Fuel above 1.70/l (and yes, the price is agreed upon and deliberate), a shopping cart starting to become unaffordable, rents and mortgages skyrocketing, and as if that weren’t enough, the average ticket for new phones is more than ever fired. The high mobile phone bill is one of the main reasons for their sales decline, and in the face of rapidly rising prices, alternatives such as rentals are starting to gain strength.

In my particular case, I am a staunch advocate of second hand. My vehicles are used and so were my cell phones a few years ago. Bargain mobile survivesunless you’re afraid to buy something that has already been used or, in more optimistic scenarios, opened by someone.

This post will focus on my experience used cell phones (or unused as I will explain), so there will be no mention of refurbished ones. It’s a similar situation, but there are dedicated websites and they have slightly different features compared to the used market.

The eagerness to unlock the phone

Besides being a technology lover, I am a motor lover. Since this is a country where prices are much higher, I have always wondered about something similar to mobile phones: Brand new product yourself includes a high extra cost. This is something embodied and proven in the purchase of “zero mileage” vehicles. You can save thousands of Euros by purchasing a car or motorcycle that has not been marketed by you.

When it comes to phones, something very similar happens. Before we talk about used phones, it is appropriate to give visibility to open phones. These phones, which are a gift from the company, a gift from the operator, or eagerly bought by someone to try them out for just a few hours, are immediately returned to the box. They are no longer new and that lowers their final price. There is an even more extreme case of mobile phones that are listed but not sold through the original manufacturer.

An iPhone 14 Pro Max for the price of the iPhone 14 Pro or an S22 Ultra for 800 euros. These are some examples of how we can save a few euros by buying closed or open cell phones from second-hand portals. It would be a wise purchase if we can be sure of its source. i will tell you a little later How do warranties work in these cases?However, I can tell you in advance that it’s usually okay.

High level gains meaning over time

Which would you choose between 2021 Realme GT with Snapdragon 888 and 2022 Realme 9 Pro+ with MediaTek Dimensity 720? Each has their own preferences, but I have no doubt that the Realme GT is a better buy, and they cost the same on Amazon right now. This is just one example of something I’ve said before: “I wanted to buy a 2022 mid-range model. I bought a 2021 high-end model that outperforms it in everything.”

In my particular case, I tend to be pretty insistent on the power of phones. Because no one cares when considering the core usage of WhatsApp, Gmail and social networks, but we all do when we want it to move smoothly for more than three years, when we want it to carry that app that was launched sometime after its release. when it is no longer supported because the processor is not compatible or it starts to go wrong and we remember that we bought such a modest mobile.

The high point of a few years ago, Overall, it’s still well above the current mid-range.. A separate issue is the tribute we will have to pay if we use Android: support, but an S21 Ultra is better than any Galaxy A, and a Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro sweeps away any Redmi that touches 400 euros. And yes, you can find them second-hand in these numbers.

Where and how can I find the perfect cell phone?

HTCmania and Wallapop. The first is for overall reliability and closer treatment, and the second is for finding what you want more easily. The HTCmania sub-forum allows us to see the ratings and total sales of the sellers. I’m pretty straightforward here: don’t buy anything from someone who doesn’t have a review. We’ve all had to be no-scoring dealers, but at this point in the game you have to play it safe.

Wallapop is now easier and more visual… and more negotiable. The advice is the same: Don’t buy anything if the seller has just created the account or doesn’t have enough positive reviews. In my case, I wouldn’t buy it if it doesn’t have five stars. Having a good reputation is easy if you do things right, having a few stars is almost a guarantee that the phone will not be as promised by the vendors.

Since we are shopping online, we will not be able to check the status of the phone. my advice is ask for a video of the mobile phone working, in which the current date is appreciated. If the seller is transparent, there will be no problem. If the photos of Wallapop or HTCmania are not of sufficient quality, it is recommended that you ask us to send the original photos to us using the methods you both guessed.

let’s talk guarantee

The warranty of the phone will be determined by the manufacturer and it does not matter where it was purchased. The warranty is from the European brand, although in some cases the manufacturer wants to wash their hands and direct you to the original store where you bought it. If you buy a very old device (not recommended), you cannot expect any warranty. If you buy one that is still in the warranty period, It’s always a good idea to have the original invoice handy.they may ask you to process the process.

In cases like Google, Apple or Samsung, Just give the phone’s IMEI.. If it enters the warranty period, according to my experience, at least 3 technical services will not cause any problems. In fact, not so long ago, I processed a warranty for an Apple product that was still in someone else’s name. They simply processed the whole process with the serial number and we changed the ownership of the device.

best status the purchase of mobile phones is still closedretaining the entire warranty period and even some of the benefits (months of free service, etc.) that some manufacturers offer with first-time activation of the device.