Short answer
Before you buy a refurbished iPhone, ask the seller eleven things: the battery health as a number, whether the battery or any other part was replaced, whether the phone is free of Activation Lock and unlocked, what the return period and warranty are, and whether the refurbisher is certified. Below is each question, why it matters, and our answer.
The checklist
| Ask the seller | Our answer |
|---|---|
| 1. What is the battery health, as a number? | Shown on every listing: 90%+, 85-90% or 80-85%. |
| 2. Is the battery original or replaced? | Original; any battery replaced in refurbishment is genuine. |
| 3. Are any parts aftermarket or third-party? | None on Premium and Excellent (original screens). Value phones name it in the grade. |
| 4. Is it free of Activation Lock and signed out of iCloud? | Yes, guaranteed. IMEI checked clean, no unpaid balance. |
| 5. Is it unlocked? | Yes, works on AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon. |
| 6. What was tested? | A 32-point test of every part that matters. |
| 7. Is the refurbisher certified? | Yes: R2v3, ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001. |
| 8. What does the grade mean? | Looks only. Every grade works fully. |
| 9. How long is the return period? | 30 days, full refund, free return shipping. |
| 10. What does the warranty cover, and for how long? | 12 months from delivery, repair or replace. |
| 11. Is it still water resistant? | Don't count on it. Liquid damage isn't covered. |
Each question, explained
1. What is the battery health, as a number?
Why it matters: A word like "good" isn't a measurement. 80% is where a battery counts as worn.
Our answer: We measure it before the phone ships and show the band on every listing: 90%+, 85-90% or 80-85%. A phone below 80% says so in its name. You choose the band.
2. Is the battery original or replaced?
Why it matters: Replacement batteries vary in quality. On recent iPhones, Settings > General > About > Parts and Service History shows whether the battery was replaced and whether it's a genuine Apple part.
Our answer: Batteries are original; if a battery needed replacing during refurbishment, it was replaced with a genuine one. You can check Parts and Service History when it arrives; if anything doesn't match the listing, you have 30 days to return it.
3. Are any parts aftermarket or third-party?
Why it matters: A non-original screen or battery can look and age differently, and iPhone may show a message about it in Settings.
Our answer: Premium and Excellent phones have original screens and show no third-party-part messages. Value phones use aftermarket parts and name it in the grade, for example "Aftermarket message": a non-original part shows a message in Settings.
4. Is it free of Activation Lock and signed out of iCloud?
Why it matters: A phone still linked to the last owner's Apple Account can't be set up. It should start at the Hello screen.
Our answer: Yes. Every phone we sell is guaranteed free of iCloud and Activation Lock, ready to set up with your own Apple Account. Every phone's IMEI is checked clean, with no outstanding finance or carrier balance, before we list it. In the unlikely event a phone we sold is ever blacklisted, we give a full refund.
5. Is it unlocked?
Why it matters: A carrier-locked phone only works with one network.
Our answer: Yes. Every phone we sell is unlocked and works on AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon and the networks that run on them.
6. What was tested?
Why it matters: "It works" isn't a test. A real answer lists parts.
Our answer: A 32-point test: screen, battery, cameras, speakers, microphones, charging port, Face ID or Touch ID, buttons, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and cellular.
7. Is the refurbisher certified?
Why it matters: Anyone can write "certified refurbished". R2v3 (responsible electronics reuse) and ISO 9001 (quality) certificates are issued only after an independent audit.
Our answer: Secondlifephones Corporation, the company behind 2nd Phone Club, is certified to R2v3 (responsible electronics reuse), ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environment) and ISO 45001 (health & safety), issued by Amtivo; certificate numbers 253332 / 253331 / 253329 / 253330. Every phone is refurbished at our certified facility in Los Angeles County.
8. What does the grade mean?
Why it matters: Grades aren't standard, so the same word means different things at different sellers.
Our answer: Grades describe looks: Excellent looks close to new, Good has light micro-scratches, Fair shows normal wear. All work fully. Premium means Excellent with battery health of 90% or more.
9. How long is the return period?
Why it matters: You should be able to send it back if it isn't right.
Our answer: 30 days from delivery for a full refund, and return shipping is free. Start it online with your order number and zip code; a prepaid FedEx label is emailed to you.
10. What does the warranty cover, and for how long?
Why it matters: A warranty length in writing beats a promise that nothing will go wrong.
Our answer: 12 months from delivery. If the phone stops working normally, we repair or replace it free. Accidental damage, liquid damage and normal battery wear aren't covered.
11. Is it still water resistant?
Why it matters: Apple says water resistance isn't permanent and can decrease with normal wear, and opening a phone for repair can affect it.
Our answer: Treat any used iPhone as no longer water resistant. Liquid damage isn't covered by our warranty, as it isn't by Apple's.
Check these yourself when it arrives
- Settings > Battery > Battery Health: the percentage should match the band on the listing.
- Settings > General > About > Parts and Service History (on iPhone XR, XS, SE 2nd generation and later): shows replaced parts and whether they're genuine.
- Set-up starts at the Hello screen. If it asks for someone else's Apple Account, it's still locked to them: contact the seller.
- Settings > General > About > Carrier Lock should say "No SIM restrictions".
- Try every camera, Face ID or Touch ID, the speakers, a call and charging.
More detail: how to check a used iPhone
Screen, Face ID, True Tone: how to tell if a part was replaced
- Screen. Parts and Service History shows a replaced display and whether it's genuine. Apple says a non-genuine display can lose True Tone, show colours that are too yellow or blue, or dim and brighten wrongly. Check that True Tone appears in Control Center's brightness controls.
- Battery and cameras. Also listed in Parts and Service History on recent iPhones.
- Face ID or Touch ID. Set it up. If it won't enrol, it isn't working. Here, a phone without working Face ID is sold in the Value line with "No Face ID" in its grade.
Premium and Excellent phones have original screens and show no third-party-part messages.
Common questions
What is the battery health, as a number?
We measure it before the phone ships and show the band on every listing: 90%+, 85-90% or 80-85%. A phone below 80% says so in its name. You choose the band.
Is the battery original or replaced?
Batteries are original; if a battery needed replacing during refurbishment, it was replaced with a genuine one. You can check Parts and Service History when it arrives; if anything doesn't match the listing, you have 30 days to return it.
Are any parts aftermarket or third-party?
Premium and Excellent phones have original screens and show no third-party-part messages. Value phones use aftermarket parts and name it in the grade, for example "Aftermarket message": a non-original part shows a message in Settings.
Is it free of Activation Lock and signed out of iCloud?
Yes. Every phone we sell is guaranteed free of iCloud and Activation Lock, ready to set up with your own Apple Account. Every phone's IMEI is checked clean, with no outstanding finance or carrier balance, before we list it. In the unlikely event a phone we sold is ever blacklisted, we give a full refund.
Is it unlocked?
Yes. Every phone we sell is unlocked and works on AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon and the networks that run on them.
Where should I buy a refurbished iPhone?
From a seller that answers these questions in writing: the battery health of the phone you are buying as a number, which parts were replaced, a guarantee of no Activation Lock, at least 30 days to return it, a 12-month warranty, and an audited refurbishing standard such as R2v3. 2nd Phone Club gives all of these on every phone.
What should I ask before buying a refurbished iPhone?
The battery health as a number, which parts were replaced and whether they're original, whether it's free of Activation Lock and unlocked, what was tested, and the return period and warranty.
Is a refurbished iPhone still water resistant?
Don't count on it. Apple says water resistance isn't permanent and can decrease with normal wear. Liquid damage isn't covered by our warranty.
Apple sources: Parts and Service History · Activation Lock · Water resistance · Battery and performance · Genuine displays