Most of us are only interested in acquiring a second-hand UK used phone due to the fact it’s quite affordable and pocket friendly, and we actually pay little or no interest to some important factors to be considered before purchasing a second-hand phone.

A very popular slogan which says “Prevention is better than Cure”, this shouldn’t be your case when you eventually purchased a second-hand phone and getting home, you discovered faults and issues you could have easily noted before acquiring the device.

Key factors to be considered before Buying a Second hand (UK used) Phone

It is very keen to take note of the reseller or the phone dealer, if he/she is a reputable and trusted dealer, also the environment in which the second-hand phone is sold.
NOTE: Do not purchase a second-hand phone in traffic or from just any random individual, this could result in buying a stolen phone, and eventually when the owner tracks and locate the device then you have a hug problem with the authorities. Remember that ignorance is no defense when being in receipt of stolen goods.  I actually know of a situation whereby a friend of mine purchased a phone from someone due to the fact the price was ridiculously cheap, few months later it was discovered the phone he purchased was stolen with other vital documents which the real owner was constantly tracking and eventually it became a police case.
How the Phone looks and what condition is it in? This is very critical, and it involves more than just a quick glance at the physical state of the bodywork and how it looks, but pay close attention inspecting the inside body structure like the panels and make sure it is clean and ok, also find out how the battery life is holding up, remove the battery and take a close look, also whether the body or screen is chipped or scratched. More importantly is the phone reconditioned or refurbished? In most cases dealers sells refurbished and reconditioned phones as second-hand (UK used) device where someone has repaired or added some components to bring it up to good working condition.
Always ask for a warranty and obtain a valid receipt, most resellers and dealers give 3 – 6 months of warranty in case any issues occurs before the expiry data you can always return the device.
How is the phone’s performance? Testing the phone performances is a key factor to be considered, remove the battery reboot the device, plug-in the device to power to test if its charging, test every functions and features and make calls and play music, videos, also insert your sim, select mobile networks, make sure the phone is unlock, browse, test for connectivity. These are all factors to be noted before eventually buying the device.
Look for original casing, phone packaging in this case is a good indicator to determine whether the device is not roughly handled and the body structure is in good state. This is quite important because some second-hand device original phone casing are changed due to the fact the old user roughly handled the device, but remember that handsets age in different ways.
Check the manufacturer and maker of the phone, this also very critical due to the high-rise of china phones that looks exactly like the original device and also performs the same functions and operations. One need to pay close attention to the type of device manufacturer so you don’t buy the china version.
Finally, if buying a secondhand phone it’s best to buy one that’s been tested and has passed through the above requirements, That way you know it’s going to be safe and worth the value for money.

Well written op... Very valid info

That's why I love new phones.

The best thing is just to save money and get a brand new one.. It will save a lot, from the points listed above..

dramaticspeak:
Most of us are only interested in acquiring a second-hand UK used phone due to the fact it’s quite affordable and pocket friendly, and we actually pay little or no interest to some important factors to be considered before purchasing a second-hand phone.

A very popular slogan which says “Prevention is better than Cure”, this shouldn’t be your case when you eventually purchased a second-hand phone and getting home, you discovered faults and issues you could have easily noted before acquiring the device.

Key factors to be considered before Buying a Second hand (UK used) Phone

It is very keen to take note of the reseller or the phone dealer, if he/she is a reputable and trusted dealer, also the environment in which the second-hand phone is sold.
NOTE: Do not purchase a second-hand phone in traffic or from just any random individual, this could result in buying a stolen phone, and eventually when the owner tracks and locate the device then you have a hug problem with the authorities. Remember that ignorance is no defense when being in receipt of stolen goods.  I actually know of a situation whereby a friend of mine purchased a phone from someone due to the fact the price was ridiculously cheap, few months later it was discovered the phone he purchased was stolen with other vital documents which the real owner was constantly tracking and eventually it became a police case.
How the Phone looks and what condition is it in? This is very critical, and it involves more than just a quick glance at the physical state of the bodywork and how it looks, but pay close attention inspecting the inside body structure like the panels and make sure it is clean and ok, also find out how the battery life is holding up, remove the battery and take a close look, also whether the body or screen is chipped or scratched. More importantly is the phone reconditioned or refurbished? In most cases dealers sells refurbished and reconditioned phones as second-hand (UK used) device where someone has repaired or added some components to bring it up to good working condition.
Always ask for a warranty and obtain a valid receipt, most resellers and dealers give 3 – 6 months of warranty in case any issues occurs before the expiry data you can always return the device.
How is the phone’s performance? Testing the phone performances is a key factor to be considered, remove the battery reboot the device, plug-in the device to power to test if its charging, test every functions and features and make calls and play music, videos, also insert your sim, select mobile networks, make sure the phone is unlock, browse, test for connectivity. These are all factors to be noted before eventually buying the device.
Look for original casing, phone packaging in this case is a good indicator to determine whether the device is not roughly handled and the body structure is in good state. This is quite important because some second-hand device original phone casing are changed due to the fact the old user roughly handled the device, but remember that handsets age in different ways.
Check the manufacturer and maker of the phone, this also very critical due to the high-rise of china phones that looks exactly like the original device and also performs the same functions and operations. One need to pay close attention to the type of device manufacturer so you don’t buy the china version.
Finally, if buying a secondhand phone it’s best to buy one that’s been tested and has passed through the above requirements, That way you know it’s going to be safe and worth the value for money.

well said op, i deduced from your signature that you sell uk used phones, here are my specs
1gb ram,5 inch screen, os 4.4 and above with a battery of above 3000mah. My budget is 15k.
What phones of this specs and price do you have in stock?
Kindly reply please.

I can recommend a brand new techno y2

nothing like a new phone..I've learnt my lessons

The problem is most of these phones are Nigerian stolen phone claimed to be UK or London used, getting a trusted and genuine dealer is something else.

@tulipsmadra you are right. A lot of people peddle themselves as sellers of uk used phones but what they sell in the actual sense is Nigerian used phones and if you are not careful, stolen phones. That's why one has to locate a good dealer. Check Facebook for Hansel Praise