Buy MBP 17 from Best Buy or EBAY?

Well, I was at Best Buy today and they had a open-box MBP17 (Oct. 2011, 2.4 GHz, i7 quad-core, 4GB DDR3, 750GB, glossy screen, MD311LL/A) for $1999. The salesman said retail price was $2499, but was dropped to $2199 when new line of MBPs (15" retina, etc) came out. And since it was an opened item (but still looks very new to me), they dropped the price by another $200.

I have been wanting to get a late model MBP 17, but just haven't had the time to research and compare prices. But this deal I saw at Best Buy seems pretty good based on what I already know, so went ahead and bought it before the next person. (There were 2 more ppl interested in it and waiting there in case I didn't buy it).

But now, I have to do some quick researching to decide if it was really a good deal or not, so that I can still return it if it's not a good deal. I checked on Ebay, and saw some vendor selling the same MBP17, which claimed to be brand new and have the exact same specs for about $400 less. That is a big difference in terms of cost. But can I trust this or other similar sellers? For instance, here's one of them ( Apple MacBook Pro 17" Laptop - MD311LL/A (October, 2011) 885909533664 | eBay)

So...do you guys think I should return the Best Buy one, and buy it from this Ebay seller instead?

 

The eBay listing is an actual auction, so the price can, and certainly will, rise before it ends. You should check if the seller has an original receipt/proof of purchase, a copy of which should be sent to the winner because Apple will verify it should there be a need for service.

You should also verify on Apple's website if the machine you bought at Best Buy was previously registered before it was returned. If it was, you might be able to call Apple and have them change the date to be retroactive to when you bought it, explaining that it was an open box machine from Best Buy and you have a receipt to prove your purchase. If it was not registered, no problem. You simply do it yourself as if you were the first owner, and your warranty starts from the day you bought it. You can then purchase an AppleCare plan at anytime before the hardware portion of the warranty expires. If it's within 30 days, you can get a warranty from SquareTrade if you want something with accidental damage protection, which Apple regrettably does not offer.

Bottom line: I would stick with the machine you purchased from BB. Yes, it probably will end up being more money (the degree of which will vary depending on how the eBay auction ends), but I think it's worth it. Checking the feedback of the eBay listing, the person has not had any as a seller in more than four years and very little feedback at all in the last year. The fact that there's no more specific information in the listing other than what was copy/pasted from Apple's site also gives me pause.

 

first off, that laptop is on auction. it is not being sold for $400 less. you'll know the sold price when the auction finishes.

edit: sniped

edit: sniped by hours? i'm confused

 

You guys are right. At first I thought it was a "BUT IT NOW" listing, but looking at it again shows that it's a regular auction.

Anyway, I searched Amazon, and actually saw the same base model I have (same specs) and brand new, for $2218 "out the door" (no tax, no shipping fees).

So...my decision now is should I shell out an extra $60 to get this sealed brand new one, instead of the opened box? I think it's worth it...unless you guys know something I don't about buying these MPBs from Amazon....

 

I would rather have a sealed new unit for slightly more.

 

The receipt is not at all necessary to utilize the warranty. The warranty goes with the machine, regardless of how many times it has been resold. I've never had to show a receipt to get any of my Macbooks repaired.

 

Former Geek Squad agent here, perhaps I can give some insight to the open box thing:

Usually, returned computers are sent back to the manufacturer by the store for credit, but Macs are an exception, since Apple does not take back opened units from Best Buys. So, you see a lot more open box Macs than other computers. Usually, a GS agent looks over the Mac, makes sure it's in good, sellable condition, and wipes it/reinstalls factory OS.

Open box Macs at BBY are just ones that have been returned, with the box and accessories, and have been wiped/erased/reinstalled before going out to the shelves.

OP, I say, go for it. If possible, take it to the GS counter or something and inspect it before leaving the store, they should let you do that.

(Note, it's been at least 3 years since I've been a GS agent. It paid the bills before grad school, so don't judge!)

 

Best Buy still has the same practices but the one I go to does the same thing for every product, not just Macs. I returned a TV antenna there a few weeks back as it definitely didn't do its job. It was an $80 antenna that was supposed to open up allowing 4 more channels to come in that I don't currently get with my $20 amplified antenna. It didn't do the trick so I returned the antenna. The person behind the customer support counter had it back in its original package with an open item sticker on it before I even left the store. I have personally observed them doing the same thing with computers and TVs that were returned yet didn't actually have anything wrong with them (or it was an easy fix such as reformatting the computer).

Either way, it is something that I would trust as open box items still carry a return policy. If there is really something wrong with the unit that the Geek Squad employee overlooked and the unit is truly problematic, you can always return it within a reasonable time (I think its 14 days but don't quote me). Otherwise I don't see anything wrong with buying open box. I've done it before with a few electronic items from Best Buy such as a portable DVD player (remember those?!), an Archos mp3 player back in 2002 (with an amazing 8GB of storage and 9 hour battery life), and the Kenwood car CD deck that is currently in my Ford Escort. The Kenwood CD deck still gets lots of use and has never failed me but I don't drive that car anymore (someone else does and it still works for them) but I no long ruse the other two products. Not because they failed but because I moved on to better tech.