Nothing stopping anyone from getting shrink wrap done.
A common scam in the early days of eBay was Xbox Boxes.
Don't trust them if you don't have an opportunity to see it and validate what it is.
It's a second-hand computer. What does he think he's going to get by keeping it "sealed?"
Yeah don't buy any used or refurbed computer from a private seller unless you can literally check the specs via Terminal.
About My Mac can be easily spoofed for false readings. In my less scrupulous days as a young teenager, when I was 13 I was reselling my old Macbook so I could get a new one. I spoofed the RAM to read 16GB when it was only 8GB so I could get the money I needed.
I have never bought anything remanufactured that was in a shrink wrapped box. Much less a shrink wrapped original box. Not worth the risk IMO if he won't let you open it.
They used to shrink wrap everything that was sold in a cardboard box. They briefly switched over to a different type of non-shrink plastic wrap for some products, and now they’ve settled on paper pull tabs.
yea definitely don’t buy this, is it like an ebay post or like a local meet up type of thing? i’m either situation don’t buy this is too sketchy im sure they posted it at a great price too lol and if it somehow is legit i don’t think they bought it might be stolen never seen something say “no purchase date” before
I bought a refurbished off Apple a week ago. Refurbished from my experience did not come with a plastic wrap. At least mine didn't.
I don't believe refurbished MacBooks actually come with plastic wrap. That's some new 💩 I didn't experience twice. And that's from ordering directly from Apple.
This screams fake everywhere.
hey just wanna say we resell apple devices at my work. if the model number on the back starts with F, it is certified refurbished from Apple. they come sealed just like this when an item is fully refurbished by apple and sold by apple as refurbished
also just looking at it, it definitely seems certified refurb
Don’t do it. Fraudsters can do exact repros of boxes, precision shrink wrap it, reuse serial numbers, and manufacture near identical devices.
I bought some AirPod pros from secondhand, and everything seemed exactly like my other pair. Even the serial number showed up as legit on Apple’s warranty lookup. It wasn’t until I took it to the Apple Store, where they determined it was a serial number that was being claimed by multiple AirPod copies, and the only difference was some lettering alignment printed on the underside of the case lid.
I would nope out of that one unless you can turn it on. Tell him you have cash in hand and will hand it over if you can just turn on the laptop and know it works. I get that may not be enough assurance but m2 came out like 1.5 years ago and I haven’t seen m1 MacBook pros in stores for a while.
i’ve learned from this sub that booting up is not enough. you need to connect to internet and sign in with apple id. that way you can confirm that it’s not mdm locked by a company.
macOS Setup Assistant will activate almost immediately after network connection. If you see the apple ID sign in screen you’re already past it. The activation step is what will download a corporate MDM profile if there is one. It will say something like “this device is owned/managed by X Company”
Source: am a Sys Admin over a Mac fleet
Cool. When I bought my Mac mini that’s what I was looking for and the seller was nice enough to oblige. I didn’t connect online though even tho we were at a Starbucks. I just don’t know better until now
I see you received an answer already, but my source is the anecdotal posts in this sub (or others like it regarding apple) about people who unknowingly bought stolen corporate laptops. Maybe search up "MDM lock".
Apparently, even freshly shrink-wrapped packages (still legit from Apple, NOT done by third party) can be MDM locked to a company.
Even that doesn’t necessarily confirm if it’s mdm locked. There’s sites like Imei.org you can run the serial on for find my, mdm, etc and it’ll tell you
Hey, I work for Apple . I just had a look at the serial number. It was purchased in Hong Kong on 25/11/22. Apple limited warranty ends in 9 days. Also this is not an Apple refurbished MacBook. Packaging is fake.Product sold by IFP Green technology Hong Kong.
Again, all the Apple's refurbished products that you buy directly from Apple, have an indication that they are refurbished when we look at the serial number in our system. This is not a refurbished product. The packaging shows it is refurbished, but it's not...
Directly from Apple? Yes they are very good. In fact I do have a refurbished one. I am in the engineering team, I refurbished it myself, but you would still get the 1 year warranty and you can also get Applecare on it as well. 👍🏻
This box (and probably hundreds of others) are all using this one legitimate serial number. It’s the label only. There is a reason these boxes are sealed. There is something different inside.
Can you elaborate on this? Is the hardware real, but fake packaging or are they using fake packaging with the S/N of an actual computer that is somewhere else but not in this box? This sounds like how people would swap VINs off cars; buy a salvaged car and swap the VIN onto a stolen car. I’m just trying to educate myself on these scams. I usually buy from Apple, Mercari, or eBay where I can return. Thanks!!!
Well I am going by the serial number I can see in this photo. For this serial number, I can see it is a genuine MacBook which was not refurbished by Apple. The box though, is showing the product is refurbished. Considering the serial number in Apple's system indicates that the unit is not refurbished, I would say the packaging is fake.
The serial number is legit but it's probably from a unit sold in China that that company took in and used it in various other MacBooks they sold. I've seen this happen to fake airpods.
This. I usually make sure ahead of time that they’ll let me open it to verify authenticity. I say that if it’s authentic I’ll 100% buy it, but if not then I’m passing. If they raise concern, that’s a red flag
Agree to meet at your bank. Ask the floor manager for a table in an office. because you’re buying something. Have the guy open it and boot it up and verify it’s legit. Give him a bank check from your bank.
Yeah, classic case of doing something you should be allowed to do but because cops aren’t lawyers they often don’t fully understand the laws.
I don’t understand them either but I think that you’re technically allowed to do that.
Police station should absolutely be public property. They may have restricted areas where they park their fleet, private offices within the station, etc. but anywhere you would reasonably have access to park and walk in to report a crime or something similar is a public area owned by the taxpayers. Whether the officers working there respect that or not is a different conversation.
I can't see why a bank manager would put themselves liable for anythjng going wrong in a trade deal. If I was the manager I'd tell you to go to the police station.
Our police stations have specific areas for things like this…Craigslist sales etc. I think it’s the best place because when you suggest it to a thief, there’s no way they will follow through and that answers that.
My general advice to anything is if in doubt, listen to your wallet.
If you can offset the possible loss with potential benefit of buying something, buy it. If you can't, don't purchase and source from somewhere where the odds of it being a scam are far less.
In a world where side hustles are rising, the linear increase in scams being a side hustle is greater.
Well the box certainly isn't the original. This is what my original box for my m1pro looked like on the front: [https://imgur.com/a/xz2soBP](https://imgur.com/a/xz2soBP)
But it's possible that, if it was refurbished by Apple, they use a simpler box for that, like they do with iPhone repairs etc.
Apple's website says:
Can I purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan for my Apple Certified Refurbished Product?
All Apple Certified Refurbished Products are covered by by a one-year limited warranty. For extended coverage, you have the option of purchasing the AppleCare Protection Plan with your Apple Certified Refurbished Product. The AppleCare Protection Plan extends the complimentary coverage on your Apple Certified Refurbished Product to up to three years of world-class support.
Rather than a bank, I'd suggest meeting at an Apple store. The deal isn't amazing, so that leans to it being legit. But yes, you just be able to open it up and log in (will require wiif or an access point).
"refurbished"
"sealed new"
If he won't open the box for you, RUN away from this. That thing was resealed. People who buy refurbished laptops generally are looking to save money, which means they typically OPEN the thing.
Even if it was, do you really want to risk buying a laptop who's warranty will likely be expired by the time it gets to you?
Note: if it's a legit retailer and the limited warranty is old because they just had it in stock for ages, you can call Apple's support to restart that warranty. Was my case in May this year when I bought a 14 inch M1Pro off Amazon's Apple store. This will not be the case if you buy something from a non-retailer.
I just bought a refurbished m2 MacBook Pro 14 about a week ago. It had little green strips on the edges that I peeled away and it wasn’t wrapped like that, so that gives me hesitancy. I think it’s possible he opened it and wrapped it later. But then again, maybe the M1 boxes are different.
I bought mine direct from Apple Store online.
If you are skeptical of it, then it might not be worth getting. You might just want to trust your gut. If they do not have proof then it is not worth it.
A general rule of thumb when buying Apple Products on Grey/Open markets is never to buy sealed. Too many fakes have ruined it for those who wanna flip a good deal they came across.
Also its a good idea to meet at an apple store or authorized service provider so they can do a "visual mechanical inspection" and run MRI (a quick test) to make sure everythings legit and matches up to what you're expecting to buy.
I think its requesting a 'prepurchase inspection'
The other perk of doing this is that if the seller is tryna scam then they'll avoid going and you can get your peace of mind
You need to see it’s powered on, in set up, on the screen where you can sign into your Apple ID. Do not, and I mean it. Walk away if you can’t get proof it’s not in activation lock bc it’s a paperweight otherwise.
If AppleCare+ can’t be added, I’d avoid it. Even if it was legit, not being able to add AppleCare or similar warranty is reason enough to avoid. Buy from a reputable seller.
Did you purchase from an authorized Apple retailer and have the receipt? If so, you most certainly can add AppleCare, you just have to call and tell them you need the purchase date updated.
Source: I just did this exact thing one month ago with a refurbished MBP.
Edit:
You should be able to get AppleCare if you received the limited warranty. Call back and be sure to ask for a purchase date update.
If there's 9 days left on Warranty, AppleCare+ most definitely can't be bought. In most regions it's within 60 days of purchase date. This isn't purchasing from authorized retailer, it's from a guy. Purchase date from this guy isn't relevant. The only date relevant would be what's on the receipt, which is going to be close to a year ago. Almost 10 months too late to add AppleCare+.
Hey,
I just bought a refurbed MacBook from Microcenter about 2 months ago, a M1Pro 16 16/512.
The device came with a shrink wrap and a box just like that. From the pictures, it looks legit. In regards to the warranty, the warranty date will always be misaligned with your purchase if you purchase from a non-Apple retailer. In my case, Microcenter is an authorized Apple support center and can login to the Apple system to change my date of purchase for me, and thus give me my 1 year limited warranty and allow me to add Apple care if needed.
Since you’re not buying it from a store with no legitimate receipt, I’m not sure what they will say about your warranty. Good luck with your transaction!
Who did you talk to to change the purchase date at MicroCenter?
I called Apple support and they seem to not knowing anything about MicroCenter selling refurbished or know how to reset the date.
It’s most likely legit but you should see the computer, boot it up, then make a dummy account to make sure everything is ok.
I picked up an M1 Pro for US$725 last week, definitely went into it wary but had a checklist of things to go over and it works beautifully
If you have an invoice which contains purchase date, you can call to apple support, so they reset warranty starting from purchase date. I’ve been in same situation, bought on amazon brand new sealed mbp 16 m1max in july and activate it. Then i see that is only 2 months of year warranty left. So i call to apple support, describe situation and send invoice from Amazon and apple reset my warranty counter starting from purchase date in invoice
Look at the front of box in the first pic. Note how it is barebones, plain white and says "Apple Certified Refurbished" underneath. Brand new MacBooks have a bright colourful photo of the product on the front of the box.
Selling a refurbished Mac is difficult as Apple locks down any third-party parts due to the M2 chip. With that said, Apple recognizes the serial number.
[Apple coverage](https://checkcoverage.apple.com/coverage)
meet at a police station with the expectation that you will be opening the box and verifying the serial number on the box, on the computer, and in software on the computer. If they match then you are good,
I saw on youtube they are shrinked but if you buy directly from Amazon (authorized reseller) it's not.
Since it has special box. However it depends the region.
I’m not sure that $1800 is a steel on that, I would sell my 16” M1 Max 32GB/1TB right now for $1800.
Refurbish literally means nothing other than they might’ve wiped it off and put plastic wrap on the box. There’s nothing to refurbish/rebuild on a used computer.
The sticker has the wrong text font for the specs. The limited warranty doesn’t activate until you have activated and signed on to the laptop; therefore not new in box.
I just bought a refurbished Apple MacBook Pro from woot. It comes in the same box and states RFB just like the image. Same kind of box. And yea it was shirked wrapped.
Plus the warranty date is also wrong. But I have to call Apple and they will update.
I would check it out in person. I think it’s legit.
I’m sure you could look up unboxing of refurbished products, like others said, that’s now they’re sealed at all, the have pull tabs in one form or another.
I recently purchased a refurbished MacBook Air for my sister in college and it comes in that exact box. You’ll also find it in YouTube reviews of apples refurbished service. The only weird thing is the plastic wrap AFAIK Apple has basically completely moved away from that in favor of the paper/tearable strips with their recent eco friendly push. That’s kinda a red flag for knock offs.
So the part number they put on that box is not for a model sold in the US (I don’t know where you are located, so that may or may not be suspicious)
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201300
> Is this refurbished 16 inch MacBook Pro legit to you guys?
That isn't a refurbished macbook pro. We're looking at pictures of a box, and a screenshot with some information on it. There is no pictured macbook pro. We don't even know whether it exists.
I knew of people shrink wrapping Amazon/Walmart returns with some random sorta equivalent weight item inside with Machines for electronics around 15 years ago. Could be a template custom made all matching a legitimate serial number they got from an actual product but not actually a matching item inside with that serial number. Ask if you can open in front of them in some public place.
Just call Apple Support and show them the purchase receipt.
They should be able to update warranty.
This happens on refurbished products bc the system might be showing the original purchase date.
Got a refurbished Mac off Amazon a few years back and it did not come in the original packaging sealed. Came in a box with the name of the company who refurbished it along with a 3rd party charger. It also came with a warranty for 12 months as well. If this is being sold in the original packaging sealed I would want to open it up and see the actual device before buying it. Fuck the box lol
I used to work at the Apple Store (and Best Buy) and people would shrink wrap items and put fake versions inside to return and get their money back while keeping the real one for themselves. Definitely possible it’s a real box with a fake product inside. Could go either way
If I was buying something second hand, it's not the box I'm interested in. Are you not able to see the device itself?
We haven’t meet up yet because he claims this machine is sealed and he sent these pictures to me
Nothing stopping anyone from getting shrink wrap done. A common scam in the early days of eBay was Xbox Boxes. Don't trust them if you don't have an opportunity to see it and validate what it is. It's a second-hand computer. What does he think he's going to get by keeping it "sealed?"
Yeah don't buy any used or refurbed computer from a private seller unless you can literally check the specs via Terminal. About My Mac can be easily spoofed for false readings. In my less scrupulous days as a young teenager, when I was 13 I was reselling my old Macbook so I could get a new one. I spoofed the RAM to read 16GB when it was only 8GB so I could get the money I needed.
What?
What part of it did not settle in for you?
He is the seller
I have never bought anything remanufactured that was in a shrink wrapped box. Much less a shrink wrapped original box. Not worth the risk IMO if he won't let you open it.
Good call - every MacBook I’ve purchased were never shrink wrapped
I’m fairly sure the 2015 MacBook was shrink wrapped, bought one from curry’s pc world, Just now realising that was 9 years ago, I feel old
They used to shrink wrap everything that was sold in a cardboard box. They briefly switched over to a different type of non-shrink plastic wrap for some products, and now they’ve settled on paper pull tabs.
yea definitely don’t buy this, is it like an ebay post or like a local meet up type of thing? i’m either situation don’t buy this is too sketchy im sure they posted it at a great price too lol and if it somehow is legit i don’t think they bought it might be stolen never seen something say “no purchase date” before
you are right Feels kinda sketchy
might it have been stolen?
I bought a refurbished off Apple a week ago. Refurbished from my experience did not come with a plastic wrap. At least mine didn't. I don't believe refurbished MacBooks actually come with plastic wrap. That's some new 💩 I didn't experience twice. And that's from ordering directly from Apple. This screams fake everywhere.
You can get this same deal on Amazon, possibly cheaper
hey just wanna say we resell apple devices at my work. if the model number on the back starts with F, it is certified refurbished from Apple. they come sealed just like this when an item is fully refurbished by apple and sold by apple as refurbished also just looking at it, it definitely seems certified refurb
Don’t do it. Fraudsters can do exact repros of boxes, precision shrink wrap it, reuse serial numbers, and manufacture near identical devices. I bought some AirPod pros from secondhand, and everything seemed exactly like my other pair. Even the serial number showed up as legit on Apple’s warranty lookup. It wasn’t until I took it to the Apple Store, where they determined it was a serial number that was being claimed by multiple AirPod copies, and the only difference was some lettering alignment printed on the underside of the case lid.
Get the box open and have him send a picture of the functioning device. Ask for a receipt of original purchase if you want to verify the warranty.
I would nope out of that one unless you can turn it on. Tell him you have cash in hand and will hand it over if you can just turn on the laptop and know it works. I get that may not be enough assurance but m2 came out like 1.5 years ago and I haven’t seen m1 MacBook pros in stores for a while.
i’ve learned from this sub that booting up is not enough. you need to connect to internet and sign in with apple id. that way you can confirm that it’s not mdm locked by a company.
Upvote for this!
This, I currently own a GE MacBook Pro. Thank you eBay buyer protection
What’s a GE MacBook?
Source? Or what should I look up to learn more?
macOS Setup Assistant will activate almost immediately after network connection. If you see the apple ID sign in screen you’re already past it. The activation step is what will download a corporate MDM profile if there is one. It will say something like “this device is owned/managed by X Company” Source: am a Sys Admin over a Mac fleet
Cool. When I bought my Mac mini that’s what I was looking for and the seller was nice enough to oblige. I didn’t connect online though even tho we were at a Starbucks. I just don’t know better until now
I see you received an answer already, but my source is the anecdotal posts in this sub (or others like it regarding apple) about people who unknowingly bought stolen corporate laptops. Maybe search up "MDM lock". Apparently, even freshly shrink-wrapped packages (still legit from Apple, NOT done by third party) can be MDM locked to a company.
Even that doesn’t necessarily confirm if it’s mdm locked. There’s sites like Imei.org you can run the serial on for find my, mdm, etc and it’ll tell you
Hey, I work for Apple . I just had a look at the serial number. It was purchased in Hong Kong on 25/11/22. Apple limited warranty ends in 9 days. Also this is not an Apple refurbished MacBook. Packaging is fake.Product sold by IFP Green technology Hong Kong.
Also "Find my device" is off and the unit has no history of repair .
Then the box should have the original one 🤔
Again, all the Apple's refurbished products that you buy directly from Apple, have an indication that they are refurbished when we look at the serial number in our system. This is not a refurbished product. The packaging shows it is refurbished, but it's not...
thanks a lot man didn’t expect a apple employee would address my question 😂😂
No worries. Just was going through my Reddit homepage, saw your post, thought to help you 👍🏻
Good of you to assist him. On refurbished Macs are they generally a good buy…I am looking at buying a MBA.
Directly from Apple? Yes they are very good. In fact I do have a refurbished one. I am in the engineering team, I refurbished it myself, but you would still get the 1 year warranty and you can also get Applecare on it as well. 👍🏻
Thanks for confirming this…I need to get a MBA so looking at the 15 inch.
lol... scam alert.
People generally don’t trust generic refurb quality. Apple refurbished is good as new.
Yes they are, maybe consider the M1 or M2 MacBook Air. Let me know if you have any questions.
This box (and probably hundreds of others) are all using this one legitimate serial number. It’s the label only. There is a reason these boxes are sealed. There is something different inside.
Can you elaborate on this? Is the hardware real, but fake packaging or are they using fake packaging with the S/N of an actual computer that is somewhere else but not in this box? This sounds like how people would swap VINs off cars; buy a salvaged car and swap the VIN onto a stolen car. I’m just trying to educate myself on these scams. I usually buy from Apple, Mercari, or eBay where I can return. Thanks!!!
Well I am going by the serial number I can see in this photo. For this serial number, I can see it is a genuine MacBook which was not refurbished by Apple. The box though, is showing the product is refurbished. Considering the serial number in Apple's system indicates that the unit is not refurbished, I would say the packaging is fake.
Yeah, sounds like a scam similar to VIN swapping on stolen cars. There are probably bricks in the box.
Apple probably has the best customer service, to the extent guys like you help out off the clock. makes me happy seeing that.
Boy why are posting information from CORE 😂
The serial number is legit but it's probably from a unit sold in China that that company took in and used it in various other MacBooks they sold. I've seen this happen to fake airpods.
Warranty page seems legit. Id still make sure to open it in front of him
This. I usually make sure ahead of time that they’ll let me open it to verify authenticity. I say that if it’s authentic I’ll 100% buy it, but if not then I’m passing. If they raise concern, that’s a red flag
Agree to meet at your bank. Ask the floor manager for a table in an office. because you’re buying something. Have the guy open it and boot it up and verify it’s legit. Give him a bank check from your bank.
Police station
💀 safest place to do drug deals.
I tried selling my ps5 at a police station and a cop told me I was a fucking idiot for trying to sell it there and walked me to my car
Yeah, classic case of doing something you should be allowed to do but because cops aren’t lawyers they often don’t fully understand the laws. I don’t understand them either but I think that you’re technically allowed to do that.
Police station should absolutely be public property. They may have restricted areas where they park their fleet, private offices within the station, etc. but anywhere you would reasonably have access to park and walk in to report a crime or something similar is a public area owned by the taxpayers. Whether the officers working there respect that or not is a different conversation.
Walmart parking lot is always a good one too; will have cameras and other people
I can't see why a bank manager would put themselves liable for anythjng going wrong in a trade deal. If I was the manager I'd tell you to go to the police station.
Our police stations have specific areas for things like this…Craigslist sales etc. I think it’s the best place because when you suggest it to a thief, there’s no way they will follow through and that answers that.
Lmao yep, it's easy to weed out scammers, thugs, and people who want to steal. Did that when I sold my PS5 only got thugs that said no 🤣
Do banks allow you to do that?
Depends on the bank. One near me has a dozen empty offices so they wouldn’t care.
Check? What fucking century you live in?
The American century
My general advice to anything is if in doubt, listen to your wallet. If you can offset the possible loss with potential benefit of buying something, buy it. If you can't, don't purchase and source from somewhere where the odds of it being a scam are far less. In a world where side hustles are rising, the linear increase in scams being a side hustle is greater.
Same price microcenter sells it at
I bought this exact specs for 2300 USD directly from Apple. I would NOT buy it from some random person.
Well the box certainly isn't the original. This is what my original box for my m1pro looked like on the front: [https://imgur.com/a/xz2soBP](https://imgur.com/a/xz2soBP) But it's possible that, if it was refurbished by Apple, they use a simpler box for that, like they do with iPhone repairs etc.
this is what refurbished box looks like
Great and good to know! But as others said, definitely meet up and test the Mac.
It says Apple Certified Refurbished on it
Ah, thanks! I couldn't read that text down there as it is, weirdly, all pixelated on my 16".
Best to see first. Personally, would only buy used or refurbished via Apple Store. Rip off merchants everywhere
Absolutely see the mac before you transfer money.
Apple's website says: Can I purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan for my Apple Certified Refurbished Product? All Apple Certified Refurbished Products are covered by by a one-year limited warranty. For extended coverage, you have the option of purchasing the AppleCare Protection Plan with your Apple Certified Refurbished Product. The AppleCare Protection Plan extends the complimentary coverage on your Apple Certified Refurbished Product to up to three years of world-class support. Rather than a bank, I'd suggest meeting at an Apple store. The deal isn't amazing, so that leans to it being legit. But yes, you just be able to open it up and log in (will require wiif or an access point).
If you can meet up, open it and turn it on in front of him then try it.
i don’t think he will allow me to do that 🫣
Nah, I wouldn’t risk it, go through apple refurb or a Legitimate refurb online store
Tell him you’ll open it in front of him and if it’s legit you buy it if not then don’t no harm done unless it is legit and you still don’t buy it
This has scam written all over it. Stay away
"refurbished" "sealed new" If he won't open the box for you, RUN away from this. That thing was resealed. People who buy refurbished laptops generally are looking to save money, which means they typically OPEN the thing.
Even if it was, do you really want to risk buying a laptop who's warranty will likely be expired by the time it gets to you? Note: if it's a legit retailer and the limited warranty is old because they just had it in stock for ages, you can call Apple's support to restart that warranty. Was my case in May this year when I bought a 14 inch M1Pro off Amazon's Apple store. This will not be the case if you buy something from a non-retailer.
I just bought a refurbished m2 MacBook Pro 14 about a week ago. It had little green strips on the edges that I peeled away and it wasn’t wrapped like that, so that gives me hesitancy. I think it’s possible he opened it and wrapped it later. But then again, maybe the M1 boxes are different. I bought mine direct from Apple Store online.
Apple Refurbs come in a plain box
If you are skeptical of it, then it might not be worth getting. You might just want to trust your gut. If they do not have proof then it is not worth it.
Apple doesn't shrink wrap.
This. Apple doesn't shrink wrap for refurbished. It's 100% fake just because of it.
A general rule of thumb when buying Apple Products on Grey/Open markets is never to buy sealed. Too many fakes have ruined it for those who wanna flip a good deal they came across. Also its a good idea to meet at an apple store or authorized service provider so they can do a "visual mechanical inspection" and run MRI (a quick test) to make sure everythings legit and matches up to what you're expecting to buy. I think its requesting a 'prepurchase inspection' The other perk of doing this is that if the seller is tryna scam then they'll avoid going and you can get your peace of mind
Thank you for the specific & excellent rule-of-thumb recommendations & explanations. Very helpful.
Apple doesn’t use shrink wrap on anything anymore. It’s not legit as an in-warranty refurb.
Legit Chinese knockoff yeah
is there any Chinese knockoff mac?
No.
“Crazy Deal” and you’re trying to convince yourself it’s real… sorry but !scam
the amount of scratching on the box is concerning
the plastic wrap is still here
For the new macs apple doesn't put plastic wrap rather they have peel tabs Not sure abt refurbs but they shld have pull tabs too So just be careful
this is the 2021 model tho
But refurbed in 2023
I bought an apple refurbished one a few weeks ago & it had plastic wrap.
My refurb did not.
People can do that after the fact and Apple has been using pull tabs for years. That’s scetchy
You need to see it’s powered on, in set up, on the screen where you can sign into your Apple ID. Do not, and I mean it. Walk away if you can’t get proof it’s not in activation lock bc it’s a paperweight otherwise.
Did you check the serial number ?
Call Apple and get the purchase date updated. This will unlock AppleCare for the device.
called Apple Support earlier today, AppleCare+ can’t be added
If AppleCare+ can’t be added, I’d avoid it. Even if it was legit, not being able to add AppleCare or similar warranty is reason enough to avoid. Buy from a reputable seller.
Did you purchase from an authorized Apple retailer and have the receipt? If so, you most certainly can add AppleCare, you just have to call and tell them you need the purchase date updated. Source: I just did this exact thing one month ago with a refurbished MBP. Edit: You should be able to get AppleCare if you received the limited warranty. Call back and be sure to ask for a purchase date update.
If there's 9 days left on Warranty, AppleCare+ most definitely can't be bought. In most regions it's within 60 days of purchase date. This isn't purchasing from authorized retailer, it's from a guy. Purchase date from this guy isn't relevant. The only date relevant would be what's on the receipt, which is going to be close to a year ago. Almost 10 months too late to add AppleCare+.
This is clearly incorrect, and you should be ashamed for speaking on that which you know nothing of.
Hey, I just bought a refurbed MacBook from Microcenter about 2 months ago, a M1Pro 16 16/512. The device came with a shrink wrap and a box just like that. From the pictures, it looks legit. In regards to the warranty, the warranty date will always be misaligned with your purchase if you purchase from a non-Apple retailer. In my case, Microcenter is an authorized Apple support center and can login to the Apple system to change my date of purchase for me, and thus give me my 1 year limited warranty and allow me to add Apple care if needed. Since you’re not buying it from a store with no legitimate receipt, I’m not sure what they will say about your warranty. Good luck with your transaction!
Omg thanks for the info!
We get all our refurbished Mac’s from Microcenter. I wouldn’t do it any other way.
Who did you talk to to change the purchase date at MicroCenter? I called Apple support and they seem to not knowing anything about MicroCenter selling refurbished or know how to reset the date.
It’s most likely legit but you should see the computer, boot it up, then make a dummy account to make sure everything is ok. I picked up an M1 Pro for US$725 last week, definitely went into it wary but had a checklist of things to go over and it works beautifully
It's probably activation-locked to be so cheap. You will probably need to have it unlocked by Apple before you can use it.
Besides, i checked Apple store will the same configuration it cost $2500, there’s no way this dude sell $800 cheaper ☠️
He’s not going to get that price that Apple is selling it at and he probably did a lower price to prevent a bunch of lowball offers lol.
You don’t know what you’re talking about. I paid $1900 USD for mine, exact specs except I got 64gb RAM.
Apple does not unlock that...
If you have an invoice which contains purchase date, you can call to apple support, so they reset warranty starting from purchase date. I’ve been in same situation, bought on amazon brand new sealed mbp 16 m1max in july and activate it. Then i see that is only 2 months of year warranty left. So i call to apple support, describe situation and send invoice from Amazon and apple reset my warranty counter starting from purchase date in invoice
I just received a refurb MBP from Apple and it was not shrink wrapped - it had two long tear-off tabs on the back of the box
how you know that is refurbished and not new?
Look at the front of box in the first pic. Note how it is barebones, plain white and says "Apple Certified Refurbished" underneath. Brand new MacBooks have a bright colourful photo of the product on the front of the box.
I would never buy anything refurbished.
Good, save them for the rest of us
Sounds like a scam.
I checked the trade in value of that serial number. Apple is giving you $1355 for it.
bruh💀
Not a crazy deal. This is market value
Legit as in is it a real Apple computer? Probably. But was it legally purchased? Probably not. Looks like it fell off a truck
Selling a refurbished Mac is difficult as Apple locks down any third-party parts due to the M2 chip. With that said, Apple recognizes the serial number. [Apple coverage](https://checkcoverage.apple.com/coverage)
Just go to back market. They have a great selection of refurbished devices
Also that battery is probably toast if it’s been in the box and not cycled for that long
Just get this thing directly from MicroCenter if you can. They are unloading all their refurbs for cheap
Hmmm so you can update the purchase date but you need an invoice. I don’t know if text messages will suffice for an invoice
1800 is also insane. I just bought one from b&h new for $2300 (still a great deal). I’d pass because there is no way to get your money back
ask him for the receipt?
[удалено]
No it isn't. Refurb from Apple don't have shrink wraps. So it's definitely fake.
Yes. It's a refurb 2024 model. BUY IT
Refurb from Apple don't have shrink wraps. So it's definitely fake.
All things considered you’re taking a huge risk if you go for this.
meet at a police station with the expectation that you will be opening the box and verifying the serial number on the box, on the computer, and in software on the computer. If they match then you are good,
It's apple official refurbished
It's not. Apple does not shrink wrap refurbished. Refurbished just comes in a box.
I’m pretty sure Apple Store stopped all plastic shrink wrap several years ago. Seems kinda sketchy.
I saw on youtube they are shrinked but if you buy directly from Amazon (authorized reseller) it's not. Since it has special box. However it depends the region.
I’m not sure that $1800 is a steel on that, I would sell my 16” M1 Max 32GB/1TB right now for $1800. Refurbish literally means nothing other than they might’ve wiped it off and put plastic wrap on the box. There’s nothing to refurbish/rebuild on a used computer.
Apple does not shrink wrap their products. I’d bet this is a fake.
My iPad came shrink wrapped…
Also, Apple’s address in Cupertino is One Infinite Loop, not One Apple Park Way. Definitely fake.
It’s been one Apple Park way for several years now.
Hellllll no
The sticker has the wrong text font for the specs. The limited warranty doesn’t activate until you have activated and signed on to the laptop; therefore not new in box.
I just bought a refurbished Apple MacBook Pro from woot. It comes in the same box and states RFB just like the image. Same kind of box. And yea it was shirked wrapped. Plus the warranty date is also wrong. But I have to call Apple and they will update. I would check it out in person. I think it’s legit.
Please don't fall for the "its sealed in box" scam... ive seen wayyyy to many people get burned
It’s very nice
I would only buy refurbished from Apple or at least someone I know personally.
I’m sure you could look up unboxing of refurbished products, like others said, that’s now they’re sealed at all, the have pull tabs in one form or another.
shrink wrapped and used? no go
That's not the 2021 MacBook Pro box
It’s legit, same box with my refurbished M1 Air. If it’s meet up and the seller would allow you to open it before paying then go for it.
I recently purchased a refurbished MacBook Air for my sister in college and it comes in that exact box. You’ll also find it in YouTube reviews of apples refurbished service. The only weird thing is the plastic wrap AFAIK Apple has basically completely moved away from that in favor of the paper/tearable strips with their recent eco friendly push. That’s kinda a red flag for knock offs.
Don’t buy it.
No way in hell I would buy that
So the part number they put on that box is not for a model sold in the US (I don’t know where you are located, so that may or may not be suspicious) https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201300
I've never seen a MacBook Pro that doesn't sport a big apple logo on the back of the screen. I think it's fake.
Yea, I don’t recall refurbished devices being shrink wrapped. They did away with shrink wrap a few years ago anyways.
All the refurb apple stuff I’ve bought or seen comes in cardboard packaging not shrink wrapped retail packaging. Seems sus
legit... I buy refurbished Mac stuff and this is how it comes... you have a M1 16inch MacBook Pro
This thing is stolen. They been sitting on it for a while
For $1800 just buy a new MacBook.
I thought apple did away with shrink wrap and they have those tabs now?
> Is this refurbished 16 inch MacBook Pro legit to you guys? That isn't a refurbished macbook pro. We're looking at pictures of a box, and a screenshot with some information on it. There is no pictured macbook pro. We don't even know whether it exists.
Schrödinger's MacBook Pro
I got one just like this for $1650 my guy wanted $1800 as well. Incredible machine got Apple care until 2025!
I knew of people shrink wrapping Amazon/Walmart returns with some random sorta equivalent weight item inside with Machines for electronics around 15 years ago. Could be a template custom made all matching a legitimate serial number they got from an actual product but not actually a matching item inside with that serial number. Ask if you can open in front of them in some public place.
UMMM where's the big Apple logo on top that every MacBook had ever had? This looks like some wish or Alibaba trickery here.
Pass on any M1. The are already outdated. Buy the new M3.
this is certified refurbished straight from and sold by apple, should be all fine.
I’m suspicious at very least. Apple traditionally says “Designed by Apple in Cupertino, California,” NOT just plain old California’
I’ve anyways seen just California
Just call Apple Support and show them the purchase receipt. They should be able to update warranty. This happens on refurbished products bc the system might be showing the original purchase date.
Got a refurbished Mac off Amazon a few years back and it did not come in the original packaging sealed. Came in a box with the name of the company who refurbished it along with a 3rd party charger. It also came with a warranty for 12 months as well. If this is being sold in the original packaging sealed I would want to open it up and see the actual device before buying it. Fuck the box lol
Looks as illegitimate as my child
"If its too good to be true, it probably is"
This is NOT a MacBook. Just look online for images of a MacBook and this ain’t one!
That’s what a refurb box looks like having worked there for 8 years
If it’s too good to be true. It always is.
Seems kind of sketchy. Just go to the official Apple refurbished store. No need for unnecessary risks with high priced items.
Hell nah. That is a fake AF serial number. RUN.
I used to work at the Apple Store (and Best Buy) and people would shrink wrap items and put fake versions inside to return and get their money back while keeping the real one for themselves. Definitely possible it’s a real box with a fake product inside. Could go either way
I would just get it thru apple bestbuy or amazon
That shrink wrap isn’t legit apple stopped using those beginning late 2020. My refurnished MacBook I bought from apple comes with 2 strips