Track Apple refurb deals at RefurbMe
This handy site keeps tabs on prices for all manner of refurbished Apple gear and can notify you when there's a change.
The words "deal" and "Apple product" rarely appear in the same sentence, which is why I continue to be fan of buying refurbished Apple gear whenever possible.
While some refurbs prove to be junk, Apple gives you like-new hardware -- complete with a same-as-new warranty. It's the only way to go.
But how do you know when a particular product hits the Apple Store? Short of checking online every day, there's no easy way. Until now: RefurbMe catalogs all the latest Apple Store refurbs and can notify you when price and/or availability changes.
The site lists Mac desktops and laptops, monitors, iPods, iPads, iPhones, and even the Apple TV. You can filter the listings by category or just scroll through a master list.
You can also filter by country, price, release date, and whether or not the products are in stock. And within any given category, you may find additional filters like capacity and color. Thus, with just a couple clicks, you can view, say, all iPod Touch refurbs with at least 32GB of RAM -- in blue.
(Speaking of which, RefurbMe revealed that the fourth-gen iPod Touch 32GB is currently selling for $209 -- a savings of 16 percent. But the newer iPod Touch 5? Not available.)
If you're willing to sign up for a free account, RefurbMe can send you a text and/or e-mail alert when there's a new arrival or new product. Just set up your criteria in the main screen, then click "Create an email alert."
This is a great way to keep tabs on an Apple item you're desperately hoping to score at a discount, without having to constantly check the store for availability. Bookmark it!