Back Market Review 2026: Lower Prices, Used Batteries
Back Market is a marketplace where vetted refurbishers sell used phones, laptops and other electronics, each with 30 days for returns and a one-year warranty.
Phones on Back Market arrive with at least 80% of their original battery capacity, or 90% on the Premium grade.
TopDown ReviewsA recent phone for a lot less, if you check it the day it arrives
Back Market sells used phones, laptops, tablets and game consoles that more than 1,500 vetted refurbishers have repaired and tested. Every order comes with 30 days to change your mind and a one-year warranty, which makes buying used feel a lot closer to buying new. For most people the draw is simple: a recent iPhone for a few hundred dollars less.
The savings hold up. In late October 2026, an unlocked iPhone 15 Pro with 128GB started at $512.99 on Back Market, while Apple's own refurbished store listed the same phone at $679. Back Market adds a $6.99 Quality Assurance Fee at that price, and a first-time buyer with a referral code takes $10 off. That's about $510 before tax, roughly $170 under Apple.
Apple's price buys something Back Market doesn't promise. A refurbished iPhone from Apple gets a new battery and a new outer shell. On Back Market, a phone only has to arrive with 80% of its original battery capacity, or 90% on the Premium grade, and the charging cable is usually a compatible replacement. Back Market doesn't refurbish anything itself either, so how your phone looks and how a problem gets handled depend on the seller who fills the order.
That's where most of the complaints come from. Most of Back Market's recent Trustpilot reviewers gave it five stars. The unhappy ones most often describe a device in worse shape than its grade, or a fault found during setup. A few were about trade-in offers cut after inspection and deliveries that needed a signature.
Back Market makes the most sense if you're willing to test a device the day it arrives and send it back if it falls short. Check the battery, the screen, the cameras and the buttons right away. You have 30 days for that. Once they're up, the warranty covers defects, but not a battery that has simply worn down.
Why We Love It
- 30 days to return any device, with a free return label
- A one-year warranty on every order, from the seller
- Recent iPhones well below Apple's own refurbished price
- Condition grades defined by how far away scratches show
- Phones and tablets ship with a charging cable
- New customers get $10 off a first $100+ order with a referral code
Considerations
- A Quality Assurance Fee of $0.49 to $8.99 on every order
- Batteries and accessories usually aren't original
- Condition and service depend on which seller fills the order
- The warranty doesn't cover normal battery wear
- Most deliveries need a signature
- Promo codes don't reduce the fee, tax or a protection plan
How Buying on Back Market Works
You don't pick a specific phone on Back Market. You pick a model, a storage size and a condition grade, and Back Market chooses the seller for you, weighing price against that seller's quality record. The photos are stock images, so the grade description is what tells you what will show up.
The grades are measured by distance. Excellent means scratches on the body you can't see from 8 inches away, and Good means you can't see them from arm's length. Neither allows scratches on the screen. Fair can have visible scratches and dents, light marks on the screen when it's on, and even an engraving. Premium sits above all three, with only genuine parts and at least 90% battery. Back Market guarantees every grade works fully.
Orders ship within one business day in the seller's own packaging, not the original box. Phones and tablets come with a charging cable but no wall charger, and laptops include a charger. Most deliveries need a signature.
If something's wrong, you open a request from your orders page and get a free return label. Once the seller has your device back, it has three business days to refund you or five to repair it, seven for a laptop. Back Market says it will refund you in full if a seller misses those deadlines, as long as the device shows no liquid or impact damage.
The day it arrives
On an iPhone, open Settings, then Battery, then Battery Health. If it reads below 80% in the first month, it falls short of Back Market's standard and you can send it back.
We Recommend This To Readers Who:
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Want a recent iPhone for less
With a referral code, an unlocked iPhone 15 Pro came to about $170 less than Apple's refurbished price in October 2026.
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Will test it right away
The 30-day return window is your protection against a phone that doesn't match its grade.
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Can live with a used battery
Phones arrive with at least 80% capacity, and the warranty doesn't cover normal wear.
What goes into the price at checkout
Every charge on a Back Market order, from its own help center.
Device price
Set by the seller. Fair costs less than Good, Excellent or Premium.
Quality Assurance Fee
$0.49 to $8.99, rising with the cart total. No promo code covers it.
Referral code
$10 off a first order of $100 or more with code 57AE4122D19B7C5F.
Back Market vs. Apple's refurbished store
An unlocked iPhone 15 Pro with 128GB, as listed on October 27, 2026. Prices change daily and vary by grade.
| Option | Price |
|---|---|
| Back Market starting price | $512.99 |
| Back Market with the $6.99 fee, less $10 with referral code 57AE4122D19B7C5FPopular | $509.98 |
| Apple Certified Refurbished, with a new battery and shell | $679 |
Good to Know
Back Market questions, answered
What people ask before ordering, answered from Back Market's help center and terms.
Is Back Market legit?
Yes. Back Market operates in 17 countries and says only 1 in 3 refurbishers that apply are accepted to sell. Every order has a 30-day return window and a one-year warranty. Most complaints we read were about a device in worse shape than its grade, or a fault found during setup.
Does Back Market refurbish the devices itself?
No. Independent refurbishers sell through Back Market, and the seller provides the warranty and handles repairs. Back Market sets the quality rules and refunds you if a seller misses its deadlines.
What does Fair condition mean on Back Market?
A Fair device works fully but can have visible scratches and dents, light scratches on the screen that show when it's on, and an engraving. Good and Excellent cost more and have no screen scratches.
What is Back Market's Quality Assurance Fee?
It's a charge added to every order based on the cart total: $2.49 on a $100 order, $6.99 at $500 and $8.99 above $1,000. Promo codes don't reduce it. California residents who think it was charged in error can ask Back Market's support for a refund.
Is there a Back Market referral code?
Yes. If you've never ordered from Back Market, enter our referral code, 57AE4122D19B7C5F, in the promo code box at checkout for $10 off a first order of $100 or more. Each code works three times a month, so it can run out late in the month. Here's how to use it on Couponsuck.
Should I buy from Back Market or Apple's refurbished store?
If you want a new battery and Apple's own warranty, Apple's refurbished store is the safer choice, and it costs more: $679 for an iPhone 15 Pro that started at $512.99 on Back Market in October 2026. Back Market also sells Android phones and older models Apple's store doesn't carry.
Should you buy from Back Market?
If you want a recent phone or laptop and don't need it to be new, Back Market is worth a look. It will usually get you the same model for less than Apple's own refurbished store, and it sells Android phones and older models Apple doesn't. If a fresh battery matters more to you than the savings, Apple's price is worth paying.
Trading in your old phone at the same time? Treat the quote as an estimate. The refurbisher tests the phone when it arrives, and if it doesn't match how you described it, you'll get a lower counteroffer. You can turn that down and have the phone shipped back free.
And if scratches would bother you every time you pick the phone up, spend a little more on Good or Excellent rather than Fair.
