Disadvantages of Buying a Refurbished Cell Phone

People always tout the advantages of buying a used or refurbished cell phone. It’s definitely one great way to save hundreds of dollars if you’re looking for an upgrade.

All it takes is one discerning eye to make the right buy, and you’re going to be a very happy person. If you’re lucky, the previous owner of the cell phone took really good care of it. If it’s been returned to the manufacturer, that’s even better! They replace the defective parts with new ones and sell them to third party retailers.

Buying a refurbished cell phone also gives you time to think. If you’re thinking of buying a BlackBerry, you can give it a go and buy a refurbished one. Then if you’ve decided, you can buy a brand new one and enjoy the maximum value of your money.

Buying a refurbished one is also environmentally friendly. When you buy a refurbished mobile phone, it means you’re using recycled materials. Instead of taking the time to buy a new one, and making the manufacturers use more raw materials, refurbished phones are a great way to help the environment.

Even if you think that you’re one of the few people who are buying refurbished phones, know that there are plenty of you out there. Not only in your country, but worldwide. So there are many of you contributing to helping the environment.

But what are the disadvantages when you buy one? It’s never really explained what the disadvantages are. Hopefully, these two points will help you, should you decide to buy one.

1. The phone itself

Remember that refurbished phones are phones that have inherent defects. That means the phone already has defects right out of the box.

For example, a phone might have a defective screen, keyboard or an error in the software. The owner will quickly return it to the carrier or manufacturer and have it replaced. The returned unit is then repaired and sold to the refurbishing market, at a lower price.

The danger here is that when you buy a refurbished unit, the defect might return again. Even if the unit was repaired, you won’t be sure if it’s going to surface.

Hardware defects are generally fixable, like the camera, keyboard, or screen. But software problems are the ones you should watch out for. They’re very costly and hard to fix.

2. The warranty

Brand new phones typically come with a one-year warranty and free service fees. Also, should you encounter any internal defects within a 60-day period you’re entitled to have a replacement phone.

This is the great thing about buying a brand new phone from a carrier or manufacturer. You’re guaranteed that you get what you pay for. With refurbished phones, you still do, but it’s not so great.

Refurbished phones typically have a short warranty. Some may last up to a month and sometimes it’s only 15 days! And repairs don’t come free anymore. You have to send your phone to their facility for repairs. That could take days or weeks depending on the damage.

One rule of thumb to follow: When buying a refurbished cell phone, pick a model that’s recently been out on the market, at least a year. That way, the prices will certainly drop big time, while also having some serviceable parts.

Because that’s the one thing you have in mind: Is the phone still serviceable in the unforeseeable future? Are there enough repair shops or parts when I need to have my phone fixed?

So should I go out and buy one?

As mentioned earlier, the benefits of buying a refurbished one are great. It’s definitely helpful.

But you should be cautious of the disadvantages. While they may be few, they certainly are something to keep you on your toes.