Smartphones are capable of a multitude of helpful functions that go well beyond making phone calls or even sending text messages. As their capabilities grow, the number of cell phone users switching to smartphones is also steadily increasing. Smartphone prices, however, can be quite prohibitive, and this has led many buyers to look for better smartphone prices at alternative retail outlets, as opposed to simply buying smartphones through their own mobile phone carriers.
Buying smartphones through alternative retailers can certainly yield some satisfying results, but there is also some risk involved. The most common concern for many users is that a retailer could sell them a refurbished (or remanufactured, depending on the company) smartphone at an inflated price by claiming that the smartphone is new. Refurbished phones are actually preferred by many buyers, but for a buyer expecting to pay for a new piece of equipment, ending up with a refurbished model is unacceptable. This guide will outline some basic tips and tricks that buyers can use to help them determine whether a smartphone is new or refurbished.
Contact the Smartphone’s Mobile Carrier
Almost all smartphones are "locked" to a specific mobile carrier. Companies like Apple may produce the same phones for multiple carriers, but that does not mean that these phones are interchangeable. For example, an AT&T iPhone is locked to AT&T and will not work on the Verizon network. Having said that, when a buyer purchases a smartphone for a specific carrier, that carrier could have valuable information about the phone.
When the carrier is contacted to initiate service on the new phone, buyers should simply ask a few questions to find out if that specific phone has ever been registered on the network before. The carrier will need some kind of identifying number from the phone to connect it to the network, usually either a serial number, an IMEI number, an ESN number, or some other carrier-specific number. Most carriers should be able to tell if that phone has a previous history on the network, and if it does, it must be either a refurbished phone or a previously used phone. Brand new phones will not have any usage history on the carrier’s network.
Additionally, if the carrier processed and resold the refurbished phone itself, that will generally show up in their records. Buyers should keep in mind that every carrier is different, and that the amount of information directly available from a carrier may vary a great deal from carrier to carrier, but this is still a great place to start looking for trustworthy information.
Unlocked Smartphones
Some retailers sell "unlocked" smartphones, which means that the phone has been altered to allow it to be used on any carrier’s network. While this may sound a bit sneaky, in most cases this does not mean the retailer is untrustworthy. It usually just means they are trying to increase the marketability of the phone by making it available to a much broader range of customers.
In some cases, however, unlocked smartphones can be a red flag. For example, a buyer intending to use the smartphone with one particular carrier would not have any way of determining if the phone was previously connected to a different carrier. Unlocking a smartphone may also void the warranty on the phone for some manufacturers. Buyers should carefully consider all of the facts, including the remaining tips in this article, before purchasing unlocked smartphones.
Contact the Smartphone’s Manufacturer
If a smartphone has been unlocked or if a particular carrier is not able or willing to provide any information about a smartphone’s history, buyers should contact the manufacturer of the phone. The vast majority of malfunctioning phones are sent back to their manufacturers for repairs and refurbishment, and these manufacturers keep records of all of their serviced products. The hold time and process of reaching an actual person may be an annoyance when dealing many companies, but the results can be worth it. In most cases, a simple serial number is all that the company needs in order to tell you whether their company has ever serviced the product. For some companies, the construction of the serial number itself immediately indicates a refurbished product.
Additionally, this phone call could yield other helpful information, such as the manufacturing date of the smartphone. It may help buyers feel even more confident that a phone is definitely not refurbished if the manufacturer does not have any repair records, and if the phone was very recently manufactured.
If the manufacturer does not have any repair history, there is still a slight risk that a "refurbishment" could have been completed by a third-party repair shop, but some manufacturers have safeguarded the components of their smartphones in ways that are designed to tell them if the phone casing has been opened or if anyone has tampered with the components. These manufacturers will be able to tell buyers what to check to find out if anyone besides an authorized repair facility has opened the phone.
Review Warranty Information
A brand new smartphone will always have a warranty, and the manufacturer will almost always issue this warranty for a period of at least one year. Refurbished phones, on the other hand, typically come with 90-day warranties that are issued by third-party warranty companies. Warranty coverage can be a huge red flag for consumers. If a retailer is selling a "new" smartphone with a 90-day warranty issued by a company other than the manufacturer, there is a very good chance that the phone is actually refurbished.
Buyers should thoroughly review all of the warranty information to determine the exact details of the warranty. It is also important to keep in mind that, in some cases, the name on a phone is not always the name of the manufacturer. For example, the company Research in Motion (RIM) is the manufacturer of Blackberry phones, and their warranty information traces back to that company name, not to Blackberry.
Examine the Smartphone’s Packaging
The box and the packaging for a smartphone can sometimes reveal a good deal about the condition of the phone. A brand new smartphone should be tucked safely inside the manufacturer’s original packaging. If the phone is inside a plain, unlabeled box or is not inside a box at all, this should be a red flag. Apple, for example, places refurbished iPhones inside a solid white box with an "Apple Certified" sticker on it. The sticker can be removed, but the white box would still be a huge clue that the phone is not brand new. Many other manufacturers also use plain packaging, stickers, or documentation that indicates that the phone is refurbished.
If the packaging appears to be original, buyers can then compare the serial number of the phone listed on the box to the serial number on the actual phone to make sure that they are a match. If the serial numbers do not match, that box is not the original packaging for that particular phone, and there is a risk that a refurbished phone has been substituted for the original phone that came in that box.
Physically Examine the Smartphone
New smartphones that have been shipped directly from the manufacturer should be physically flawless. If scratches or other imperfections can be seen under a bright light, it is very possible that the phone is not brand new. It should be noted that some manufacturers, such as Apple, often completely replace the screens and exteriors on refurbished phones in order to make them appear new. However, if that is the case with a seemingly flawless phone, the previous tip about calling the manufacturer will reveal the refurbishment.
The back cover should also be removed so that the area around the battery compartment can be examined. Some manufacturers will use stickers or other indicators on the inside of the phone to mark it as refurbished. In addition, be sure to always check the water damage sticker. A white sticker may not mean much because it can easily be replaced, but an activated water damage sticker would certainly be an obvious sign that the phone is not new.
For Smartphones That Have Not Been Purchased Yet
If a buyer is still in the browsing stage and has not yet purchased a smartphone, most of the previous tips can still be utilized by simply asking the retailer for relevant details, such as the serial number, warranty information, and details about the packaging. A trustworthy seller should not have any problem providing this information. Any sign of resistance or irritation could be a potential warning sign.
Price is another key factor that can be used to gauge the trustworthiness of a retailer. While the main reason most people purchase smartphones from alternative retailers is to save money, they must also be reasonable about how much money they should realistically expect to save. Retail prices on smartphones generally range from $500 to $900, and carriers are typically losing money on the actual phones when they sell them for prices in the range of $99 to $299 with two-year service plans.
It is extremely unrealistic to believe that smartphone retailers who are simply selling the hardware can do so at prices that are even lower than a carrier’s discounted, two-year plan price. In most cases, they would not even be able to sell the phones for the same discounted price. Realistically, buyers should probably expect to pay an amount somewhere in the middle of a carrier’s lowest price and a manufacturer’s listed price. If prices do not fall within a reasonable range, then this should raise some caution flags with buyers. As an example, a price of $600 might be a reasonable starting point for a smartphone that retails for $800 or more and sells for $299 on a two-year plan. A retailer selling the same smartphone for less than the $299 discounted, carrier’s price is most likely selling a used or refurbished phone as a "new" phone.
Buyers who are purchasing smartphones online and not in person should carefully review every detail of a smartphone’s item description. Retailers are required to disclose that a phone is refurbished, and most of them will follow this rule, but they will not necessarily make it easy for the consumer to find this information. Some businesses will boldly display this information in order to avoid any possibility of controversy, but others may tuck the information away in the fine print.
How to Buy Smartphones on eBay
Whether you are determined to only purchase a brand new smartphone, or you feel that you will be equally satisfied with a quality refurbished model, you can find an abundance of choices on eBay. For both new and refurbished smartphones, visit the eBay homepage and select Electronics from the category list, followed by Cell Phones & Accessories. You can also find new and refurbished smartphones in eBay Stores, by visiting the Stores homepage and selecting Cell Phones & Accessories from the Store Directory. Still another way that you can search for either new smartphones or refurbished smartphones is by using the search bar directly above the first store listing.
Be sure to fully review seller feedback when reviewing item listings, as well. eBay’s feedback system allows you to collect information about a seller’s previous transactions in order to provide you with peace of mind regarding your purchase.
Conclusion
Consumers shopping for new smartphones at retailers other than carriers and manufacturers can save money while simultaneously avoiding long-term contracts, but they have to be cautious to make sure that they truly end up with new phones and not refurbished models. The tips in this article, including contacting the mobile carrier and the manufacturer, are designed to minimize the risk to buyers. It should be noted that if buyers are determined to completely eliminate all possible risk, there is probably only one way to do that: buy directly from manufacturers or carriers. Manufacturers and carriers will likely not put their reputations and their fortunes on the line by giving customers falsely labeled, refurbished phones in place of new ones, and the tips and tricks in this article should leave buyers with the next best level of buying confidence.
