Re-Furbished Phones > Any Good Reliable Sellers Out There?

[DF]

Like it reads....
Don't need/want expensive phone.

 

[juan]

You don’t say where in the world you are, but if in the US, look at
http://straighttalk.com

 

[DF]

You don’t say where in the world you are, but if in the US, look at
http://straighttalk.com

I'm in Chicago - "straight talk" > yeh - that's exactly what I'm looking for. Whenever I'm done discussing a plan, there winds up all these UNdiscussed (hidden) costs I later find out about.
I'll check it out....

 

[DF]

It's actually a phone company - sounded like a consumer advocasy org

 

[StevieB]

You might consider getting a "burner phone". You recharge it like and olde timey phone calling card and pay as you go. I think they sell them at Pharmacies Walmarts and Targets.

 

[juan]

I bought a refurb iPhone for $199 and pay $45 a month unlimited talk, text and data. It’s owned by Walmart.

 

[gone]

Tracfone, they have some nice ones that are contract or pay as you go, and all are dirt cheap. I get the phones loaded w/ 1 yr service and 1500 minutes talk time for $60. You can add air time, or just internet time. They use the Sprint network I think?

Here's the ultimate cheap phone idea.....there's apps you can download to your old, not in service phone that allow you to make calls using the internet (which any of these dead phones can still access). Some are totally free, some have a small price for the app. What a great idea.

 

[DF]

I recently got a re-furbished phone from a reputable place that specializes in refurbished phones/computers for $40. Looked new, mint condition too. So when I took it over to T-Mobile, the guy sort of laughed - told me it wouldn't work.

 

[MattKing]

Up here, the carrier's often have a compatibility function on their websites - enter the really long identifier number for a particular phone (not just the model number) and the function will report back whether it is compatible.
This is one of the many reasons you need to start first with the carrier and the plan, and then look for the phone.

 

[jnamia]

I recently got a re-furbished phone from a reputable place that specializes in refurbished phones/computers for $40. Looked new, mint condition too. So when I took it over to T-Mobile, the guy sort of laughed - told me it wouldn't work.

probably has to be 5G compatible and compatible with their network. with older phones they won't work soon, locked phones won't work on someone else's networks either. at a TMobile there are a handful of NEW phones that they offer that are their brand inexpensive and its guaranteed to work on their network. they have a payment plan so you only pay like 10$ a month (or something super cheep), it might be worth looking into that seeing the refurbished phone guy seemed to sell you something useless. I hope you were able to get your money back! Not sure of your age but AARP and AAA also offers phones and discounted plans. As mentioned walmart and target and the drug store, metro pcs, are good options too,

 

[dbottaro]

This is one of the many reasons you need to start first with the carrier and the plan, and then look for the phone.

Amen! Having been in IT for years and responsible for all of our company phones this is the way to go. Different carriers support different cellular signal types and some phones are locked to carriers based not only on specific technology, but the service provider themselves.

That said, if you have a plan that you currently use and just need a new or replacement refurbished phone take a look at Woot. I was able to snag an iPhone SE 2020 compatible with Verizon for about $220. It was in perfect condition, minus a TINY scratch on one of the volume buttons, when it arrived and worked immediately once I swapped over the SIM card from my existing phone.