# Iphone 4 question.. to refurb or not?..UPDATE! REALLY COOL ENDING!



## ValeriGail (Jan 21, 2010)

I'm sitting with my browser open on ATT's site, fixing to buy my husband an Iphone 4 for his birthday.  I see that if I go with a refurbed phone, I can save $50!  Or, spend $50 more and get a 32 gig!  

What would you do?  go with the brand new for 199, refurbed for 149 or the 32 gig refurbed for 249??  

I'd ask him, but I really want it to be a surprise.  He's waited a long time to upgrade!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Even though it would likely be fine, phones are quirky enough and personal enough that I'd avoid the refurb. I buy expensive camera lenses as refurb whenever I can, and have almost always been happy. But phones are different.  Too prone to mysterious unsolvable problems, and too close to yucky body parts in use!

But the key issues are really how big the fifty bucks is for you, and your DH's feelings about a refurb. Some people may be squeamish about it, like me!


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## ValeriGail (Jan 21, 2010)

Thats the thing, I'm not sure and I can't ask him.  50 bucks could be a big deal, but I think the bigger deal is getting the 32 gig for just 50 more.  I've got a 16 gig and only have 3.5 open!  LOL  

We did buy a refurbed 3gs for our son recently.  He had no issues with that.  But, this is his phone so I just don't know!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

If he is prone to put lots of video on it, 16 gig isn't much.  I have 17 gig on my android phone and wish I had more!  I still wouldn't get a refurb phone for fear of getting a lemon or one that had been slobbered or whatever all over!


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## VictoriaP (Mar 1, 2009)

Normally, I wouldn't hesitate to go with a refurb.  But for this particular model, I'd be extremely hesitant to do so.  Too many known issues, and it's been reported elsewhere that you don't get the full one year warranty if you buy an AT&T refurb (versus through Apple historically).  Don't know if that's fact, but it would make me think twice!

As I said, with most devices, I'd take the money and run.  This one...I'd spend the extra to buy new and get the 32 GB model.  New graphic intensive games take up a fair amount of space, as do music and movies.  And the new camera is superb...but produces sizable images that require room to take, edit, and store.


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## ValeriGail (Jan 21, 2010)

I did not think about the warranty... not even when I got my son's 3gs!  I'm going to have to look into that before I purchase.  So, guess I'm on hold till tomorrow!


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## ValeriGail (Jan 21, 2010)

Ok, according to both the ATT forum and the Apple forum, you get a full one year warranty with the refurbs and the ability to purchase the apple care plan.  Still indecisive about which phone I'm gonna go with.


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## ValeriGail (Jan 21, 2010)

Well, I finally decided.  I went in a round about way and asked my hubby.  Was texting him this morning and said that I was reading online and someone asked if a refurbed iphone 4 was a good idea and I said yeah I think it is but others thought maybe it wasn't, what did he think?  And he said yep. (and I'm pretty sure he didn't read anything more into it cause I'm always talking about the apple thread here) So, after my internet went down and I had a moment of panic (cause I needed to have it ordered two yesterdays ago! LOL), I finally ordered him a phone.  I went with the 32gig refurbed iphone 4.  I couldn't swing $300 for the new one, and I really felt he needed the 32 gig.  I could swing the $250, as that is what I had budgeted... but didn't get the apple care plan yet.  Will have to pick that up next month.  Anyway, I'm hoping it all works out.  I went and posted on both apple and att forums asking questions and reading older threads and it helped relieve my worry.  Some are saying their refurb (given after exchanging their dysfunctional first iphone 4) is working better than the new one they originally had.  I'm hoping that is the experience we have.  I figured we do have the 30 day window, and it does come with a full year warranty.. so I would take the chance.  Also had it shipped next day, cause I really need it here by friday.  Yeah I know, I waiting way too long, but it was hard to actually get it done with out him finding out.  Hopefully he doesn't look at the account this week! HAHA


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## ValeriGail (Jan 21, 2010)

Just wanted to post back that I did get confirmation from ATT that the refurbished units do have a full one year warranty.  I was getting all kinds of conflicting info... even being told that the warranty would only be what was left from the date the original owner purchased it! ROFL!  I had never ever heard anything like that before on a refurbed anything!  So, after half the night searching and most of the day reading replies on both Apple and ATT forums, I gave in and posted the question on ATT's facebook site! Got a straight answer there!  Oh and then I thought, hmm.. where is my son's box for his 3gs, and it actually says what I needed to know on the darn box! its been a crazy day!

But, I placed my order for the phone this morning around 9 am.  Decided to take a chance and went with next day shipping.  Figured it was worth the $15 to see my husbands excitement this weekend.  I got the notice that it shipped at 3 pm!  Already tracking it with Fedex, and it should arrive here tomorrow before 4:30!!!  I'm super excited!!! Now, the big question is weather I can leave it alone in its box till Friday night!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Congrats on his nifty new phone, and I'm glad you found a way to ask him.  Feelings about the refurb issue can be very individualized!


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## ValeriGail (Jan 21, 2010)

The Hooded Claw said:


> Congrats on his nifty new phone, and I'm glad you found a way to ask him. Feelings about the refurb issue can be very individualized!


Yep they can! Its the same with the kindle too. I could have gotten a used or refurbed kindle, but wanted that brand new out of the box feeling when I got it. Knowing that it was mine, and only had been mine and would work perfectly cause I would be the only one that had touched it. (it didn't, that is the ironic part of it, LOL. Got a replacement with in 2 weeks of purchase).

I was worried he would want that too. To have that apple box in his hand, slide it open to see the gorgeous phone for the first time... all that yummy new toy stuff we all love so much. but he was just so matter of fact about the refurb today that I'm pretty sure he's going to be super excited despite that! If he had said anything slightly suspect, I would have gotten him the 16 gig new one. I'm really happy with my decision. Not only does he not suspect that I'm getting him the phone... he would never in a million years EVER think I would purchase the 32 gig! Its gonna be fun handing it to him friday night!

I thought about waiting till Sunday, cause his birthday is not until next Thursday (he works out of town during the week)... but I don't think I can wait that long! I'm already jumping at the bit and its not even here!


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## ValeriGail (Jan 21, 2010)

Guess what........

The refurbished unit we received was defective.  ROFL!  I really wasn't shocked, or upset and neither was hubby.  Basically, everything works great EXCEPT the most important function.  Calling.  He could make a call, he could receive a call... but there was absolutely no sound from the phone speaker.  Basically, he couldn't hear them and they couldn't hear him.  He called up apple as soon as we realized that was the issue (he thought it was the signal issue at first), and they trouble shooted with him.  Took only about 10 minutes and they said "its defective, take it back to ATT and they will give you another phone."  So we call up the nearest REAL att store before heading over because its an hour away, and they say "nope, we can't do a warranty exchange.  That's apples department".  So we called Apple back and "oh yeah! that is our department, we wanted you to do an exchange there.  So return it and buy a new one."  Nope, not gonna happen cause that will cost me another $50 bucks as they don't have the refurbs in stock there.  So we make an appointment to go into the apple store to have the phone exchanged under warranty.  Our closest apple store is 2 hours away.  This was Saturday night, appointment is noon on Sunday.

So we get up this morning and get all the kids ready planning a day out in the "City"!  We got there before the store opened, but since hubby had an apointment they let him come on in and wait, LOL.  The rest of us came in when the store opened and he was still waiting for his turn at the genius table.  They looked at the phone, asked him what was wrong, called a number, blew compressed air into the phone, called a number again and then said "yep, its broke".  So, they replaced it... and here is the really good part... with a BRAND NEW PHONE.  Not a refurbed unit.  A brand spaken new I4.  After we signed the dotted line, hubby quickly went and downloaded the case program app to see if this phone was eligible because the refurb was not and low and behold it was!  

So bottom line... I bought a refurbished 32 gig i4 for $249, and am now sitting here with a brand new i4 and a case on the way (well, in a week or so LOL)

Hubby reconds it was a pretty good deal, despite the day with out being able to call anyone.  He still got to play around with the phone, watch movies, play with apps and fall in love with the thing.  We got to spend a day in the city where we hung out playing with Ipads for 2 hours and hit the big borders book store and had yummy coffee.  

I tend to agree!  LOL.    Hubby says he's gonna recommend to everyone to purchase the refurbs in the off chance that they are defective, so they too can get a new I4 in the exchange!  

Oh and I got to say, this phone's camera kicks my phone's camera's butt!  And the retina screen is awesome!


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

That happened to me when I bought a refurb one too. The speaker went out about a week after I got it. I took it into the apple store and walked out with a brand new one.


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## sixnsolid (Mar 13, 2009)

I am so pleased for you! 

The speaker thing is very interesting to me because my daughters new Iphone had a weird speaker failure at about five weeks old.  Apple replaced with a new one, also.


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## hsuthard (Jan 6, 2010)

What a great story! I'm sorry the refurb was defective in the first place (what sort of quality control do they have in place there??), but glad it all turned out okay. I love the refurb program, although I've never had it work out that well for me. And to qualify for the free case even, that's a nice cherry on top! 

As for the pictures, the camera is fantastic. If you download and use the Gorillacam app instead of the regular camera, you'll be blown away by how good the photos are, especially when you use the image stabilization feature. It's very effective!


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## ValeriGail (Jan 21, 2010)

Oh Oh Oh!! Another camera app!! gotta go check it out!!  

I'm totally in love with my hipstamatic app, but I haven't had a chance to use it on H's new phone....  I think he's afraid that if I start, he won't get his phone back!  LOL


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