How to Buy a Refurbished iPhone

The Refurbished iPhone Price Factor
While you will certainly want to keep the notion of getting a good price when shopping for a refurbished iPhone in the back of your mind as you shop, do not assume that a great price is the only thing you need to consider. Extraordinary prices are certainly enticing when a consumer is checking out all of the options available, but all-time low prices are not necessarily an indication of quality in every instance. Other things in addition to the price factor need to be considered like the condition of the iPhone, whether or not there is any visible damage on the iPhone, whether or not the Phone is blacklisted, and whether or not the seller providing the refurbished iPhone has a reasonable return policy.

Checking the Condition of the Refurbished iPhone
The best way to ensure one is getting a iPhone in good condition is identified in the act of thoroughly examining the phone for any signs of damage and wear or to ask the seller to describe and examine the exterior of the iPhone for scratches, gouges, or clearly identifiable areas of damage. Once the exterior of the refurbished iPhone has been thoroughly assessed, the consumer will want to check out whether or not the iPhone has been damaged through water exposure.
It doesn’t matter what type of iPhone a consumer is thinking about buying: a 4gb refurbished iPhone, an 8gb refurbished iPhone or a 16gb iPhone all have built in moisture detectors which will immediately reveal if the phone is water damaged. Of course, you can always question the seller and ask if the item has had water damage in the past, but it is far safer to look into whether or not the refurbished iPhone has been damaged by water physically. Checking for water damage is simple; when looking to buy a refurbished iPhone, you can gently lift the battery out of the iPhone to see if there is a tiny, white colored dot beneath the area where the battery is placed. When checking beneath the refurbished iPhone for the moisture indicator, if the consumer discovers a small, red colored dot or no dot at all, this is a clear indication that something is amiss and that the iPhone has been exposed to moisture.
Ensuring the Refurbished iPhones are Not Blacklisted
When a consumer is shopping for an Apple iPhone 4gb, 8gb, or 16gb, if the iPhone has been locked or blacklisted, it really does not matter whether the phone lacks any water damage or any exterior damage. When a refurbished iPhone is blacklisted, it will fail to work completely. An electronic serial number, otherwise referred to as an ESN, that is in the clear is needed too, or, once again the iPhone will not work. Stolen iPhones are blacklisted and cannot be activated.

If an iPhone is considered locked, this limits the carrier that the buyer of the refurbished iPhone can work with. It is important when one buys a refurbished iPhone that he or she is fully aware if it has a locked status. A locked AT&T iPhone will not work with T-Mobile, even though it is on the GSM network.
Seek Out a Reasonable Return Policy
If you are shopping for a refurbished iPhone, look for a dealer or distributor that supplies a return policy. This is vital whether you are buying a refurbished iPhone in person from a dealer and especially if you are ordering an iPhone from an online seller. Once the item is received, it should be examined, assessed for damage, and tested. It is imperative that the consumer ensure that he or she understands all of the regulations presented in a refurbished iPhone seller’s return policy.