identifying Refurb or New?

iDann

I sent off my almost 2 week old iPhone 4 to Apple, they said it will be more to be replaced! How will I know if they give me a refurb or new device? It would stupid to get a refurb Device only after 2 weeks?

Zapp Brannigan

They always replace it with a remanufactured phone I believe.

guil

iDann wrote: »

I sent off my almost 2 week old iPhone 4 to Apple, they said it will be more to be replaced! How will I know if they give me a refurb or new device? It would stupid to get a refurb Device only after 2 weeks?

What's the difference? Both will e covered by the same warranty. Have you got it yet? What does the serial number begin with? QR is a refurb as well as some others

iDann

Its on its way! The start is DQ

guil

Refurb

Eire Go Brach

Refurb comes in a basic box with just bubble wrap around it. Bubble wrap sealed just with a flap.

Inspect it very carefully under different light conditions before you accept it.
Although if I was in your shoes. I'd want a new one too. Are you still under your cooling of period?

@guil the difference is the New factor. Buying a new phone and then getting a second hand one after 2 weeks would annoy me. Although still having the same warranty there could be more wear and tear on the refurb. What if the refurb was 11 months old before it broke?

I would ring them and tell them you want a new phone replacement. Is it 14 days old? You could try this or threaten this if they say no. Link

iDann

Eire Go Brach wrote: »

Refurb comes in a basic box with just bubble wrap around it. Bubble wrap sealed just with a flap.

Inspect it very carefully under different light conditions before you accept it.
Although if I was in your shoes. I'd want a new one too. Are you still under your cooling of period?

@guil the difference is the New factor. Buying a new phone and then getting a second hand one after 2 weeks would annoy me. Although still having the same warranty there could be more wear and tear on the refurb. What if the refurb was 11 months old before it broke?

I would ring them and tell them you want a new phone replacement. Is it 14 days old? You could try this or threaten this if they say no. Link

A person who gets me! I think I'll do that! Appreciate the advice!

mad muffin

Eire Go Brach wrote: »

Refurb comes in a basic box with just bubble wrap around it. Bubble wrap sealed just with a flap.

Inspect it very carefully under different light conditions before you accept it.
Although if I was in your shoes. I'd want a new one too. Are you still under your cooling of period?

@guil the difference is the New factor. Buying a new phone and then getting a second hand one after 2 weeks would annoy me. Although still having the same warranty there could be more wear and tear on the refurb. What if the refurb was 11 months old before it broke?

I would ring them and tell them you want a new phone replacement. Is it 14 days old? You could try this or threaten this if they say no. Link

A referbed iPhone is as good as new. You wouldn't be able to tell the difference save for the serial number.

It's got a new exterior and new battery and anything else that needs replacing.

guil

iDann wrote: »

A person who gets me! I think I'll do that! Appreciate the advice!

Did you buy it direct from apple?

Jev/N

Eire Go Brach wrote: »

Refurb comes in a basic box with just bubble wrap around it. Bubble wrap sealed just with a flap.

Inspect it very carefully under different light conditions before you accept it.
Although if I was in your shoes. I'd want a new one too. Are you still under your cooling of period?

@guil the difference is the New factor. Buying a new phone and then getting a second hand one after 2 weeks would annoy me. Although still having the same warranty there could be more wear and tear on the refurb. What if the refurb was 11 months old before it broke?

I would ring them and tell them you want a new phone replacement. Is it 14 days old? You could try this or threaten this if they say no.

I don't think you've much experience with Apple refurbs...

Any refurb I've gotten (MacBook Pro, iPad, iPhone) are all as good as new, if not better than, as they've been doubly tested.

iDann

guil wrote: »

Did you buy it direct from apple?

No, Vodafone on PAYG !

guil

iDann wrote: »

No, Vodafone on PAYG !

Telling apple you want a refund won't work for you so. Like it or not you definitely are getting a refurb and like others and I have said its just as good as a new phone minus the box

Eire Go Brach

The volume button failed on my 4s. I got a refurb back. It looked perfect. But over time. I noticed little things about that bugged me.

The bezel was not completly flush. It's had gaps at certain points. The bezel being the metal part touching the glass. Also, There may have been a scratch on the glass. It was very hard to see and I only noticed it in direct sunlight from a certain angle. Still it bugged me.

I also highly doubt they replace everything. Think how much wear and tear could be done to buttons or there internal parts on a 10 month old phone, that the battery fails in. So if the poster is planning on keeping it till it falls apart. I feel a refurbed phone will fail quicker than his new one.

If you go out to buy a refurb. That's fine. But I don't think you can compare a 2 week old phone to a refurb. Sure if the poster payed full price for it to. Not the refurb price.

guil

Eire Go Brach wrote: »

The volume button failed on my 4s. I got a refurb back. It looked perfect. But over time. I noticed little things about that bugged me.

The bezel was not completly flush. It's had gaps at certain points. The bezel being the metal part touching the glass. Also, There may have been a scratch on the glass. It was very hard to see and I only noticed it in direct sunlight from a certain angle. Still it bugged me.

I also highly doubt they replace everything. Think how much wear and tear could be done to buttons or there internal parts on a 10 month old phone, that the battery fails in. So if the poster is planning on keeping it till it falls apart. I feel a refurbed phone will fail quicker than his new one.

If you go out to buy a refurb. That's fine. But I don't think you can compare a 2 week old phone to a refurb. Sure if the poster payed full price for it to. Not the refurb price.

how do you know how old the refurb is? there's no way of knowing how old the orginal components are, for all you know it could be only a month old

GarIT

guil wrote: »

how do you know how old the refurb is? there's no way of knowing how old the orginal components are, for all you know it could be only a month old

It could be a day old and it's not as good as new. Parts like processors get hot even from one use and can never be brought back to as good as new and can't be replaced either.

Eire Go Brach

guil wrote: »

how do you know how old the refurb is? there's no way of knowing how old the orginal components are, for all you know it could be only a month old

Your right. But it's a chance they could be. But c'mon original parts are not used. What difference does age make to them?

My phone broke after 7 months. I was ok with that.
But can you honestly say you would be happy to accept a refurbed phone after paying out full price 2 weeks before? I personally don't see why anyone would be happy with that. Sure in that case why not just buy a refurb phone? Save yourself some money.

I feel the poster has every right to ask for a new phone.

iDann

guil wrote: »

how do you know how old the refurb is? there's no way of knowing how old the orginal components are, for all you know it could be only a month old

The components could between one month to 3 years old? That's really off putting, if I wanted to buy a refurb I would have bought it cheaper..

iDann

Eire Go Brach wrote: »

Your right. But it's a chance they could be. But c'mon original parts are not used. What difference does age make to them?

My phone broke after 7 months. I was ok with that.
But can you honestly say you would be happy to accept a refurbed phone after paying out full price 2 weeks before? I personally don't see why anyone would be happy with that. Sure in that case why not just buy a refurb phone? Save yourself some money.

I feel the poster has every right to ask for a new phone.

Thanks a million, totally agree with you, I emailed a guy in customer relations, he gave me his email last week because I had problems with UPS picking it up, I'm sure he'll help!

Zapp Brannigan

If the phone was two weeks old and I bought it directly from Apple I'd want a new one to replace it. But if I bought it from another shop I'd be demanding a new one from them, not Apple.

Going to Apple in this case will most likely result in receiving a refurb phone.

Bactidiaryl

You send off your broken phone and you get a refurb back. And what happens your broken phone? The next guy gets it. Refurbed. ???

mad muffin

Bactidiaryl wrote: »

You send off your broken phone and you get a refurb back. And what happens your broken phone? The next guy gets it. Refurbed. ???

No, they re manufacturer your old phone.

Eire Go Brach

iDann wrote: »

Thanks a million, totally agree with you, I emailed a guy in customer relations, he gave me his email last week because I had problems with UPS picking it up, I'm sure he'll help!

Let is know how you get on. They may just fix your own phone. Did they offer you the immediate replacement for €29?

guil

iDann wrote: »

Its on its way! The start is DQ

Eire Go Brach wrote: »

Let is know how you get on. They may just fix your own phone. Did they offer you the immediate replacement for €29?

Serial numbers beginning with DQ are refurbs..

Eire Go Brach

guil wrote: »

Serial numbers beginning with DQ are refurbs..

Is that just for iPhone 4? What are there for the 4s?

Nonoperational

Eire Go Brach wrote: »

Let is know how you get on. They may just fix your own phone. Did they offer you the immediate replacement for €29?

They don't fix phones.

They take them in, change all the housing, change the battery, check the components and use them as refurbs.

A refurb is indistinguishable from a new one.

guil

Eire Go Brach wrote: »

Is that just for iPhone 4? What are there for the 4s?

Afaik it's any serial number beginning with that. Mine is QR ad that's a refurb as well. Google decode iPhone serial or refurbished iPhone serial and you should find the list of factories that refurb them and their codes

Eire Go Brach

What did you get in the end?

iDann

Eire Go Brach wrote: »

What did you get in the end?

Hey,
After two so called "new" replacements, all witch where faulty on arrival, they replaced it with a brand new iPhone boxed and sealed!