The GainSaver Experience
Under the best circumstances, all computer purchases would be the fastest and most modern available. In tough economic times, second best may be more appealing. A need to access accounting records or graphics files produced in bygone applications may place an individual in the market for an equipoised computer from prior years.
There's no shortage of retailers willing to sell second-hand computers. This piece chronicles the unvarnished shopping experience with the ever controversial GainSaver. Not limited to Macs, they purchase computers and peripherals in bulk from large companies and then strip them down to cases and components before reselling them as fully configurable systems. Without the optional $150 three-year extended warranty, used parts are guaranteed for only 30 days. (Extended warranties are available with 90-day, 1-, 2-, and 3-year duration.) According to their Web site, "The GainSaver warranty is the best anywhere, even better than Apple's own warranty on new Macs. The GainSaver Extended Warranty covers any and all damage that occurs through normal use. Every hardware component is included, from hard drive to memory to keyboard to screen. The coverage is even transferable if you sell it to someone else during the warranty period. This type of protection is not available anywhere." The warranty option and ability to configure a system beyond original specifications were deciding factors in selecting GainSaver.
Ordering a Used Computer from GainSaver
There is a toll-free number but I chose to configure my system on the Web site. This way it is possible to see every available unit, click links to specs and manuals when making comparisons. What brought me to this point was the sudden death of my OS 9 transitional 1GHz 12" PowerBook G4. I wanted to salvage the diminutive notebook case, RAM and spare batteries so another 12" PB G4 was ordered. Improvements over the original included a larger 120GB HD and SuperDrive. Apple notebooks from GainSaver ship with generic power adapter unless an optional $39 used Apple brand adapter is purchased.
I was surprised to take delivery of a larger 15" PB G4 with the same specs. Online invoice differed from what was printed out at the time ordered. OK, I thought, "This is sort of a free hardware upgrade." There were a few scratches on the trackpad and on the case underside, a couple of dead pixels and some ink on the keypad (that came off with solvent). The stated policy on scratches is "GainSaver technicians can fix just about everything but the minor dings and scratches. If some blemishes on the exterior are a problem, you may want to consider spending more and buying a new Mac."
The 15" offers an additional memory slot so I transferred a module from the 12" PB to max out the 15" PB with 2GB of RAM. The latter was much more speedy than the PB it replaced and I quickly began to appreciate the larger screen.
Using the Extended Warranty
Seven months later, the SuperDrive failed. Customers use an online service request form to obtain an RMA number. At the customer's expense, the insured hardware is returned before receiving an email with the authorized store credit (which cannot be converted to cash). Basically, the shopping experience begins again without being constrained to the original choice. It's a warranty with upgrade privileges.
Old technology is static. New technology is changing. Viewing this as an opportunity to narrow the gap, a Power Mac G5 Dual 2.3GHz, with 750GB HD, 8GB RAM and DL Super Drive (16x DVD, 48x CD) was configured. There was a $700 balance after applying the store credit. Within a few business days the unit arrived. I was surprised how clean the case was! Inside and out it looked almost new. The mouse had minor signs of wear but the accompanied keyboard was unused. A power cord rounded out the accessories packed within the generic box. There were no software discs.
What spoiled the illusion of a new case was the large dent in the back that hindered insertion of expansion cards. An ATI 128MB video card occupied the bottom slot. With effort, I was able to squeeze another card containing additional USB2 ports into the slot just above it but the remaining two slots were unusable. Speaking of expansion, this PM G5 model includes space for only two hard drives. Looking just above the expansion slots, I noticed both hard drive bays were filled. There was a primary 250GB HD and a secondary 500GB HD. Though this adds up to the 750GB ordered, I wanted an open bay.
Rather than settling for a dented computer tower with no future expansion capability, I phoned GainSaver customer service to be soothed with compassionate expressions like, "I can't understand how that happened" and "No, you shouldn't have to pay for return shipping. We'll swap that right out."
After obtaining a second RMA, the 56 lb computer was securely packed and insured with the most economical FedEx option for a bit more than a dollar a pound. (Keeping track, two returns cost me $82 so far.) [Edit: "Bill shipper" was marked on second airbill so charges never appeared on shipper's account.] With GainSaver less than 30 miles away, FedEx was able to return the defective G5 the next day without boarding a plane. Alas, I was naive to expect expedited replacement service.
Third Time is a Charm
It took so long, the system price dropped an additional $30 but there were no necessary configuration options to use the credit so it was considered an even swap. Eleven days after the first G5 was returned, a very clean replacement arrived with the single HD requested sans the large dent. Slight signs of use were on the bottom of the feet and two minor scratches less than 5mm on the visible case. I added my USB2 expansion card and an AirPort Express card scavenged from the original 12" PB. Since this system is to be used as a transitional OS 9 station, booting up to preloaded Leopard (Mac OS X 10.5) meant copies of original Tiger (Mac OS X 10.4) installation discs had to be purchased from AppleCare for $34 to install Classic. They arrived within 4 days and Leopard was downgraded to Tiger.
The PowerMac G5 is certainly not the fastest machine on the block or even on the current network but offers a nice balance of power as a machine capable of running Mac OS 9 applications in the Classic environment alongside Tiger. Faster G5 computers were available at GainSaver. A dual 2.5GHz from a prior year originally shipped with Panther OS install discs; getting Classic up and running on it would be problematic. A dual 2.7GHz had a liquid cooled CPU that begs for leaking issues as it ages. Benchmark speed differences between G5s, especially when compared to current Mac Pros, made the G5 Dual 2.3GHz best value under the circumstances.
Conclusions
Make no mistake; out-of-warranty computer repairs can be costly. If you're going to purchase used equipment, get the extended warranty. Obviously, the GainSaver experience has not been entirely pain free. However, it could have been much worse without appropriate coverage. Eventually an expandable system maxed out with RAM for decent Photoshop work and more mundane Classic file access was received that still has nearly two and a half years of coverage remaining. Though much faster, a similarly configured new Mac Pro with AppleCare could cost over $3000 more.
The first G5 should never have shipped. Quality control should be improved and full disclosure of severely marred goods is recommended. Scrolling down far enough on a product page reveals general details about cosmetic damage: "Most people don't mind the scratches. We have customers who order Power Macs with a dented case and think about just how much they saved every time they see the dent.... If you are not totally satisfied for any reason, you can return the system to GainSaver for exchange or full store credit. We are happy to work with you to make sure you get the computer you want at the price you want."
Service requests always involve sending equipment back and reordering with store credit. So don't get too attached to the specific hardware and retain all original accessories if you decide to use different input devices. If you personally install hardware upgrades purchased elsewhere, they, of course, are not covered under the GainSaver warranty and you'll need to remove them before shipping. There is a possibility that an exact replacement may not be available at the time of warranty coverage. Realize that you may pay both for shipping and new installation discs (unless you use whatever is preloaded). Downtime between exchanges can be excruciatingly long, particularly for customers with only one computer.
Like old cars, any purchase of used equipment is subject to failure. (That's the reason the original owner sold it.) There are people (who may have opted out of an extended warranty) that have disdain for GainSaver after experiencing issues with equipment or customer service. Most complaints appear to arise because people want cash refunds for out-of-stock merchandise, or rightly don't want to pay for return shipping, or experience equipment failures after normal 30-day warranty period.
The GainSaver equipment exchange procedure is definitely not as good as that from companies that immediately ship replacements on new computer purchases while allowing a grace period. Apple extends such first-rate service to refurbished equipment that is generally more current. GainSaver products are often 2 to 5 years old.
I cannot say GainSaver is a complete a pain saver but to patient souls in need of relics with warrantied backwards compatibility and an upgrade path, it can be a lifesaver. Wishing you the very best, may all my future hardware purchases be new.