I have always recommended certified refurbished tech for maximizing value, and I speak from my own experience when I say the savings are absolutely worth it. In 2015 I bought a refurbished MacBook Air (the same model available at eBay right now for $429) and I still use it to this day and have had zero issues with it. My biggest problem is I've had it for so long I've run out of space to apply new stickers.
[poilib element="commerceDeal" parameters="slug=ebay-certified-refurbished-apple-macbook-deals"]
Check out the links below to see some selections I pulled out, along with their full specs and warranty information:
[poilib element="commerceDeal" parameters="slug=ebay-certified-refurbished-macbook-deals-list-view&type=list"]
When recommending refurbs, I always run into hesitancy, which is understandable. Why buy something that was already fixed once? Well, ACTUALLLLLLLLLLY... when an item is refurbished, that means it already experienced a break-down at one of the most likely failure points of its lifecycle. In engineering, there's something called the "bathtub curve" that models when something is most likely to suffer a catastrophic failure. It starts off high, drops suddenly, flattens out for a while then ramps back up again near the end of its life. It's called the bathtub curve because it's shaped like a bathtub.
Refurbished items already suffered their most-likely failure, and have been repaired and re-certified. That means you're actually less likely to suffer from a breakdown with a certified refurb than you are when you buy something new.
Also, that flat part in the middle of the bathtub curve? That's when a product has the least likelihood of failure, but is also the period of time covered by extended warranties. That's why retailers love to sell you an extended warranty: it's pure profit for them.
I'm neither for nor against extended warranties. I know they cover the period of time least likely to need warranty coverage, but I also think peace-of-mind is important, too. Many of the MacBooks being offered through eBay's certified refurbished program offer a 2-year warranty, and those that don't offer a 30-day money-back guarantee or something similar. Be sure to check the details if you're worried.
Continue reading...
Certified Refurbished Apple MacBook Deals
[poilib element="commerceDeal" parameters="slug=ebay-certified-refurbished-apple-macbook-deals"]
Check out the links below to see some selections I pulled out, along with their full specs and warranty information:
[poilib element="commerceDeal" parameters="slug=ebay-certified-refurbished-macbook-deals-list-view&type=list"]
When recommending refurbs, I always run into hesitancy, which is understandable. Why buy something that was already fixed once? Well, ACTUALLLLLLLLLLY... when an item is refurbished, that means it already experienced a break-down at one of the most likely failure points of its lifecycle. In engineering, there's something called the "bathtub curve" that models when something is most likely to suffer a catastrophic failure. It starts off high, drops suddenly, flattens out for a while then ramps back up again near the end of its life. It's called the bathtub curve because it's shaped like a bathtub.
Refurbished items already suffered their most-likely failure, and have been repaired and re-certified. That means you're actually less likely to suffer from a breakdown with a certified refurb than you are when you buy something new.
Also, that flat part in the middle of the bathtub curve? That's when a product has the least likelihood of failure, but is also the period of time covered by extended warranties. That's why retailers love to sell you an extended warranty: it's pure profit for them.
I'm neither for nor against extended warranties. I know they cover the period of time least likely to need warranty coverage, but I also think peace-of-mind is important, too. Many of the MacBooks being offered through eBay's certified refurbished program offer a 2-year warranty, and those that don't offer a 30-day money-back guarantee or something similar. Be sure to check the details if you're worried.
Continue reading...