With increasing inflation, it is challenging to match the desired mobile phone with the planned budget during purchase, leading to a wave of disappointment. However, with every problem comes a solution; refurbished phones can resolve this issue smoothly. They are not second-hand phones but pre-owned for some time and then returned to the manufacturer. The company then updates it to the latest OS, replaces any non-functional parts with OEM parts if needed. Once the process is done it’s put on retail for lower prices.
Buying a genuine pre-owned phone is not always easy as many stores sell replicas, which is a complete waste of money. For this reason, you must check for certain important things before buying any such gadget to stay devoid of any fraud. Here are the top 8 things to consider before buying a refurbished phone.
Let’s get started!
Phone price
Has it ever happened that you decided to buy a new phone but get amazed at high prices that do not seem to fit your budget anyhow? Refurbished phones are a major relief in such cases. It is essential that you deeply research and compare prices of the desired phone’s brand new and refurbished model.
However, it is necessary to know about the usage period of the refurbished phone before settling for an acceptable price as it highly depends upon its prior use. Hence, the models which came out 1-3 years ago can be a perfect deal because market price of such devices gets lower with the launch of newer models in the series and if the device is refurbished the prices gets even more lower.
It is better to go for some old phone models in such a case as you won’t get many discounts on the refurbished version of newly launched devices.
Device restoration guarantee
You must have been of the idea that refurbished phones lack any guarantee or warranty of use. However, it is not the case, be sure to dig deep about the device’s repair and replacement guarantee period and buy a device with at least 12-months of warranty. It is necessary to avoid shopping from such E-commerce platforms that lack this agreement.
Return contract
Before I go on about the return policy of a refurbished phone, it is necessary to shed light on what leads to its sale as a second-hand device. There are several reasons for it; a few of them include:
- Any tech store had used the device as the demo model and is now of no more use to them for whatever reasons.
- The consumer bought the device, but its likes didn’t fit its attributes. Hence, they returned the product within the time frame indicated in the return policy.
- The consumer upgraded to a newer device and exchanged the existing one
Whatever the reason is, you must opt for such a store that does a robust inspection of the device’s characteristics ranging from hardware to software. This scrutiny is vital to save you from any future nuisance you might face regarding the device’s functioning. However, even after extreme assessment, devices may lag; or you may have a change of heart hence you should demand a free return policy eligible for a few days.
Choose a reliable retailer
You can find refurbished mobile phones at tons of stores online; however, not each one of them is trustworthy. For this reason, it is important to research the credibility of the targeted store, which you can conveniently attempt by going through customer feedback and honest reviews about that site. Nobody can do this research as efficiently as yourself. Since investing money calls for safe expenditure, this step is a major necessity.
Refurbished device condition
As stated above, the inspection of pre-owned devices is essential. Another vital factor to consider is its grading after examining the phone’s overall condition, specifically for scratches, abrasions, or similar cosmetic damage—the testing and grading of high-quality and low-quality devices is done. Then devices marked “As New” or “Excellent” are of a higher quality and price as compared to devices marked as “Good” or “Fair” are slightly lower in quality but at the same time are more affordable.
If you intend to have a refurbished phone in extremely excellent condition, you should go for premium graded devices. In contrast, alternative low-grade devices are available if you don’t care about the cosmetic flaws and want to have the best economical deal.
It is worth remembering that the two differently graded phones are distinct from each other based on their outward appearance; both would function the same unless the seller had mentioned otherwise.
Procedure of device refurbishment
There is an ideal procedure that every refurbished device goes through. The steps involve:
- Testing of the device in multiple ways for any lag.
- The entire former data is removed from the hardware and software of the device.
- Inspections for quality assurance follow standard practices.
- The device is running an updated operating system.
- The performance of battery
This process indicates that refurbished devices align with brand new operating systems and software models with original factory settings. It is important to take care of this aspect as many stores avoid this prior mentioned process, sell phones with faulty hardware/software and outdated OS versions.
Flexibility of phone networking
There are two varieties of phones available in the market regarding their networking capabilities; locked and unlocked. A locked device limits the use to single sim card provider depending on its prior network. In contrast, an unlocked device has much-needed flexibility where you can enjoy any network carrier you are comfortable with. It is always better to choose the latter option to ensure compliance.
Beware of fake devices
Many retailers sell second copies of devices as refurbished phones, which is alarming. However, don’t worry, I have got you covered you for this. You can quickly check the phone’s originality, even if you are a non-Tech person, by matching the IMEI and model numbers mentioned on the back of the phone or battery with that found in its settings option. Or you can dial *#06# on the device and know its IMEI If it is entirely the same, the device is 100% original; however, in an otherwise situation, take a step back as you might be getting digitally robbed.
Best place to buy refurbished iPhone Australia
Several digital platforms offer the best deals for refurbished phones, but each one is not trustworthy. However, I researched and found this one Australia-specific marketplace that deals in all kinds of mobile phones, laptops, and other gadgets at very reasonable rates and is 100% credible. The best thing about them is that they offer a 13-month warranty on their refurbished devices, this is the longest warranty available. They also offer 21-day money back guaranty. These things are a testament of their belief in the quality of products sold at the platform, and to sweeten the deal further they have the best competitive prices in the market.
It is a digital platform called Wise Market Australia. You can find various devices ranging from refurbished iPhones to Androids. Besides Australia, they provide their delivery services to Asia and America. To sum up, with Wise Market, you are in excellent hands. You will get the best value deal on your refurbished device without compromising its operational capability.
Conclusion
There is no denying in the profitability index of purchasing refurbished phones. Still, it is important to do some research before buying such a phone to stay safe from any fraud. This article goes into detail about almost all of the factors to consider. I hope that after considering it, you will invest money in the suitable model and enjoy the perks of the brand-new device at half the rates.
