Mac that’s over 10 years old. If you do, you’ll be inviting trouble as many current applications won’t work on an old laptop.

Always go for a version of Mac that’s as recent as possible, so that it will function well with all current applications.

Conclusion

Buying a refurbished Mac is an excellent choice. You can find an updated Mac that is working well for a fraction of the price of a brand new one.

You should be very careful when you buy a refurbished Mac. Before you pay any money to the seller, make sure that your Mac has gone through the Apple factory reconditioning process. Only buy your refurbished products from well-established, trusted sellers.

Refurbished products make Apple affordable for everyone. By making the right choice, you can also be a proud and satisfied owner of a Mac. Happy shopping!