Apple Certified Refurbished Store Vs Independent Apple Resellers: Where Should You Shop?

Find the right refurbished Apple Mac can be tough. There are so many places with various products it can become overwhelming. Where do you begin? Your first idea is generally to pop into google refurbished MacBook and click onto the Apple website. You can browse through their range of Certified Refurbished systems, but there are ways you can make your money go further. In this article, we break down the differences between the Apple Refurbished Store and Independent Resellers so you can make the right choice.

Cost
The most significant advantage of shopping with an independent reseller is your overall cost is generally going to be lower. Apple still applies a premium to their prices and a similar item from an Independent might be one or two hundred pounds lower! Independent stores also have regular sales, and you may be able to negotiate an even lower price when buying multiple items.

Condition
Both the Apple Refurbished Store and Independent Resellers will offer similar condition systems. If you’re shopping with a reputable Reseller, you should find they provide a condition tier system, so you know what to expect. Apple sells one condition and the top tier price. Resellers will give you the choice of condition. Why is this good? Because if you’re less concerned by the condition, you’ll receive further discounts stretching into the hundreds of pounds on that item. If you’re purchasing for a young child, you won’t want them causing damage to an expensive pristine laptop.

Availability of Stock
Stock in the Apple Refurbished Store usually comes from failure during production, dead on arrival, returns or ex-demo store products. Because of where the stock comes from choice is limited to certain specifications and model years. It’s unlikely you’ll find anything older than three years old on the Apple Refurbished store.

Shopping with a Reseller gives you more choice. You can pick from a wide range of model years and specifications so you can get the absolute most from your money.

Warranty
Now you may be thinking. Of course, shopping with Apple, you’ll get a better warranty, but this is not always the case. Apple supplies a one year warranty with their refurbished systems, but you are subject to the lengthy terms and conditions that come with it. Certain repairs won’t be covered and your repair bill, if something did occur, can become huge. Outside of your Apple warranty, you’re pretty much on your own unless you want to pay the well documented exorbitant prices Apple charges to repair.

So what’s different about shopping independent? Firstly if something happens to your Mac, you’re very likely to have it resolved and quickly. At least with MacFinder, we can collect most systems the next day and have them returned and repaired within five days. You’re looking at a couple of weeks with an Apple Refurb. If you want Apple care, you’re out of luck, but you’re likely to see two or three year warranty periods with a Reseller. We offer three years on any system 2013 or newer.

Upgrades
One of the most considerable disadvantages or shopping Apple Refurbished is that you cannot pick a different specification. Maybe you found precisely the iMac you want, but you just wished it had a large storage drive. A Reseller would say “no problem. We can change that out for you”. Good luck getting the same service from Apple Certified Refurbished!

Refurbishment
I know what you’re thinking. How could the quality of refurbishment be better than Apple? And you’re right. It’s not, but if you shop with the right Reseller, you’ll get the same level of thoroughness. An excellent example of this is our technicians are all Certified Apple Technicians. Their skillset is identical to that of an Apple technician refurbishing laptops ready for the Certified Store.

Returns Policy
If you’re a UK customer then whether it’s Apple or Reseller, it’ll be 14 days. If a Reseller says anything less than 14 days or there are caveats to the returns period then stay clear! You’re right as a customer is that you can change your mind and return whatever you’ve purchased within 14 days due to distance selling regulations.

Quality of Service
What we should say here for Apple is less quality of service but lack thereof for their sales side when it comes to shopping refurbished. There is no phone number you can call so you’ll have to reach out to friends or online communities. Resellers, on the other hands, especially those at MacFinder, are hardcore Mac users and have experience with almost every application and dealt with every kind of mac user. By listening to what you want to use your Mac for they can pick something accordingly within budget or at least point you in the right direction.

Conclusion
The Apple Certified Store, even with its faults, maybe for you. If you’re worried about purchasing from a third party or specifically only want to buy from Apple themselves. Shopping with an Independent Reseller opens up a lot of opportunities. You may be able to find a much better offer, but you do need to make sure you pick the right one.

If you do decide to go independent, we recommend you lookout for a few things. To begin with, take a look at their reviews. How many have they got, how far do they go back, and what do people generally say about them. Do they offer payment via a secure payment method using PayPal, Visa Mastercard or other services, so you know you’re secure? Do they look credible and is their website up to date? If you can’t find a lot of information on a reseller, the likelihood is that they’re not that reputable.

If you’re interested in shopping independent, don’t forget to check out our store here. Our team are always happy to answer any questions you may have!