Don't use Cex

gfaulks

I looked on this site for advice who to use to sell my old mobile phone (Samsung s3 mini). Cex came up top and offered me £42 in working order. I sent them the phone (in packaging I provided) although they paid postage. A week later they emailed to say the battery was 'swollen' and so would only offer me £15 for a non-working phone. I asked for it all to be returned as didn't believe them. They returned it, I tried the phone with the battery in and it worked perfectly and there was nothing wrong with the battery. Warning - don't use this company, I've since read several other reviews and believe they are dishonest and a scam!
I looked again and this time sent my phone to Eunvirofone who provided me with the packaging. They offered just over £35 and were true to their word. They kept me informed by email and transferred the money to my bank account on the day they promised. A helpful, honest company whose customer service was impeccable.

stugib

I wouldn't use them again - find any excuse to reduce the offer (this was in store) - the webuyanycar of the electronics sector!

They publicised £120 for a grade A iPhone3 a few years ago. Had been in a protective case from day 1. Unless it was brand new out of the box I don't believe there's a way any second-hand equipment would meet their grade A criteria.

Offered me £90 because of 'scratches' and a split in the charger cable.

Reluctantly accepted and was only later that I realised their grade B (some marks + no charger) offer was for more than £90. Doh!

SeduLOUs

I only use CeX by going into an actual store. You get a real person telling you exactly what they will give you for your phone, and if you're happy with the offer you can get paid by cash or BACs transfer.

They do tend to undergrade phones, but even then they have usually still offered a better price than the alternatives without all the worry of things going missing in the post.

stugib wrote: »

They publicised £120 for a grade A iPhone3 a few years ago. Had been in a protective case from day 1. Unless it was brand new out of the box I don't believe there's a way any second-hand equipment would meet their grade A criteria.

I'm pretty sure the only way you get a grade A is for it to be absolutely pristine, and all original cables and headphones have to be in their original wrapping. It has to be basically the same as when you bought it brand new. The tiniest of nicks or a hairline scratch you can barely see means grade B.

When they sell a 'grade A' to a customer, the customer is expecting to get a basically brand new phone, so no damage whatsoever is acceptable.

stugib

SeduLOUs wrote: »

I'm pretty sure the only way you get a grade A is for it to be absolutely pristine, and all original cables and headphones have to be in their original wrapping. It has to be basically the same as when you bought it brand new. The tiniest of nicks or a hairline scratch you can barely see means grade B.

When they sell a 'grade A' to a customer, the customer is expecting to get a basically brand new phone, so no damage whatsoever is acceptable.

That's my experience, but do customers really go to second-hand (let's face it, one step up from pawnbrokers) expecting brand new phones? I guess there's a market there for unwanted upgrades.

SeduLOUs

stugib wrote: »

That's my experience, but do customers really go to second-hand (let's face it, one step up from pawnbrokers) expecting brand new phones? I guess there's a market there for unwanted upgrades.

Yea I've won a couple of phones on Twitter and got Grade A prices from CeX that were far higher what envirophone and others online were offering. It's not a bad way of cashing in on unwanted upgrades.

I was tempted to sell on eBay/gumtree etc but was happier to take a drop in price just for getting cash in hand and not worrying about fees, postage and scammers.

Neil49

I've only used them once, when I had a smartphone to sell, but after comparing prices with various trade in companies, eBay (less the high charges that they and PayPal take) and the CEX grade B figure quoted online, CEX came out best by far.

I took it in store with a copy of the online figure and that is what I got.