Krispy2

Q: Browsing for Certified Refurbished Apple 5 IPhones

I am browsing through Amazon and E-bay in buying another Certified Refurbished IPhone that is a U.S. model with the camera shutter turned off and return the one that I currently have in which it is manufactured in Japan. There are some available, but it is out of my price range. Under Japan law, camera shutter sound cannot be turned down and off due to women's upskirt photography. Other countries have their own laws when it comes to communicating, recording videos and taking pictures. My guess some of the certified refurbished Iphones were manufactured from Japan and shipped it to the U.S. or to other countries. Since Apple no longer sells older model iPhones on their website and they are not reliable on the refurbished phones, it is very difficult to find a U.S. version of a certified refurbished iPhone.

iPhone 5, iOS 9.3.2, null

Posted on Jul 2, 2016 2:02 PM

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Q: Browsing for Certified Refurbished Apple 5 IPhones

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  • by sberman,Helpful

    sberman sberman Jul 2, 2016 3:00 PM in response to Krispy2
    Level 8 (39,813 points)
    Jul 2, 2016 3:00 PM in response to Krispy2

    Krispy2 wrote:

     

    Since Apple no longer sells older model iPhones on their website and they are not reliable on the refurbished phones, it is very difficult to find a US version of a certified refurbished iPhone.

    This seems perfectly reasonable and understandable.  You get exactly what you pay for ...

     

    First of all, you should be certain you purchase an iPhone in the country it will be used in.  Otherwise, the iPhone will not have a warranty (through Apple).

     

    Apple now makes the iPhone SE, the least expensive new alternative for iPhone purchase.  Consider one of those ...

    http://www.apple.com/iphone-se/

     

    Remember, if you purchase a previously owned iPhone and the price is "too good to be true", there is likely a very good reason.

  • by Krispy2,

    Krispy2 Krispy2 Jul 2, 2016 3:09 PM in response to sberman
    Level 1 (16 points)
    iPhone
    Jul 2, 2016 3:09 PM in response to sberman

    I did my research, but I did not expect a Certified Refurbished IPhone to be manufactured in Japan. My guess this was the reason why are they selling their manufacturer phones in the U.S.?  I think Certified iPhones should be labeled by country and checked before shipping it to people even outside of the United States. If all manufactured Cerified IPhones were made in Japan, I do not why they shipped it to the United States? I thought the Certified Refurbished IPhones were manufacturered in the United States only.

     

    Also, newer iPhones are very expensive around $700.00 to $900.00 USD depending on iPhone plan, but it is not worth it.

  • by elcpu,Helpful

    elcpu elcpu Jul 2, 2016 3:12 PM in response to Krispy2
    Level 6 (16,186 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Jul 2, 2016 3:12 PM in response to Krispy2

    Please be very careful when purchasing a phone from eBay or Amazon. You need to check the Activation Lock before any money is exchanged. Check the lower half of this article:

    Find My iPhone Activation Lock - Apple Support

  • by Krispy2,

    Krispy2 Krispy2 Jul 2, 2016 3:14 PM in response to elcpu
    Level 1 (16 points)
    iPhone
    Jul 2, 2016 3:14 PM in response to elcpu

    Thanks. I will take a look at it.  I would not suggest E-bay either because the sellers are from the people who used it previously and not from the manufacturing warehouse.

  • by Michael Black,Solvedanswer

    Michael Black Michael Black Jul 2, 2016 3:36 PM in response to Krispy2
    Level 7 (24,472 points)
    Jul 2, 2016 3:36 PM in response to Krispy2

    Amason is not. nor is any vendor on Amazon, an Apple Authorized Reseller of iPhones.  Just so you know, those are not phones refurbished by Apple or its iPhone OEM companies.  Any "refurbishment" is done by Amazon or their contractors, not Apple.  They are basically just used devices that have had whatever the seller has done to them in the way of refurbishment or reconditioning.

     

    There have also never been any iPhone's manufactured in Japan nor the USA.  All iPhones have always been made in China (or some in Taiwan).

     

    Apple does not sell refurbished iPhones at retail.  Any such claims by a seller refer to their own in-house or contract "refurbishment" so you should check with the seller just exactly what do they do to the iPhone in their refurbishment or reconditioning procedure, and what exactly do they mean by "certified".

     

    Any warranty with those Amazon or eBay "refurbished" devices will be through the seller, not Apple.

  • by KiltedTim,

    KiltedTim KiltedTim Jul 2, 2016 3:37 PM in response to Krispy2
    Level 9 (55,588 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 2, 2016 3:37 PM in response to Krispy2

    Krispy2 wrote:

     

    I am browsing through Amazon and E-bay in buying another Certified Refurbished IPhone that is a U.S. model with the camera shutter turned off and return the one that I currently have in which it is manufactured in Japan.

    There is no such thing.

     

    The sellers are lying. This has already been explained to you, but you apparently don't want to believe it.

  • by Krispy2,

    Krispy2 Krispy2 Jul 2, 2016 4:03 PM in response to Michael Black
    Level 1 (16 points)
    iPhone
    Jul 2, 2016 4:03 PM in response to Michael Black

    That is a good idea and that is what I am doing right now, I am actually trying to contact sellers about their refurbishment and reconditioning procedure, but I do not like how sellers were asking me to contact them through Amazon to answer my question. I do not have an Amazon account so I do not have control in asking them questions. I would not want to buy their IPhone on Ebay from customers who are selling the phone used and not refurbished. 

     

    I wish I had a China IPhone, but I am not sure what is their law. I was looking for another IPhone that can turn off the shutter sound. When the Apple Technician checked my phone the other day under the model number, they found out it was a Japanese IPhone so I do not have control in turning off the shutter sound by their law. 

  • by Krispy2,

    Krispy2 Krispy2 Jul 2, 2016 4:09 PM in response to KiltedTim
    Level 1 (16 points)
    iPhone
    Jul 2, 2016 4:09 PM in response to KiltedTim

    Well, I do have a valid proof that I do have an IPhone under Japan law. It is not just the sellers who are lying, but the summary of the item did not specify what country was the Certified Refurbished IPhone. I wish I can exchange it. It is not just me who are feeling the same way, others have the same problem.

     

     

     

    IMG_0036.PNG

  • by Krispy2,

    Krispy2 Krispy2 Jul 2, 2016 4:25 PM in response to elcpu
    Level 1 (16 points)
    iPhone
    Jul 2, 2016 4:25 PM in response to elcpu

    Good news! I checked my phone and the previous owner's information was already erased. When I bought the phone, the information was already erased and it is like starting from a clean slate. No information from the previous owner was present on my phone. 

  • by Michael Black,

    Michael Black Michael Black Jul 2, 2016 5:24 PM in response to Krispy2
    Level 7 (24,472 points)
    Jul 2, 2016 5:24 PM in response to Krispy2

    You may have an iPhone that was originally provisioned for initial retail sale in Japan, but no iPhone has ever been manufactured by a company in Japan.  All iPhones have always, and are, manufactured in China, primarily by FoxConn.  Some iPhone  4 and/or 4s were manufactured in Taiwan.  But all iPhones, sold all over the world are ONLY manufactured in China.  The national retail market a iPhone was configured for originally has nothing at all to do with who manufactured it or where their plants are, since all iPhones are made in China at FoxConn's facilities.

     

    I don't know how Amazon sellers are set up, but I believe some are required to direct questions about their Amazon listed items through Amazon.  If buying an actual Amazon used device, then you will have to contact Amazon about their refurbishment and certification standards.

  • by elcpu,

    elcpu elcpu Jul 2, 2016 5:28 PM in response to Krispy2
    Level 6 (16,186 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Jul 2, 2016 5:28 PM in response to Krispy2

    I think you do not understand. Please go back and read each of the replies above carefully again. There are no iPhones made in Japan. The phone you have was made in China for the Japanese market. If I were you I would not waste money on an Amazon used phone just to silence the shutter. Besides, you have no idea who refurbished it or even if it was done at all. Regardless you are buying a used phone.

     

    A new iPhone SE in the US is $399 and comes with a 12 month warranty.

  • by KiltedTim,

    KiltedTim KiltedTim Jul 2, 2016 5:32 PM in response to Krispy2
    Level 9 (55,588 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 2, 2016 5:32 PM in response to Krispy2

    Yes, you have a Japanese iPhone. You do NOT have a "certified refurbished" iPhone. You have a run of the mill used phone. You may have a phone that was "refurbished" by a 3rd party, in which case you have a phone that is completely untouchable by Apple no matter what country you're in as it's been tampered with.

     

    Apple does not sell "certified refurbished" iPhones.

  • by Krispy2,

    Krispy2 Krispy2 Jul 2, 2016 7:23 PM in response to elcpu
    Level 1 (16 points)
    iPhone
    Jul 2, 2016 7:23 PM in response to elcpu

    It depends on the phone plan you currently have and not always new iPhones do cost around $399.00. If I was purchasing it at the store, I can do that, but unfortunately, like what you mentioned, they only carry new model phones and not the older ones. Thanks for your suggestion, but I cannot really afford a $400.00 including tax IPhone right now.

     

    Thank you everyone especially Michael for clarifying the information for me. I felt the summary on the Amazon website did a good job with the summary of the phone, but the warehouse people did not really do a good job checking on the phones before shipping it to customers. It is like buying a used book and you do not expect the pages of the book to be ripped out.

  • by Krispy2,

    Krispy2 Krispy2 Jul 2, 2016 7:31 PM in response to KiltedTim
    Level 1 (16 points)
    iPhone
    Jul 2, 2016 7:31 PM in response to KiltedTim

    Yes! Apple does not sell certified refurbished phones. These refurbished phones came from the third-party when I found out about it three days ago. I can refund my money back, but I would end up being phone less. Before I purchased another one, I have to make sure the sellers do have the phone with the camera shutter off. The first IPhone 5C, they gave me a Verizon phone and I did not like the color so I had to return it back. I never experimented the camera shutter. 

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