Has Apple's Purported Refurbished Outlet On eBay Gone Out Of Business?
April 1, 2013
In November last year, we told you about a "refurbished outlet" on eBay that was supposedly managed by Apple itself. Now, it appears that the outlet is no more.
As reported by 9to5Mac, the refurbished Apple products store was apparently cleared last Saturday. Technically, the store is still up, that is, its profile remains visible on eBay. However, the store is now empty, that is, it now has zero items for sale. Zilch. Nada. Nothing at all.
Launched in October last year, the store sold refurbished iPads, iPods, and MacBooks complete with the conditions usually offered directly by Apple for its repaired products. These conditions included full one-year warranty, original OS reinstallation, and even final quality inspection by Apple. In fact, 9to5Mac was told by an eBay representative that the store was indeed run by Apple.
The store was noted for charging taxes in select states only, for providing a PayPal payment option, and for posting prices that are sometimes lower than Apple's own refurbished offerings.
Just as the store's provenance remains unclear, the reason behind its recent closure is, unsurprisingly, unknown.
In any event, you can avail of refurbished Apple products straight from Apple. These include refurbished models of the fourth-generation iPad and the iPad mini, which Apple began offering in mid-March.
