Head-to-head restocks
114 / 114
RefurbSitter detected first in every shared Refurb Tracker comparison event.
Poller·watching
benchmark · june 2026 · apple us refurbished store
How fast can a refurbished Mac alert actually reach you?
In a June 2026 benchmark, RefurbSitter detected the in-stock Mac first in 114 of 114 restocks also caught by Refurb Tracker, with a median 33-minute head start versus Refurb Tracker email send time.
This page is the benchmark proof. The June 1 receipt is separate: one recorded purchase event with exact timestamps.
numbers at a glance
Median head start
33 min
Measured against Refurb Tracker email send time in the benchmark inbox.
Detect-to-send latency
0.74 sec
Median RefurbSitter alert latency in the measured send sample, n=71.
Stock checks
1,104,821
Apple US refurbished-store checks across the 15.1-day data window.
share graphic
The 5-minute poll misses the fastest windows.
The shortest hot-config window in the benchmark was 1.8 minutes. A 5-minute check only overlaps roughly 36% of that window, while RefurbSitter checks about seven times inside it.
Use this asset only with the June 2026 scope and caveats. It is a measured window, not a guarantee about future listings.
measured head-to-head
Real emails, same inbox, one clock.
Refurb Tracker was the only competitor in the benchmark that delivered a stream of Mac stock alerts. Across the 114 restocks both systems caught, RefurbSitter had already detected the in-stock Mac before the Refurb Tracker email arrived every time.
RefurbSitter detection is compared to competitor email send time. Because RefurbSitter sent benchmark alerts with a 0.74-second median detect-to-send latency, the detection lead is a close proxy for the alert lead, but it is not claimed as literal inbox-to-inbox proof for every event.
Refurb Tracker email lag
Under 5 min1
5-15 min8
15-30 min23
30-60 min82
Over 1 hour0
sell-out windows
The scarce configs disappear in minutes.
| Config | Median shelf life | Fastest observed |
|---|---|---|
| 14-inch MacBook Pro M5 hot configs | 1.8 min | 1.7 min |
| M4 Pro Mac mini | 2.2 min | 0.9 min |
| M4 Max Mac Studio 64GB / 1TB | 4.2 min | 1.9 min |
| Mac Studio M3 Ultra 96GB / 1TB | 10.0 min | 2.4 min |
Shelf life means a contiguous in-stock run observed by RefurbSitter. It is a measured upper bound for this window, not a guarantee that future listings will last this long.
competitor readback
What the comparison did and did not prove.
Refurb Tracker
Caught the shared events, but as batched digest emails.
Never beat RefurbSitter in the 114 shared restocks; median lag was 33 minutes.
RefurbMe
0 stock alerts reached the benchmark inbox.
This means this inbox, these watches, this window. It is not proof RefurbMe never alerts.
AppleRefurb
0 US stock alerts reached the benchmark inbox.
This means this inbox, these watches, this window. It is not proof AppleRefurb never alerts.
methodology and caveats
Scope
Apple US refurbished store, June 8-23, 2026, one benchmark inbox, configured Mac watches. Events are clustered around Refurb Tracker digest batches, so do not read the 114 events as fully independent randomized trials.
Boundary
RefurbSitter is alert-only. It does not buy Macs, touch carts, store Apple credentials, or guarantee checkout success. Future alert speed and inventory windows can differ from this measured window.
next step
Set the exact config before the next listing appears.
Free is for trying the watcher. Paid passes are for instant alerts when the Mac may sell out before a delayed alert arrives.