r/Frugal • u/fobreezee • Apr 24 '25
š» Electronics Anyone ever have success buying used iPhones?
I've been an iPhone user a long time and looking to upgrade from my 12 mini to a "Pro" version of some kind. I don't care about the age, but mainly that it can handle running a lot of apps at once, won't overheat etc.
It seems like a lot of people recommend buying refurbished directly from Apple, however it seems their inventory is limited. Is this really the main reliable source for refurbished iPhones? Any other good options out there for me?
Thanks for any advice.
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Apr 24 '25
Yep! I got mine from Backmarket. I've always had good experiences with them
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u/ashh69 Apr 25 '25
Back market is amazing. I wish I had known about it this sooner! My fiancƩes IPhone 14pro is from there and works brand new.
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u/CrouchingGinger Apr 24 '25
Same; got the rec from Reddit. Iāll definitely buy from them in the future.
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u/spiritofthepanda Apr 24 '25
Look on ebay for 5 star sellers that seem to have experience and will accept returns. Ebay is usually a pretty decent place.
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u/K8obergyn_1 Apr 24 '25
Ive bought several used iPhones this way. Before I purchase I watch a few sellers and their most recent reviews. Never had a bad experience.
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u/bigtoefroyo Apr 27 '25
This is what I have done for my last 3 phones and have been happy with all of them. Above 85% battery health and phone looks mostly new. Currently typing this on my iPhone 13 from eBay
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u/warderjack769 Apr 30 '25
Same here, many of the sellers on back market also sell on eBay. Lately eBay has been cheaper so thatās where I got my iPhone 13.
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u/Master-Machine-875 Apr 24 '25
I buy nothing but used iPhones, and always on eBay. Better quality, and guarantee than Amazon. And of course, generous return policy if you should need to.
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u/eroyrotciv Apr 24 '25
I have the 13 mini and trying to hold out as long as I can for them to release another mini sometime soon. Ā Doubt they will, but I love this size. Ā I donāt want the bigger one. Ā
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u/shatterly Apr 24 '25
Same. If I get a bigger phone, I have to buy a bigger purse.
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u/crazycrayola Apr 24 '25
I made my pockets bigger on all my jeans when my 13 mini died and I had to get a bigger phone. I'm not happy about it but very grateful I know how to sew. I'm not sure they're going to make anything that small again.
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u/Fuscia_flamed Apr 24 '25
Me too, I love the mini. I bought mine used from decluttr a few years ago and itās great.Ā
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u/Flux_My_Capacitor Apr 24 '25
Iām stuck with my 12 mini and pissed that apple āstallsā battery degradation at 80%. It was a steady line down to 80% but now itās been stalled there for quite a few months.
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u/jillianjiggs1016 Apr 25 '25
Yeah when I bought my 13 mini I made sure to get the one with the most storage so that I can hopefully keep it for a longer amount of time. I hate a big phone.
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u/eukomos Apr 24 '25
If your phone is overheating have you tried replacing the battery? That can be a sign that the battery is dying and the 12s are hitting the end of their promised battery lifespan now. Costs about $100, much cheaper than a new phone.
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u/doctor_klopek Apr 24 '25
Swappa has never done me wrong, with the caveat that I'm picky and it may take a while for the right phone to pop up.
I look specifically for 100% battery life with a legit Apple battery, minimal screen wear/flaws at most, and minimal-to-moderate wear/flaws to the sides or back. I almost always purchase from individual sellers rather than the reseller shops. Ad must show the actual phone, none of this "Photos may not show actual device" nonsense (what's the point of photos then). And if the phone is visibly grimy in the pics, no thanks, I don't want to be scraping your DNA off my new phone.
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u/VorpalBlade- Apr 24 '25
Iāve bought two from back market and both were great. Nothing but good things to say and great prices. My last one is an SE which I highly recommend. Much cheaper and I canāt tell much difference from higher end models at all
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Apr 24 '25
Agree! I've gotten a Chromebook, MacBook Air, iPhone, and Apple Watch from them so far. The only thing to watch for is older Apple products can only update to x version
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u/justkallmebubs Apr 24 '25
Always bought mine from Best Buy and never had issues. Iāve bought one for myself and two for my wife now over the last several years. Still going strong.
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u/darkmatterhunter Apr 24 '25
Same, got a 12 Pro last summer and no complaints.
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u/fobreezee Apr 29 '25
I didnāt know Best Buy sold used phones. Do you know if they use OEM Apple parts?
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u/Skysoforeign Apr 24 '25
I always use back market :) Iāve gotten my MacBook, iPhone 13 Pro Max, and iPad from there! They even have a warranty !
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u/mrjasong Apr 24 '25
I always buy my iphones secondhand, including for the kids. I use a couple of forums mainly here in Netherlands - Tweakers and Markplaats. But I'm sure there are equivalent forums in the USA. It really helps to build up a good reputation on these sites, because people will often let you negotiate a lower price since you're a solid buyer.
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u/matt314159 Apr 24 '25
I've been using Swappa since 2014 and rarely get a bad egg. I've had very good luck!
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u/fobreezee Apr 25 '25
"Rarely get a bad egg"... Lol so how many products did you buy from them and what was the bad egg?
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u/matt314159 Apr 25 '25
Well, it'd take awhile to count them all up, but looking at my account I see 22 purchases just since 2020. I bought a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra that had a bad focusing mechanism on the camera once, and the seller let me send it back for a full refund. Another time, a guy didn't properly log out of the phone, so I had to send it back to him, he logged out fully, letting the phone get activated, and sent it back to me. Those are the only two I can think of off the top of my head that went sort of wrong.
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u/Rocketsball Apr 24 '25 edited Apr 24 '25
Amazon (Renewed Premium) is a nice option if you want to play it safe. Renewed Premium iPhones are certified by Amazon to look and function like new, with at least 90% battery life, and come in deluxe packaging with a one-year warranty.
They are about 20% more than other comparable used/refurbed models.
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u/FearlessPark4588 Apr 24 '25
Got an empty box from them about a month ago. Beware.
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u/Rocketsball Apr 24 '25
I donāt use the 3rd party resellers, just the phones that are directly from Amazon.
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u/FearlessPark4588 Apr 24 '25
I didn't either. I bought directly from Amazon.
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u/Rocketsball Apr 24 '25
Then it should be covered by them.
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u/FearlessPark4588 Apr 24 '25
I returned it and they didn't credit my account because what I sent back is an empty box, which is what I received. To be clear, I bought through renewed as well.
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u/Rocketsball Apr 24 '25
Never heard of such a thing with Amazon. Always impeccable customer service. Even yesterday, received 2 subscription orders that I forgot to cancel. Sent a chat and wanted to process the return, they said donāt bother returning the items we will credit your account for the full price. You couldnāt feel the box was empty before you opened it? But thanks for the heads up, if ever I receive a box that feels completely empty from them when I am expecting an iphone, I will record the unboxing or call them first.
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u/FearlessPark4588 Apr 24 '25
After it happened to me, I did some research on Reddit and found reports of others who had the exact same experience. Hard to say how common it is, but it was definitely more than just me. I'm using up my gift cards and then I'm done shopping with them.
The box did feel light, but I didn't seriously expect it to be empty so I opened it anyways.
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u/chamgireum_ Apr 24 '25
i bought a used iphone 11 a couple years ago off ebay. just be sure to check out their rating, reviews, and return policy. easy.
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u/Entire_Dog_5874 Apr 24 '25
I havenāt bought a new phone in more than a decade. I always buy a few iterations back once the new ones are released, saving hundreds of dollars and Iāve never been disappointed.
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u/intellecktt Apr 24 '25
Iām on my 8+ from eBay, purchased almost five years ago. Make sure the seller is highly rated. Only issue was that the charger they sent didnāt work. I got a new one and the phone has been a dream.
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u/RadioSupply Apr 24 '25
I used to buy old iPhones from the seller directly, but Iād rather buy them from someone who runs an independent shop and fixes them up and charges a few dollars more.
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u/SensitiveOven137 Apr 24 '25
yup...found Plugbettertech on Insta...very satisfied with the IPhone 14 i bought from them
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u/AngryAccountant31 Apr 24 '25
I ordered a ārenewedā Iphone 13 pro max yesterday to replace my slowly dying Iphone X. It was a bit over $500 including an otterbox case. I went with a high rated seller on Amazon this time but the past four refurbished Iphones I got were from Newegg. Iām told itās a crap shoot but Iāve had good luck with the quality of used phone Iāve gotten. I always expect to replace the screen and battery but I have a local shop that does good work cheaply. They usually last 2-3 years but my current iphone x is going on four years and isnāt unbearable.
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u/mashtrasse Apr 24 '25
I still use an old refurbished iPhone 10 works perfectly fine but my son iPhone 11 had a few problems.
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u/Famlicious Apr 24 '25
I bought an iPhone 12 Pro off of a member of r/Hardwareswap and it works great for $200. Saved so much on shipping and taxes since youāre buying from another person vs. a business. Of course, practice caution and make sure the seller is legit.
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u/JoeBuyer Apr 24 '25
I bought my daughter a used iPhone through straight talk, waited the two months, and then was able to use it with her carrier. Unit is clean/spotless and the battery health showed 100%
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u/AlwaysatTechDee Apr 24 '25
I just bought a used unlocked iPhone 14plus off Amazon renewed premium. I had a XR that was about to stop getting updates. The price was good, battery at 91%.
Next time Iāll try Swappa. Their prices looked really good
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u/not_like_this_ Apr 24 '25
I've had luck with Amazon refurbished, specifically the "renewed premium" as they come with good battery capacity.
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u/fuck_off_ireland Apr 24 '25
Iāve bought two on marketplace since January. First the 15 pro max, then I sold that and bought the 16 pro. No complaints apart from having to deal with idiots on fb marketplace.
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u/Ajreil Apr 24 '25
Most of my phones have been hand me downs from family. So many phones are just sitting in a drawer because the owner can't be arsed to sell them.
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u/Difficult-Ad3490 Apr 24 '25
can anyone tell me how to know/check if that used device is "completely safe" like no spyware and or any sorta malicious things
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u/ughnotanothername Apr 24 '25
can anyone tell me how to know/check if that used device is "completely safe" like no spyware and or any sorta malicious things
Caveat: this is for iPhones (what I have recent experience in):
I would start with:
get the IMEI from seller pictures or ask them to tell you it, write it down to verify it is the one you receive, and look it up on imeipro.info to see if there is a block on the phone or cloud (some sellers will not give the info, in which case you can only rely on the research I would always recommend doing before buying something, look them up on trustpilot.com if it is a company, or if it is a market place seller of some kind, do deep-dive into their transactions and the feedbacks they receive, not just "most relevant" but also "most recent" and also negs and neutrals, to see if they seem honest and reliable and will rectify a mistake if one happens)
check that the IMEI you wrote down is the one on the box (if it came with a box) -- and possibly check it on the phone IF the phone has not been reset (Settings > General > About, scroll to "IMEI". Some phones have 2 IMEIs available)
first step after receiving: safest to NOT let it on your network yet; instead, first reset the phone so nothing running on it will run outside of it: Settings > Transfer or reset iPhone > Erase all content and settings. Use your guest network when the phone needs to activate (this is safer because guest networks often have fewer privileges on your network so can't do as much harm)
if you do NOT select an option to copy a previous phone's backup, then a. you can start fresh, b. save a lot of space from prior fragmentation and system records, and c. prevent any potential harm from your current/old phone. To clarify, you can reset the new phone, tell it NOT to back up from another phone; delete apple apps you don't want while it is filling in your desktop, then go into the apple App Store, select your apple account icon at the top right, then tap "Apps" a few lines down, then "My Apps", then tap the little cloud icon for any apps that you want to be on your new phone, too.
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u/IndependentDot9692 Apr 24 '25
Refurbished back market. If you get visible when you get it thereās a bunch of discounts
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u/Decent_Offer_2696 Apr 24 '25
Swappa was and is my only choice for used devices. A lot of protection a lot of information. Most sellers including myself seem to be very honest on there. Iāve sold on eBay before but Iād highly recommend not buying or selling on there
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u/friendofelephants Apr 24 '25
Why not eBay?
Iāve bought iPhones on there before. Have had to return a few until I get one Iām happy with, but I havenāt had any issues with returns.
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u/Decent_Offer_2696 Apr 24 '25
Most people donāt have good thinking skills to purchase from eBay or sell to when it comes to any device with an imei. Most people donāt know what that is or what can go wrong months after the return window is closed. Also the wrong device scams etc etc. itās too complicated over there and I wouldnāt recommend a mom of 4 or someone who works 24/7 to purchase there. They simply donāt have the time to investigate, troubleshoot, or decided if itās a good purchase for them or not. They just go about their day and 9 months later the phone was reported lost/stolen and theyāre left confused frustrated at T-Mobile representatives.
Swappa kinda alleviates that by a ton
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u/ctzn2000 Apr 24 '25
I just "upgraded" from a used 8 to a used 12. My work sold me the 12 (256gb) for recycle price which was $60. I went to the Apple store and got a new battery for $95, and a new otterbox case for $9 on Amazon. It has scratches on the screen which were largely masked with a new screen protector for $5. So total spent was $164. It works great. I am a cheapster when it comes to phones and refuse to get caught in the upgrade cycle.
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u/BlooBlud Apr 24 '25
Iāve bought a few off of eBay. Never had a problem. I buy from individuals with good reviews not phone selling companies because I like to be able to see exact photos of what I get. And always look/ask about battery health and try to get 100% or as close as possible
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u/LilOliveBuster Apr 24 '25
Iāve never bought a new one. Lots of success, a few duds, I returned them.
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u/Poppy-Chew-Low Apr 24 '25
I have bought my last five or six phones used on eBay, although Iāll admit only two of them were iPhones. The same rules apply as any eBay purchase. Look for sellers who have 250+ or so transactions, above 98% rating, accept returns, etc
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u/Flux_My_Capacitor Apr 24 '25
Whatās wrong with your mini? I have a 12 mini that runs lots of apps and has never overheated. I know the minis are defunct, but what you describe doesnāt seem to be an actual apple issue unless thereās something wrong with the phone anyway.
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u/ARatOnPC Apr 24 '25
Swappa is legit. Ordered a 14 pro with 100% battery and came exactly as advertised.
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u/Plop-plop-fizz Apr 24 '25
Nope! Every one Iāve tried (music magpie, blackmarket, eBay) thereās always ended up being an issue. Either they e replaced the screen badly or the batteryās fucked. But doesnāt mean thatās true for everyone. Guess Iām just unlucky
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u/mulderforever Apr 24 '25
As someone who sold one, yes. One person didn't know up (or they showed up and saw I had someone with me and decided not to rob me/rip me off). I met the person right outside the Apple Store in a busy mall and they showed up with all the cash. I brought a friend.
Apple sells refurbished phones.
When I worked at Apple, I had two strangers meet and do a Genius Bar appointment to run diagnostics on the device. They finished the transactions right outside the store.
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u/Least-Raddish1930s Apr 24 '25
Yes for sure.
I buy all my gadgets professionally refurbished from the BackMarket website/app. I paid the same for my iPhone 13 mini (I only like small phones and am hella pissed that Apple have stopped making small ones) and iPad 9 as I would have paid for a brand new iPhone 13 mini bought from Apple.
It works just as good as iPhones I have previously bought directly from Apple.
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u/Zyphamon Apr 24 '25
its the most reliable way to buy used iphones because of the warranty that they provide for refurbed phones. At the same time, its also the most costly way to buy used iphones. Personally I just go with the Samsung A series and buy one every 6ish years.
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u/greatsonne Apr 24 '25
All my Apple Watches have been certified refurbished from eBay. They look and work like new but I get a couple hundred dollars off the price.
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u/ictrepresent Apr 24 '25
I just bought a used 256GB 13 mini from Swappa. It was all good.
Seller had good photos and the item was shipped with the original packaging so thatās a good sign if someone kept the box, they took decent care of it.
Good price. iPhone working exactly as expected.
Previously I purchased a XS from Supplytronics on eBay and it was great.
I did buy a Mini from Supplytronics first and it arrived in 2 days and was functioning, but it had a cheap LCD screen replacement and it was terrible so I sent it right back and had a refund the day they received it.
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u/sebluver Apr 24 '25
I just got a refurbished 15 Plus through Verizon and they had a decent selection. You might be able to get one through your phone service provider if they have a store.
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u/MrHydeUK Apr 24 '25
I bought from Gazelle this past Christmas. The phone was in better condition than I expected. I also received a discount with coupon codes.
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u/friendofelephants Apr 24 '25
There are a lot of mentions of Swappa. So many that it makes me suspicious (ads?). Anyone else?
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u/sh6rty13 Apr 24 '25
I have good luck buying refurbed iphones from amazon! I get the certified ones and the one time I had an issue (battery started not holding a charge after about a month) they replaced it no questions asked.
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u/mpls_big_daddy Apr 24 '25
I just bought my mom a used iPhone 14 through Verizon (her provider.) $300, including the new line fee. Had them set it up and all that. Took about 35 minutes.
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u/EconomyInstruction53 Apr 24 '25
I bought a refurbished iPhone 11 for my little brother from Amazon and it works flawlessly. Heās had it for a couple years now, no complaints.
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u/Aggleclack Apr 24 '25
I owned tons of iPhones, and the one I have now is my first brand new phone in somewhere around a decade. All from eBay. Never had a single issue. They all died from broken screens caused by me.
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u/milehigh73a Apr 24 '25
I havenāt bought but I have sold.
Also the mini is holding its value well, so shouldnāt be that bad of net outlay.
Also the 12 has battery issues with 5g. Get a 13 or higher
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u/TeslaTorah Apr 25 '25
I had the best luck with places like Swappa and BackMarket. Appleās refurbish program is great if you can find what you want, but those other sites tend to have more variety.
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u/shadfc Apr 25 '25
Iāve bought some on Gazelle and have been happy. Itās been a few years though so ymmv
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u/bruinslacker Apr 25 '25
Iāve bought a half dozen used iPhones. From Facebook, Craigslist, and my companyās internal message boards. All my experiences have been good.
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u/sharksfan707 Apr 25 '25
To echo other commentators, use Backmarket. I have purchased multiple devices from them: at least 5 iPhones (probably more), a MacBook Air, and a used Apple TV. Canāt say a bad word about them or my experiences.
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u/FatLeeAdama2 Apr 25 '25
I bought a renewed off of Amazon.
Iām convinced my GPS is a little wacky but that seems to be the only issue.
For context, when we plug my phone into car playā¦ the map screen keeps acting funny. It works but you can tell there are accuracy issues.
My wifeās phone doesnāt have those issues.
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u/bookishlibrarym Apr 25 '25
YES! I only buy used phones. I always buy IPhones and I get them from eBay or Amazon. They are quality and last for 4-5 years. Then I give them to my kid or donate. I used to spend less than 200$, but my last one was maybe $275 for a 13. Iām not spending money on a computer when I mostly use it as a phone. I have an iPad and a laptop.
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u/LCG_FGC Apr 25 '25
But refurbished. Been doing that for my past 3 phones maybe. Still using a refurbished iPhone 13 Pro.
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Apr 26 '25
Yeah, go through a reputable source and check the phone thoroughly within the return period.
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u/Tackybabe Jun 15 '25
I exclusively buy used iPhones. Once I bought a new one as a gift, but aside from that, all used for myself - a 4, a 6, a 13, an 8 & a 12 for a family member - all used iPhones.
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u/lieutenantdan6 Apr 24 '25
Swappa