If you’re looking to purchase a second-hand mobile device for the first time, the market can be a bit confusing. With terms like “reconditioned,” “refurbished,” and “pre-loved” used regularly without any real standardisation, it can be a bit of a mine field!
Used mobile phones that have been refurbished by the manufacturer or by a professional retailer usually offer huge savings over buying brand new. But even a refurbished device can be a big financial investment, so you really need to know what you’re buying before you take the plunge.
What’s the difference between “pre-owned” and “refurbished”, “renewed” and “pre-loved”?
Pre-owned, used, second-hand and refurbished
If you’re buying a phone from a member of the public on an auction website or Gumtree, chances are it’s second-hand. They’ll have used the phone for a period of time, decided it wasn’t for them or upgraded, and will be looking to sell the phone on. This is what is meant by pre-owned, used, or second-hand.
Refurbished differs in that, while still technically a second-hand phone, some work will have been done to get it into perfect working condition, suitable for resale. This might be something simple like fitting a new battery, or something more technical, like replacing some of the internal parts of the phone.
It’s usually retailers or phone manufacturers that offer refurbished phones. Professionally refurbished phones usually come with a 12 month warranty, and are a far safer bet than buying from a member of the public on eBay.
If you’re shopping for pre-owned phones, we always recommend buying refurbished from a professional retailer like RueZone.
Renewed Vs Pre-Loved? It’s All About the Grade
At RueZone, we receive second hand mobile phones in all manner of conditions, from those that work fine and look good as new, to ones with smashed screens that won’t even turn on!
While we’re able to fix and replace any damage to a smartphone’s screen or replace any faulty internal parts, some of the external casing of a phone can be a bit tricky to repair. That’s why we grade the phones we sell. While some phones will look fresh and new, others might have seen slightly better days.
All of our phones are guaranteed to work as well as a brand new phone, but if you’re looking to save yourself some serious money, you might consider buying a phone with some damage to it’s casing rather than one that looks brand new.
It’s important that we’re as transparent as possible when we’re grading our phones. At RueZone, we firmly believe that honesty is the best policy. After all, if you receive a phone that you don’t think matches its description, you’ll just return it!
All our used mobile phones are graded according to their external condition. We’re very picky on quality, so you can expect an ‘excellent’ phone to be just that – in excellent condition.
