Here’s Why You Should Be Buying Certified Refurbished Apple Devices
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Apple products aren’t cheap and the company rarely offers deals or discounts on its devices. That’s why you should be aware of, and take advantage of, any savings on Apple devices that you can get. In my opinion, one of the best ways to do so is to opt for devices sold through Apple’s official Certified Refurbished program.
Apple’s Certified Refurbished program is a great way to save money on Apple products without any of the sketchiness of buying third-party refurbished or used devices. Here’s what you need to know about Apple Certified Refurbished.
What You Should Buy Refurbished
In just a few words, here’s why: you’re getting a discount and they’re basically new.
Certified Refurbished devices vary in price, but you can stand to save up to 40 percent on some specific models (though the average savings is somewhat less than that).
And while they’re technically “used” or “preowned” devices, Apple Certified Refurbished products go through an extremely thorough inspection before they’re put up for sale.
In fact, Certified Refurbished products are actually tested more stringently than new Apple products — meaning that Apple staff can spot and rectify issues before the device makes it to you.
Apple also cleans all of its Refurbished Devices and repackages them in a new box with all of the original manuals and accessories.
Notably, Certified Refurbished products also come with Apple’s standard one-year warranty — which you can bump up to three years with AppleCare+. You can also get special financing on products, just like new Apple devices.
In other words, it’s just hard to tell a Certified Refurbished product from a new one.
While there are sometimes lemons (just like with new devices), most people are happy to have bought a Certified Refurbished device.
Downsides to Buying Refurbished
First and foremost, the primary downside of trying to buy Certified Refurbished is that the stock can fluctuate widely.
This can become a problem if you have a certain color option or specification in mind. The specific model you’re looking for many only surface every now and then — and they’ll probably go quickly once they do appear.
If you’re looking to get the latest hardware, you may also have to wait a bit before you can get your hands on them.
When Apple releases a new product, it usually takes several months before refurbished models appear on Apple’s refurbished product page. More popular devices are subject to even longer waits.
How to Track Down Refurbished Apple Devices
Buying a refurbished product from Apple is easy. Just go to the Apple Certified Refurbished webpage.
But if you don’t see the refurbished model you want, you’ll want to use a system like Refurb-Tracker.com. Basically, it lets you create an email alert for specific refurbished products. Just input your model and specifications, and it’ll email you when a model matching those criteria pops up on the storefront.