Should you buy a refurbished phone?

Refurbished phones are a big part of what we do here at The Techout but we know people often have concerns about buying ‘used’ or second hand devices so we’ve put together a short guide on purchasing refurbished phones and what it means for our customers.

More details below, but customers need to know EVERY device we sell is fully tested and any parts replaced as needed, plus we offer a 24 month warranty, double the industry standard, on any refurbished smartphone.

Don’t just take our word for it – check out the more than 900 Google reviews with a perfect five star rating or our 100% record of 300 Facebook reviews.

What is a refurbished phone?

Generally across the industry, refurbished phones are traded in by customers – or perhaps returned with a fault at some of the larger retail chains – and then tested and repaired before being resold in full working order.

Typically they are graded A to C, with A being pristine, B rated as very good ie with some minor signs of use and C rated as ‘good’, which may include more cosmetic marks such as some scratches and scrapes on the casing or screen.

Is it worth buying a refurbished phone?

Yes it is. Some people prefer to buy a brand new top-of-the-line phone and that’s fine, but a refurbished phones are much cheaper, in fact sometimes even as much as half price of the original retail price or even more for older models.

This means you can get what is still a very good and fully functioning phone at a much, much lower price. This is perfect if you are on a tight budget due to the cost of the living, or perhaps you are seeking to buy a phone for your children, a relative or as a gift.

It is also more affordable if you want to buy the phone outright rather than be tied to a contract, plus it means you can opt for a more flexible SIM-only option or a pay-as-you-go contract.

A refurbished phone is entirely different from one you picked up second hand on Facebook or Gumtree and you will have greater peace of mind and be backed up by a warranty.

Whether the refurbished model was traded in or returned for some reason, it will have been professionally tested and repaired by a technician, with any faulty parts replaced and the device restored to full working order.

Any data from the previous owner or connection to other accounts will have been securely wiped from the phone.

People buying privately second hand have been known to end up with an expensive paper weight as the device they have bought is locked and unusable, while the seller vanishes from sight. In some cases it turns out the device was stolen.

Recycling is a big driver for us here at The Techout and if you buy a refurbished phone you are continuing the life of the device and preventing more waste going to landfill.

What are the disadvantages of buying a refurbished phone?

At The Techout we have worked hard to remove any of the disadvantages when buying a refurbished phone, but other outlets may not be so conscientious.

General drawbacks to buying a refurbished phone can include a risk of defects – while the phone will have been extensively tested if the provider is any good and parts replaced, there is also the chance other parts may fail sooner than expected or perhaps the battery life is no longer as good as it should be.

The warranty with most refurbished phones is 12 months at the most, with some retailers selling them with only a month or two of warranty.

At The Techout we are passionate about getting it right and will stand by the quality of our workmanship and the components we use.

That’s why we give you a full two year warranty on any refurbished smartphone purchase, so if anything does fail or malfunction, we guarantee to fix it for you. (That of course does not cover accidental damage such as water or impact damage).

Depending on what grade you buy and what you are willing or able to spend, some refurbished phones will come with cosmetic marks or scratches simply due to use. Most of the time this minimal wear is hidden as soon as a case and screen protector are applied.

It is a personal choice whether you are happy to accept that – some people will not mind at all, for others it may be a deal breaker which is why we offer graded devices so you can get the level of wear, you are comfortable with.

At The Techout, we are happy for you to visit us at either our Barnstaple or Braunton stores to view and checkout out a phone for yourself before committing to anything and our staff will be more than happy to answer any questions.

If you purchase from us online, we are very responsive to queries and happy to discuss the phone with you, as well as offering a no-quibble returns policy.

All devices sold from us come with one of our boxes, sim ejection pin, a charging cable and all iPhones also include a free screen protector.

Is it safe to buy a refurbished phone?

As long as you buy from a reputable retailer, purchasing a refurbished phone should be totally safe.

But the standards of quality and service in the mobile phone industry vary hugely, so we strongly advise if you are not buying from us, make sure you are buying from a reputable source and not a high street pop up shop or market stall!

Reputation and good service is behind all we do at The Techout and that’s why we offer a 24 month warranty because we want our customers to feel safe and secure in the knowledge they’re covered if anything does go wrong.

So yes, buying a refurbished phone is safe and far safer than buying from an unknown person on social media!

Is a refurbished phone for me?

If you’re uncertain, or want to know more, please do drop in and see us at our stores in Queen Street, Barnstaple or on the Square in Braunton and our staff will be pleased to discuss your requirements and find the right phone to suit you and your budget.

We do not make sales for the sake of it – if we don’t feel it is right for you, we will suggest alternatives and do not try and push the most expensive model on you!

You can checkout the phones you are interested in, have a feel and see the in real life in store.

You can also view all the models and brands of refurbished phones we have available here on our website at https://thetechout.com/browse/mobile-phones with the full specs of every phone plus a very simple purchase process if you wish to go ahead. You can also opt to pay in instalments with Klarna should you wish, with no added interest or costs.

So if you’re considering a new phone but don’t want to spend a fortune on the latest model, do get in touch.

And when purchasing a new device, you can continue the cycle and sell your previous device back to us! Find out more here: thetechout.com/sell