Buying a Refurbished Phone in the UK: What to Check First

A refurbished phone is a used phone that a seller has checked, repaired where needed and resold. Bought from a business, it comes with the same legal rights as a new one, judged against its age and price. Before you buy, check the seller’s grade, the battery, the warranty and that the phone is unlocked.

What the grades mean

There is no single UK standard for refurbished grades. Each seller uses its own names, such as Excellent, Good or Like New, and its own description of the marks each grade allows. Read the seller’s definition rather than relying on the name: one seller’s Good can be another’s Fair.

Your rights when you buy from a business

• Satisfactory quality, as described and fit for purpose. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies to refurbished goods; what counts as satisfactory takes the phone’s age, condition and price into account.
• 30 days to reject a faulty phone for a full refund.
• The first six months: a fault that appears is assumed to have been there at delivery unless the seller shows otherwise, and the seller must repair or replace it.
• 14 days to change your mind when you buy online, under the Consumer Contracts Regulations.

Buying from a private person gives fewer rights: the phone must be as described, but the other protections do not apply.

What to check before you buy

• Battery: whether the seller states a minimum battery health, or replaces batteries below a level.
• Warranty: how long the seller’s own warranty lasts, on top of your legal rights.
• Unlocked: that the phone works on any UK network.
• Storage and model: the exact model, storage and colour, so the price is compared like for like.
• Software: how many years of updates the maker still promises for that model.
• Buying privately: ask for the IMEI and check it has not been reported lost or stolen.

Outright or on a monthly plan

Some sellers offer refurbished phones with a monthly plan, which spreads the cost but usually involves a credit check. On 6 October 2026, for example, Mozillion listed an iPhone 17 in its Good as New condition, 256GB with 100GB of data, at £35.63 a month for 24 months with £9 upfront. To compare, add the outright price of the phone to the same months of a SIM only plan: SIM only or a phone contract shows how.

Whichever way you buy, add the plan to Wisemium with its price and end date, so you know when you are free to change it.