10 tips to ensure that refurbished phone you want to purchase online won't disappoint you

Category: Shopping

If you want to buy a phone while simultaneously saving some money, buying a refurbished phone is always a smart idea. Additionally, it will also allow you to contribute to protection of our environment. However, though having many advantages refurbished phones may also have its downsides. Remember that refurbished phones are devices that once had an owner who returned or donated them for some reason and they may hide some skeletons in the closet. For instance, they may have been stolen or never fully refurbished. If you want to learn how to buy a refurbished phone with full confidence, below we present a short guide on how to ensure that the phone you plan to purchase won’t let you down.

1. Factory Settings

First thing you should pay a notice to when buying a refurbished phone is to check whether it has been cleared of any signs of prior ownership. If a phone has been restored properly to factory setting, its memory should be deleted completely so as to allow potential users to set the device according to its personal preferences. If after purchasing a refurbished phone you will see any data prior to your use it is aclear evidence that the phone wasn’t properly refurbished and hence may be not completely safe. If a phone you got wasn’t restored to factory settings, it may mean that it was stolen or simply recovered. Keeping that in mind watch out for any information that occurs on the phone that isn’t an effect of your usage and isn’t covered by a user manual.

2. Recurring Charges

Since there are tons of games and apps available on the market that can be downloaded for money, always remember to make sure that the refurbished phone you’ve just bought has only the factory programs pre-installed. If you notice any unfamiliar apps, immediately check your phone bill in order to find out whether you aren’t being charged for using them. Another thing is that any questionable, unfamiliar apps and programs can be an evidence that your phone wasn’t professionally restored. Additionally, such programs may also have a spyware nature endangering your privacy. Remember if you see any extra fees or unauthorized charges don’t hesitate and quickly contact your carrier.

3. Factory-Issued Accessories

Every new phone is launched with a set of original accessories like a battery and a charger out of box that are essential for the handset to work properly. This is why you should always check whether the refurbished phone you want to buy includes all the factor-issued accessories. If you will use an incorrect charger, the phone may overheat during charging and not charge properly, the same with other than original battery unit which may not hold the power. Other than that majority of smartphones need to be connected to a computer for an initial use or for getting updates or sharing data and accessories that are the wrong fit may result in a disturbed syncing or even cause a permanent damage to your phone.

4. ESN

Another way to ensure that your refurbished phone wasn’t stolen is to check its electronic serial number (ESN). Usually located underneath the battery, the ESN is a unique number given to every phone by its manufacturer allowing you to investigate its history. How to do it? You simply need to check the number while getting inside your phone and then contact the phone’s manufacturer for details concerning its previous ownership. If the phone was reported stolen or returned, the manufacturer is obliged to record and store such an information.

5. Warranty from Manufacturer or Provider

While accompanying us on every step on our lives phones suffer bumps, drops and water exposure, which makes them require an often repair and it would be nice to have your damaged components repair covered by a warranty. This is why you should never forget to ask the manufacturer or retailer you buy a refurbished phone from about the warranty. Although retailers aren’t legally obliged to extend the warranty to your refurbished phone, it’s customary for some of them to do so. If your retailer doesn’t want to give you the warranty then think twice about purchasing a refurbished phone from it.

6. Reputable Retailer or Manufacturer

If you want avoid being disappointed by your new refurbished phone, buying phones from a reputable dealer, retailer or manufacturer should considerably decrease the risk of being dissatisfied about the purchase. Always ask your retailer about refurbishment process details and prior owner, any reputable dealer will be able to provide you with all the necessary information. Additionally, it’s also much safer to buy refurbished phones directly from their manufacturers, since they want their brand to be successful and never allow an incorrectly refurbished phone to cast shadow of aspersions on their brand. How to check if the retailer you want to purchase a refurbished phone from is worth your trust? The easiest way it to read the feedback left by other customers, additionally you may also always ask your friends about their experiences with a particular seller.

7. Price

Another important aspect you should take into consideration before buying a refurbished phone is its pricing. There should be a noticeable difference between prices of a brand new phone and its refurbished variant. Never buy a refurbished phone priced as the new model. Remember that although refurbished phones are closed to give you the value of a new device they’re indeed second-hand products, so there’s no reason ( naturally except for the seller’s financial profits) for a retailer to charge the full retails price for them. On the other hand if a refurbished phone is priced unnaturally low, it may raise your suspicions that it may not have been fully refurbished or replaced non-working parts may be bad quality.

8. Locked or Unlocked

Even the best phone without a proper carrier coverage it’s useless. So, before buying a refurbished phone always check whether it will be work with your carrier. Note that if a refurbished phone you want to purchase is locked, it will only compatible with a particular carrier. If it’s unlock you may use it with all service providers. Additionally, if your existing SIM is no longer valid, you will need to buy a new one; the same if your purchase phone will be just an addition to your main handset. What’s more since some phones may not work with certain networks always ask your carrier if there will be any problems with activating the device after purchase since every service provider can confirm which phones will be compatible with networks offered by them.

9. Model History

Always test your refurbished phone’s overall performance before making a purchase decision since some devices may feature specific mechanical or operating issues that won’t be repaired during refurbishment process. Some problems may stem from a bad design, other from operating system failure. So it’s important to make a small research before purchasing a refurbished phone. Remember the more you know, the more conscious purchase you will make. It’s good to know what types of malfunction may occur during the phone’s usage, isn’t it? Another thing you should be aware of is that OS updates may not apply to your refurbished handset since it may simply not utilize the newest OS with appropriate bug fixes and updates.

10. Return Policy

And the last but definitely not least aspect, before buying a refurbished phone never failed to check the retailer’s return policy conditions. Just as in the case of a new phone, every customer who decides to buy a refurbished phone should be granted with a return policy in case their won’t enjoy the device they bought or it simply turns out to hide some flaws. If a seller doesn’t want to accept the return of a refurbished phone, it’s not worth your attention.

Refurbished phones are undoubtedly far less expensive than their brand new variants which makes them a wallet-friendly alternative to replace your previous phone which has been damaged, lost or stolen. While getting all the benefits of using a brand new flagship phone, you will simultaneously avoid paying high full retail prices. The key rule while buying a refurbished phone is to check if it includes original factory-issued accessories and learn as much as possible about the phone’s history and the manufacturer’s or retailer’s refurbishment process. Additionally, make sure that the seller you want to buy a phone from is reputable and offer extended warranty and return policy and check how much you can save if you decide on buying a refurbished phone. It’s useless to buy second-hand phones and pay as much as if purchasing new ones.

Author: Cheap Phones