Pros & Cons of Refurbished Phones

Buying a refurbished phone is an alternative to buying a brand new phone for different reasons. You may need a replacement phone due to your original phone being stolen or broken, or you may simply desire a change from your current phone. Because refurbished phones are used or pre-owned, there is no guarantee that they will be problem-free, or that they will have any problems at all. Consider the pros and cons before deciding whether or not to buy a refurbished phone.

The biggest advantage of buying a refurbished phone for most people is the money savings compared to buying a brand new phone. Refurbished phones are sold at discounted prices because once they are used, they cannot be sold or labeled as "new". The cost savings is especially helpful if your phone was lost, stolen or malfunctioned unexpectedly, when you may not have the funds to purchase a new one for a higher price.

Another advantage to purchasing a refurbished phone is that it is an environmentally friendly option. Refurbished phones are recycled products, meaning they stay out of landfills and consequently do not contribute to environmental damage.

A warranty is another pro of buying a refurbished phone. When buying from a reputable company, you will probably be given a 90-day warranty period, which gives you the choice to get your refurbished phone repaired if it should have any malfunctions.

Although savings, helping the environment and a warranty are great reasons to purchase a refurbished phone, there are several cons as well.

Because they have usually been used by someone else, or returned due to malfunctions in the first place, refurbished phones are likely to have defects. These defects may be physical as well as internal.

An internal defect may include problems such as the camera not working, or the speakerphone not being loud enough to hear. Physical defects may include the phone's casing having blemishes such as scratches and nicks.

As far as warranty protection, if you are offered any for your refurbished telephone, it will be less than the one-year warranty you usually receive with the purchase of a new phone.

There is now guarantee that when you purchase a refurbished phone that it will have defects, or that it will work perfectly. According to Refurbdepot.com, refurbished phones have a much lower defect rate than new phones because refurbished phones are inspected, serviced, tested and repackaged by the manufacturer to meet original product specifications. However, this may or may not be true for your individual purchase.

Overall, purchasing a refurbished phone may not be a bad idea if you are in need of a replacement phone for a discounted price, and are not greatly depending on a phone that will be malfunction-free.