How to Buy a Used or Refurbished Cell Phone

What to look for when searching to buy a refurbished or used cell phone online.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Savviness
• an internet connection
• a credit card

1. Establish which carrier you currently use or plan to start using. Do you currently have a plan with AT&T, Verizon, Alltel, Sprint, Nextel, T-Mobile or another carrier? Phones are locked to the specific carrier you purchase the phone for. For example, a Verizon phone will only work with the Verizon network and no other carriers. Verizon, Sprint, and Alltel cell phones all operate on CDMA networks and can not be unlocked whereas AT&T, and T-Mobile are GSM cell phones and can be unlocked to be used with other GSM networks.

2. Find a good source. Shop around on either eBay or just do a search in google. There are a number of reputatable sellers on the net who sell refurbished and used cell phones. When shopping for a phone on ebay for example, you will at least be able to see the sellers feedback rating to determine whether the seller is trustworthy and you can see what other buyers have commented on the seller. A great seller on eBay to check out is ebay user id - "thebluedot". They have a wide selection of phones at incredibly low prices and have a really high feedback score.

3. Does the phone come with a warranty, guarantee or return policy that allows you to return the phone if something were to go wrong? Most decent companies out there will offer between 15-90 days depending on whether the phone is used or refurbished and this will also vary based on the seller. In general, most reputable online stores will stand behind a refurbished or used cell phone for 30 days guaranteeing that the item will be fully functional.

4. Do a comparison of prices. This sounds obvious and I am sure you probably are a savvy shopper, but many companies offer coupon codes online for their websites. Also, many sellers who sell on eBay also have a website where they sell their items and generally they charge less money for the same item. eBay charges fairly high fees to sellers which allow for better prices on the sellers actual www. webstore. Also, used and refurbished cell phones generally are priced at least 25% less than their new versions. It is illegal for phone carriers to sell customer returned phones as new so more and more companies such as AT&T sell these customer returned phones on their website as refurbished. Even if a customer returns a phone the day after they purchase it, the major retailers must sell these on their website as a refurbished cell phone.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have your phone replaced by your cell phone's insurance plan, they will almost always replace your cell phone with a refurbished cell phone. Most people do not know this.
• Be cautious of buying "new" cell phones online, especially on eBay. There have been more and more sellers that are selling refurbished cell phones as new. A number of the top sellers on ebay are selling the same refurbished cell phone as new, but for more money! The refurbished cell phones also include lens tape, come in the manufacturers box and look identical. Most people can not tell the difference.

Resources

• The Blue Dot - Refurbished, Used Cell Phones & Accessories
• Buy Refurbished Cell Phones

[4dogday]

on 6/5/2009 Good information on buying used and refurbished cell phones.

[thebluedot]

on 6/3/2009 Thanks so much for your comment. I am glad you found the article helpful. Let us know if you have any other questions regarding a purchase. Our dedicated support team would be happy to assist you.

[westernmom]

on 6/3/2009 Very good informtion! Well written article. 5*