Can anyone tell me how to see If I am receiving a refurbished Surface Pro 2 256?

[fat-t-t]

To start off, This experience with Microsoft has been a nightmare, bar none the worst customer service ever. The question I have is how do I tell if they are sending me a refurb, or a brand new model. My unit was over heating, running slow, and the fan was going crazy. Happened after middle of December. Anyway, the first Surface person I chatted with told me this was a known problem and that I would be getting a brand new model. Then I don't hear from anyone for a few days, and when I chat again, they tell me I could get a refurbished model. The original guy promised I would get a Brand new in the box! I just bought it in October, from the Microsoft online store.

Sorry to get off track. Can anyone tell me the ways to tell If I have received a refurbished model? Serial #, etc.

Thanks, very frustrated, and starting to really regret my purchase.

 

[tinycg]

Sorry you've had such a bad experience. There's a theory that we can tell when it was made from the serial. I haven't completely confirmed that though. Basically from the last 5 numbers you might be able to tell how old it is if you don't have the lot number. For example 1352 is 2013 week 52 and the serial is something like ...35255. From all accounts they send flawless replacement units, if you're unhappy I would return it again. I'm awaiting a replacement myself and found that by far the best customer experience was using the call me option on contact us on the surface support section of the MS site.

I don't think they can officially say btw what you get because they have no way of knowing. It protects them from promising something, just a guess. Most seem to get new devices though.

 

[fat-t-t]

Thanks tinycg, you have already been of more help than they have. I am not sure I quite get the code, my replacement models last five will be 34153, my current is 33853. Got a guess? not holding you to anything, but I actually have three printed chats with surface answer techs and 2 guaranteed me a brand new replacement, so I am going to hold them accountable. before I go nuclear, just wanted to get some thoughts. Thanks in advance.

 

[tinycg]

Yeah, that pattern might not check out afterall. If you still have the boxes... I honestly dont know if the replacements come in a retail box? But I know on the retail boxes on the side of the box on a small sticker there is a "Lot #" and that we do know tells you the date. I dont know any other way on the device itself though. The way the lot # breaks down is as follows: the first two digits are the year... 13 or 14... then the next two digits are the week of the year it was produced, for example: 1352 is the last week of 2013, 1401, the first week of 2014. My current SP2 is lot 1344, meaning it was one of the first batches out the door most likely.

I don't know if the replacement units state a lot number, I would assume if they do and its a pretty recent lot then its a new device. If you're lucky enough to get a newly bumped up CPU, you can see that in the computer properties, it will show as a 1.9ghz 4300U as there is no way right now that one of those would have turned around fast enough to be shipped back out as a refurb.

I also know there's another post on this forum today of someone getting a scratched up unit. If it were me I would absolutely raise hell and send it back. The standard laws around replacement devices are that they have to be in equal or better shape (ala refurbed or new) and if refurbed can't be in worse shape than the device you're getting fixed. Laws very from place to place but I would doubt MS would fight anything too heavily, esp if the device you received has defects.

MS's warranty process is less than ideal, stock is low in retail, exchanges arent as ironed out as Apple for example where they have a stronger handle on the supply chain and channels to track returns. After processing my return online I had issues and tried to call, 2hrs and 8 transfers later I finally found actual Surface support and I must say that his ability to help me, make sense of things and get me help was heads and tails above everyone else I had talked to. If I'd started with him I would have been a 20min call and I would have been extremely satisfied. He's the one that told me that they can call me, that rather than waiting on hold for 20 mins, they can call me in 20 mins, get directly to the right person and be done. That seems like a world of win, its just not widely known which is a problem that I think is leading to more frustration between people.

I for one love my SP2, it does everything I want it to do, its an awesome machine. This coming from a long time PC guy that went Mac full force 5 years ago and is wicked impressed with the SP2, except for the hardware issues I'm having. If I didnt have those, I'd be over the moon.

 

[fat-t-t]

Mine is supposed to be here tomorrow, I will let you know what I get. Thanks for the help and advice.

 

[Ruffles]

I commented in another posting but I'll repeat it here. I have had 2 SP1 replacements. They both came in a brown box (not retail) and were perfectly flawless in every way. I have no way of knowing if they were new or not but they sure looked new. I also bought a Refurbished Surface RT. It came in a retail box that was labeled Refurbished on the outside. The unit itself was in mint, perfect condition but had a refurbished sticker on the kickstand. Had it not been for the labels on the box and kickstand, I would have assumed it was new.

When I went online to myservice.surface.com to register the tablets, the RT showed no warranty (to be expected). Both of the SP1 replacement showed the 1 year warranty.

 

[nethead25]

Quick counterpoint to a couple posts here... I just received a refurbed 128GB that's from an older batch, and not flawless on close inspection. New battery though. So YMMV.