Shopping for refurbished iPhones is an activity that has recently become more popular than it ever was before due to the tough financial situation the entire world is going through with the lockdown situation. The need for an affordable mobile phone without compromising on neither quality nor specs can only be satisfied with refurbished phones as they are the only category that combines great quality and relatively cheap prices.
With refurbished iPhones, quality and high-end performance can be guaranteed in the event of ensuring that the iPhone is authentic and in good condition. To do so, you must be able to find a good and trustworthy refurbished iPhone store.
In this post, we are going to help you identify good refurbished iPhone stores whether those stores may have physical locations or just an online shopping website.
Key indicators of a good refurbished iPhone store
Before getting into the details of the best refurbished iPhone stores in London, you must first be aware of what makes a refurbished phone store a good store to buy from in order to be able to identify those stores no matter where they might be.
Experience in iPhones repair and refurbishment
This does not necessarily translate into the number of years that the store has been selling refurbished iPhones. The experience here refers to the refurbishment skills as well as the general experience in the smartphone market that affects the refurbishment center’s ability to obtain good quality spare parts for the iPhones at a lower cost to lower the prices of the refurbished iPhones eventually.
Notice that the seller or store here was referred to as “the refurbishment center”, which is the most important part of the whole experience criteria. While it is not a necessity for a refurbished iPhone store to be a refurbishment center, it would be better if you choose the refurbishment center over the third party seller for a crucial reason: The warranty policy.
Warranty policy
Stores that only sell refurbished iPhones and do not offer repair or refurbishment services do not usually provide such services as a part of their after-sale service, in other words, the warranty. While it is possible for a store that only sells, and does not repair or even refurbish iPhones to offer a warranty that enables you to replace a defective device, the problem of no available replacements remains.
Choosing a store that specializes in refurbishing iPhones, on the other hand, gives you, as a customer, the additional option of getting a warranty, repair, and after-sale care, in general, with an extended array of services. For example, you wouldn’t have to replace your iPhone for a tiny issue nor will you have to live with it as it can be simply repaired by the store you bought the refurbished iPhone from.
With a warranty policy by a refurbishment center, you can get free repair services for your iPhone for as long as the warranty is valid. This, of course, brings us to the next point regarding the warranty policy, which is the period. The longer the period of the refurbished iPhone warranty, the better the deal and the store’s credibility is.
For example, QwikFone, a repair and refurbishment center that is operating in London, offers a 12-month warranty that guarantees free repairs for defective devices as well as free replacements for any refurbished iPhone with an irreparable problem.
Return policy
The return policy can indicate how reliable the refurbished iPhone is as well as how trustworthy the store selling it can be. While the right to return any order or any purchase is given in such situations, you must make sure, as the customer, that the return policy of the store, be it physical or online, does not include any specific terms that can end up revoking your right to return an item that you don’t want.
So, normally, the seller or the store sets the condition of the item is not damaged for the return to be valid. The second condition of the return policy is the return period; how long after the purchase does the customer retain the right to return his or her order. This period usually ranges between 7-14 days and, of course, the longer the better.
Finally, there is the refund issue when it comes to returning a refurbished iPhone. You should know whether you will get all of your payment back, or just a part of it and, if you are not going to get a full refund in case of returning the refurbished iPhone, you should know why and what this money is being cut for? Does the reason seem justified to you? If yes, then it’s a good store to buy a refurbished iPhone from!
Additional benefits!
This can be considered as a bonus, but it definitely adds to the credibility of the store to offer additional benefits as a part of the refurbished iPhone deal. To follow the example we used earlier, QwikFone includes new accessories for free with every refurbished iPhone they sell. There is also the free shipping option that helps the customer control their costs even more. Things like that can significantly improve your experience as a customer and give the store extra points!
Customers’ reviews
Whether it is a physical or an online refurbished iPhone store, you are likely to find reviews of it online. All you need to know is where to find those reviews. However, it is important to know how to read those reviews to avoid fake ones whether they are complimenting the store or dispraising it. So, look for reviews that contain details of the experience of the order like which iPhone did the person order? Is there mention of the shipping? How long the delivery took? And so on.
Final thoughts
While searching for a refurbished iPhone store in London, you will likely come across stores that have some of those criteria while not others. Compromising might be acceptable in some conditions such as offering free shipping. However, there are points such as good privacy, warranty, and return policies that you cannot compromise or give up on for any reason. So, keep that in mind while shopping for your next refurbished iPhone!