Quick answer: "Refurbished", "renewed", "reconditioned", "pre-owned", "used", "second-hand", "open box" and "certified refurbished" are retail labels, not legal grades. UK consumer law does not define any of them. What a phone labelled this way actually gives you depends on who is selling it (a business or a private individual) and on what that seller writes in the listing about testing, battery, grading and warranty.
This guide explains what each label normally means in the UK, what the Consumer Rights Act 2015 does and does not promise, how the big schemes from Apple, Samsung, Amazon and eBay define their own terms, and how to read a phone listing so you know what you're buying before you pay.
Is there a legal definition of "refurbished" in the UK?
No. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 is the main UK law on buying goods from a business, and Part 1 of the Act never uses the words "refurbished", "renewed" or "reconditioned". What the Act does is set the same baseline for every phone a business sells you, new or second-hand: it must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described.
The lack of a definition matters because the label tells you very little by itself. Two sellers can both call a phone "refurbished" when one has replaced the battery and run full diagnostics and the other has wiped it and wiped down the case. The law steps in through the description: whatever a business says about the phone becomes part of the contract. That makes the listing text, not the label, the thing to read closely.
What the Consumer Rights Act 2015 actually covers
When you buy from a trader, section 9 of the Act says the phone must meet the standard a reasonable person would consider satisfactory, taking account of the description, the price and other relevant circumstances. Quality explicitly includes appearance and finish, freedom from minor defects, safety and durability. Section 11 says goods must match their description, and the information a trader gives you about the main characteristics of the goods is treated as a term of the contract.
There are three practical consequences for a second-hand or refurbished phone:
- Price and description count. A lower-priced phone sold as "Very Good, visible marks on the body" is not expected to look like a brand-new one at full price. But it must work as a phone should and match what the seller said.
- Disclosed faults are excluded. Under section 9(4), you can't later complain about a defect that was specifically pointed out to you before you bought, or one that your own inspection ought to have revealed.
- Time limits apply. Section 22 gives you a short-term right to reject faulty goods within 30 days of delivery. Section 19(14) presumes that a fault appearing within six months of delivery was there from the start, unless the trader shows otherwise.
Citizens Advice puts it plainly: it doesn't matter whether you bought the item new or second-hand, you still have rights. You don't have rights for damage caused by wear and tear, accidents or misuse, or for faults you knew about before buying.
Buying from a private seller is different
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies to sales by a business. When you buy a used phone from an individual, for example through a marketplace listing or a friend of a friend, Citizens Advice points buyers to the Sale of Goods Act 1979: the goods must match their description, and if they're misdescribed you can claim the difference in value. There is no general right to satisfactory quality from a private seller, and no 30-day right to reject. A private seller can't lie about a phone, but they can leave things out.
Note one more exception in the Act itself: second-hand goods sold at a public auction that you can attend in person are partly outside the consumer rules (section 2(5)). Online marketplace "auctions" are usually not this kind of auction, but check who the seller is.
What each label usually means
The definitions below describe how the terms are generally used by UK retailers and marketplaces. Because none of them is legally fixed, always check the specific seller's own definition.
Used / second-hand
A "used" or "second-hand" phone has had at least one previous owner and is being sold on, usually as-is. These are the broadest labels, covering everything from a phone sold privately with no checks at all to a phone sold by a shop that has tested it. "Second hand phones" is searched around 8,100 times a month in the UK, and the term often blends into refurbished in people's searches, but on its own "used" promises nothing about testing, battery or cosmetic grade.
Pre-owned
"Pre-owned" means the same as used. Retailers tend to prefer it because it sounds more premium, and some apply it to phones that have been tested and graded. The word itself adds no guarantee. Look for what the seller says it has checked.
Refurbished
"Refurbished" implies the phone has been through a process: inspected, tested, repaired where needed, cleaned, data-wiped and graded on cosmetic condition. The depth of that process varies a lot. Questions worth asking any refurbisher: what is tested, is there a battery health minimum, are replacement parts used and what standard are they, and how long is the warranty?
Reconditioned
"Reconditioned" is an older British term that means the same as refurbished in practice. "Reconditioned phones" gets about 2,400 UK searches a month. No UK law or standard separates "reconditioned" from "refurbished", so treat them as synonyms and look at the listing detail.
Renewed (and "renewed iPhone" meaning)
"Renewed" is best known as Amazon's branding. Amazon's UK help pages describe Amazon Renewed as a destination for refurbished, pre-owned and open-box products that have been inspected and tested to be fully functional by an Amazon-qualified supplier, who may be a manufacturer or a specialist third-party refurbisher. So a "renewed iPhone" on Amazon is a refurbished or pre-owned iPhone sold under Amazon's Renewed rules, not an iPhone refurbished by Apple, unless the listing says otherwise.
Amazon publishes four conditions for Renewed (Premium, Excellent, Good and Acceptable) and states batteries are tested to at least 80% of capacity relative to new, or at least 90% for Renewed Premium. Amazon also states that refurbished phones are not guaranteed to keep their waterproof seal, and that products may come in a generic box with generic accessories. Products from third-party sellers on Amazon Renewed carry the Amazon Renewed Guarantee: a replacement or refund if the product is faulty, defective or doesn't work as expected within one year of delivery.
Certified refurbished
"Certified refurbished" should mean the manufacturer, or a manufacturer-approved partner, has done the refurbishment. Two examples verified on the manufacturers' UK sites:
- Apple Certified Refurbished: Apple says refurbished iOS devices come with a new battery and outer shell, full functional testing, all accessories and cables, a new white box, and Apple's standard one-year limited warranty, with the option to add AppleCare.
- Samsung Certified Re-Newed: Samsung UK launched the programme in January 2026 with the Galaxy S25, S25+ and S25 Ultra, sold only on samsung.com/uk. Samsung says devices get more than 100 quality tests, Samsung parts where needed, a Samsung-certified battery, a new box with standard in-box items, and a two-year warranty, the same as a new phone.
eBay UK uses "Certified - Refurbished" as a condition category and defines it as pristine, like-new, refurbished by the manufacturer or a manufacturer-approved vendor to manufacturer specifications. Elsewhere, "certified" can just mean "we checked it". If a seller says certified, ask: certified by whom?
Open box
"Open box" means a phone that has had its packaging opened but is otherwise new or close to new, often a return or a display unit. eBay UK's "Opened – never used" definition covers an item in excellent, new condition with no wear, possibly without its packaging or seal, and notes it may be a factory second with a small cosmetic flaw. Some open-box phones have been activated, meaning they've been switched on and set up, which can matter for the manufacturer warranty start date. Ask the seller whether the phone has been activated and which warranty applies.
Comparison table: what each label promises
| Label | Typical meaning | Defined by law? | Usual extras (seller-dependent) | What to check in the listing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Used / second-hand | Previous owner, sold on, often as-is | No | Often none | Seller type (business or private), Activation Lock/FRP status, returns |
| Pre-owned | Same as used; sometimes tested and graded | No | Varies | What was tested, battery health, warranty length |
| Refurbished | Inspected, tested, repaired if needed, cleaned, wiped, graded | No | Seller warranty; grade scale | Grade definitions, battery minimum, parts policy, warranty exclusions |
| Reconditioned | Same as refurbished | No | As refurbished | As refurbished |
| Renewed | Amazon's term for refurbished, pre-owned or open-box items | No (Amazon's own rules) | Amazon Renewed Guarantee (1 year, third-party sellers); battery at least 80%/90% | Condition tier, seller name, packaging and accessories |
| Certified refurbished | Refurbished by the manufacturer or an approved partner | No (programme rules) | Apple: new battery and outer shell, 1-year warranty. Samsung UK: 2-year warranty | Who certified it; whether it's the manufacturer's own scheme |
| Open box | New or near-new, packaging opened | No | Sometimes manufacturer warranty | Activated or not; which warranty applies; contents |
The column that never changes is "Defined by law? No". Whatever the label, a business still owes you the Consumer Rights Act baseline of satisfactory quality, fitness for purpose and accuracy of description.
Browse tested, graded refurbished phones with a 12-month warranty →
How to read a refurbished or used phone listing
Because the label is loose, the detail is everything. Work through a listing in this order.
- Who is the seller? A business (with a registered address and returns policy) owes you Consumer Rights Act protection. A private individual doesn't, beyond the description being accurate.
- What does the grade mean, in words? "Excellent" means nothing until the seller defines it. Look for a published definition of every grade, including the lowest. Our guide to refurbished iPhone condition grades walks through how grade scales work in practice.
- Is there a battery health figure? A stated minimum (for example "at least 85%") is useful. "Battery tested" on its own is not.
- Is the phone free of account locks? Look for an explicit statement that Activation Lock (iPhone) or Google and Samsung accounts (Galaxy) have been removed.
- Is it network unlocked? Ofcom banned UK mobile companies from selling locked handsets from 17 December 2021, but older or imported phones can still be locked. The listing should say "unlocked".
- Which parts have been replaced? On recent iPhones, Settings shows Parts and Service History. A good listing tells you upfront if a screen or battery has been replaced and what standard the part is.
- How long is the warranty, and what does it exclude? Read the exclusions. Battery wear, accidental damage and liquid damage are commonly excluded.
- What are the returns terms? For online purchases from a business you also have a 14-day right to cancel, separate from your rights on faulty goods.
- Is it UK stock? Model variants differ by region. If you're comparing against imported "brand new" stock, see our guide to international stock vs refurbished.
Red flags in a listing
- No grade definitions, just "Grade A/B/C".
- Phrases like "iCloud locked, can be removed" or "FRP bypass", which mean the phone is still tied to someone else's account.
- No mention of warranty, or "sold as seen" from a business.
- A price far below every comparable listing for the same model and storage.
- Stock photos only, with no photos of the actual phone at the lower grades.
How The Tech Gadgets uses these labels
To be specific about our own terms: The Tech Gadgets sells refurbished and pre-owned phones that we test, clean, factory reset and sign out of the previous owner's account (Activation Lock off on iPhones). Every phone is unlocked for all UK networks. We refurbish them ourselves. They are not Apple Certified Refurbished or Samsung Certified Re-Newed. Each phone is activated before dispatch as part of testing.
Our grades are Like New (no visible marks on screen or body; may or may not come in the manufacturer's box), Excellent (light signs of use, hard to spot at arm's length), Very Good (visible marks on the body, screen in good shape) and Fair (the most visible wear). Product pages state at least 85% battery health on Like New, Excellent and Very Good, measured at dispatch.
Refurbished and pre-owned phones carry a 12-month warranty from The Tech Gadgets covering manufacturing defects and functional malfunctions. It excludes physical or water damage, electrical damage and battery defects or reduced capacity. Some Galaxy A-series phones we sell are Brand New or "Open Box (Activated)" instead of refurbished, and those come with the manufacturer's warranty. For example, the Galaxy A57 5G 128GB is available Open Box (Activated); see today's price on the product page. Returns are accepted within 30 days of delivery under our refund policy.
Which label should you buy?
For most people, a refurbished phone from a business with published grades, a battery minimum and at least a 12-month warranty is the best balance of price and protection. You keep full Consumer Rights Act protection, and a refurbisher has already done the account, lock and function checks a private buyer would have to do themselves.
Manufacturer-certified refurbished costs more but adds manufacturer parts and, for Apple, a new battery and outer shell. Private second-hand sales are usually cheapest but carry the most risk, so if you go that way, run through our step-by-step checks for a second-hand iPhone or a used Samsung phone before you hand over any money.
If you're still deciding whether a refurbished phone suits you at all, is a refurbished iPhone worth buying? covers the trade-offs.
Shop refurbished iPhone 13 and see today's price →
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between refurbished and used phones?
A used phone has had a previous owner and may be sold with no checks. A refurbished phone has, in principle, been tested, repaired where needed, cleaned, wiped and graded before resale. Neither term is legally defined in the UK, so the difference only exists if the seller describes the process, grades and warranty.
What does "renewed iPhone" mean?
"Renewed" is Amazon's label for refurbished, pre-owned and open-box products sold on Amazon Renewed. A renewed iPhone has been inspected and tested by an Amazon-qualified supplier, which may be a third-party refurbisher. It is not an Apple Certified Refurbished iPhone unless sold through Apple's own scheme.
Is reconditioned the same as refurbished?
Yes, in practice. "Reconditioned" is the older British word and "refurbished" the more common one today. UK law doesn't distinguish between them, so compare the seller's testing, battery and warranty details, not the label.
Do I have the same rights on a refurbished phone as on a new one?
From a business, broadly yes. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires goods to be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described, whether new or second-hand. What counts as satisfactory takes account of the price and description, and you can't claim for faults clearly disclosed before purchase.
What does "certified refurbished" mean?
It should mean the manufacturer or an approved partner refurbished the phone. Apple Certified Refurbished iPhones get a new battery and outer shell and a one-year warranty. Samsung Certified Re-Newed Galaxy S25 models in the UK come with a two-year warranty. Other sellers sometimes use "certified" loosely, so ask who did the certifying.
What does "open box (activated)" mean on a phone?
It means the box has been opened and the phone has been switched on and set up at least once, but it is otherwise new or close to new. Activation can matter for when the manufacturer warranty starts, so check which warranty applies and from what date.
Are refurbished phones still water resistant?
Don't assume so. Amazon states that refurbished phones on Amazon Renewed are not guaranteed to keep their waterproof seal, and most refurbisher warranties, ours included, exclude water damage. Treat any refurbished phone as if it has no water resistance.