What are Back Market phone grades?

You may have seen phone grades listed on our site and had some questions. So we're here to spell it out for you.

While every device sold on Back Market is guaranteed to be 100% functional, we offer 3 cosmetic phone grades — plus our newly launched Premium grade — to fit any budget. Here’s an in-depth look at our grading system.

Smartphone grades

Every smartphone sold on Back Market is “Verified Refurbished,” meaning sellers have to run a 25-point inspection to ensure quality complies with our strict charter. All tech is guaranteed to be 100% functional, so you don’t have to worry about your new phone fizzing out on you.

For more transparency, we assign each device with a grade: Fair, Good, Excellent, or Premium. The difference between Fair, Good, and Excellent condition is only in the appearance (and price) of the phone. If you’re looking for something top of the range, Premium grade phones will have a pristine interior and exterior, refurbished exclusively with “genuine parts” – cool, huh?

Here’s more info on the 4 phone grades you can choose from:

Back Market: Premium condition

It’s important to note that not all Premium devices have been refurbished. Some are “open-box returns.” Others might be OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) devices. This means they’re sourced exclusively from the phone’s manufacturer for resale, and lightly refurbished with genuine parts (from companies like Apple, or Samsung).

Appearance: Like new. The screen and body are flawless with no signs of use. Premium devices may be gently used or open-box returns. 

Functionality: 100% fully functional. Great health: Genuine Apple or Samsung batteries with a minimum 90% capacity. Great performance for heavy daily use. All parts are tested, checked, and cleaned by professional refurbishers.

Back Market: Excellent condition

Appearance: Almost no signs of wear. The body may have very light micro-scratches, not visible from a distance of 8 inches (a bit longer than a pencil) or more. For items with screens, the screen will have no scratches.

Functionality: 100% fully functional. Minimum 80% battery capacity, with good performance for average daily use. All parts are tested, checked, and cleaned by professional refurbishers.

Back Market: Good condition

Appearance: Light signs of wear. The body may have light micro-scratches, not visible at a distance of 20 inches (about an arm’s length) or more. For items with screens, the screen will have no scratches.

Functionality: 100% fully functional. Minimum 80% battery capacity, with good performance for average daily use. All parts are tested, checked, and cleaned by professional refurbishers.

Back Market: Fair condition

Appearance: Signs of wear. The body may have a few visible scratches and dents that do not affect performance. For devices with screens, they may have light scratches that are slightly visible when the device is on.

Functionality: 100% fully functional. Minimum 80% battery capacity, with good performance for average daily use. All parts are tested, checked, and cleaned by professional refurbishers.

Bottom line: Which grade is right for me?

If there’s one thing to note about our phone grades, it’s that no matter what you choose, you’ll never lose out on functionality.

Whether you pick a Fair, Good, or Excellent smartphone from Back Market depends on a couple of things. How much money do you want to save, and how important is the device’s appearance? A phone with light signs of wear might be fitting if you’re looking to save some cash. You should also think about how important the cosmetic condition of your phone is to you (and in the case of Premium, if genuine parts are a big plus).

Whichever grade you decide on, you can be confident that if you run into problems, all phones come with a 1-year warranty and 30 days to change your mind (we’re sure you won’t, though).