Refurbished Phones: Should You Buy It? The Complete Guide

Have you ever looked at a phone and wondered if that’s just too damn expensive? Then you are one of those who consider buying a phone an investment. Today’s phones come with a pretty design, powerful specs, great cameras, and battery life.

What should you do if you are a smartphone lover and don’t have enough money to buy these devices? The good news is you have another option, “refurbished phones.” Refurbished phones are cheaper than new ones and come in almost the same condition as new ones.

But, there is a lot of confusion, questions, and sometimes negativity in our society about refurbished phones, which is reasonable too. Buying a refurbished phone can be a good deal or sometimes a bad deal.

So, here we are at your rescue. Before buying any refurbished phone, you should consider the following things and do your research. Let’s start by understanding what a refurbished phone is.

What is a Refurbished Phone?

Have you ever bought a smartphone online from online retailers and carriers and returned it after some time of its use? Many online retailers and carriers have 30 days “no questions asked” return policy.

There are plenty of reasons why a customer could return a phone. Maybe the customer changed their mind after some period of its use, or they received the faulty telephone in the first place. Now, what would the company do with these returned phones? They cannot resell it as new because the law forbids them from doing so.

So, they resell it under the new label as “refurbished phone.” If the phone is faulty, they repair it, test it vigorously and check if the problem is solved, wipe all previous data on the phone, and put it on sale.

Many refurbished phone comes with a limited period of warranty and reduced cost. The critical part to consider here is “who refurbishes these phones?”

Who refurbishes these phones?

When a customer returns a phone because of some faults in a product, the retailer resolves the issue, repairs the phone, and puts it on reselling under the “refurbished phone” label. But not all refurbished phones are created equal. The simple question to ask here is- who refurbishes these phones?

Have you seen the label “factory refurbished” on some devices? These phones are sent back to the original manufacturer for testing and repair. The quality of the factory refurbished phones is almost as equal of a brand new device. Some of these devices are returned by the customer with absolutely nothing wrong. Sometimes they receive a device with a minor defect like- a speaker issue or screen flickering. Sometimes they receive phones from insurance companies after the customer returns them after some point, like – a cracked screen by phone drop.

OEM repairs these devices, makes them as good as new, and resells them with a limited warranty period and reduced cost.

Another type of refurbished phone is the one that is refurbished by an entity other than the original manufacturer of the device; they are usually a lot cheaper than manufacturer-refurbished devices. Although these devices perform as well as OEM refurbished phones, they often don’t have any warranty. So, the question here is – “whether trust them or not.”

Do your research before buying any such devices that are not manufacturer refurbished.

Another type of device you will find online is – pre-owned. These are second-hand phones used for some time by another customer and put on sale without modification. It would be best to consider many factors while buying a pre-owned device, like how much time its owner uses it. Is the phone in good condition? Many times, such pre-owned telephones turn out to be stolen. So, do extensive research and buy it from a reputable, trusted retailer.

When You Should Buy refurbished phones?

There are lots of factors you should consider when buying a refurbished phone.

Cost is one of the most important factors when buying a refurbished phone. If the price difference between a refurbished phone and a brand-new device is slight, you should ask yourself, “Is it worth it to take the risk of buying a refurbished phone for a couple of bucks?” We suggest you increase your budget a little and buy a brand-new device.

If you get a refurbished phone at a lower price than the original one, you can definitely go for a refurbished one.

Another factor you should consider while buying a refurbished phone is the warranty. The warranty protects us from future faults and problems in your device. Many refurbished phones were returned because of defects in the first place; what is the guarantee that it will not occur again? The warranty protects a customer from many such potential problems.

Many online retailers provide a warranty for their refurbished devices. It would be best if you considered buying a machine with at least six months of guarantee against such potential problems.

By whom has it been refurbished? It is another factor you should consider before buying a refurbished device. As explained above, OEM refurbished devices can be regarded as more trustworthy. If you are buying a phone not refurbished by the original manufacturer, ask yourself these questions – Is it a reliable and reputable company? Have other customers been satisfied by buying their product? Do they provide a warranty and good customer service? Do check the review and comments of the certified buyers (although it can be altered, it should help in some cases).

Where You Should Buy Refurbished Phones?

The best place to hunt and buy refurbished devices is always the original manufacturer. Many original manufacturers have programs for selling refurbished phones. Buying a refurbished phone from OEM provides almost brand-new device quality and a reasonable warranty period. A great example of such type is Apple and Samsung.

You can also find several manufacturer-refurbished phones at online retailers. There are lots of well-known and reputable online retailers which provide this service. But make sure you are buying it from a trustworthy retailer. An excellent example of this is Amazon – you can find and purchase many original manufacturer refurbished phones from this place.

If you do extensive research and buy your phone from the right place, you can get a refurbished phone that is as good as new at a much lower price. So, what do you think? Have any questions? From where are you going to buy your next phone? Is it going to be refurbished? Already purchased a refurbished phone? Share your experience with our users in the comment section below.