What is my used cell phone worth? This is how Rebuy tests
Re-commerce companies buy up old cell phones, repair them and resell them. But how do they actually test the old devices they send in? The Berlin re-commerce company Rebuy invited us to check this out at their logistics location in Falkensee near Berlin. We show you the detailed process in the video.
Selling old cell phones: This is how Rebuy is testing
If you are on the market for a new smartphone, you have every reason to take a good look around. Because not only is the question of the new mobile phone interesting; the question also arises as to what will happen to the old one. Because just because the old one has been around for a month or two doesn’t mean that it’s gathering dust in a drawer or has to be disposed of immediately. This is where re-commerce companies like Rebuy come in. They buy old technology, test it – repair it if necessary – and resell it.
We were allowed to see exactly how they test in the logistics center in Falkensee. All smartphones that are sent to Rebuy for resale arrive here.
After a thorough check to ensure that they are actually smartphones, the cell phones are reset, cleaned and sent to an automatic process.
Robots check all functions of the smartphone: display, camera, touch function. If something doesn’t work, the systems sound the alarm. In a further step, high-resolution photos are taken of the devices and the optics are assessed. Does the display have scratches, does the back need to be replaced, is the frame damaged? These test results are used to calculate what offer Rebuy will make the customer for the old device.
If you are satisfied with the offer, the smartphone ends up in the warehouse with all sorts of others, where it awaits the next buyer.
The future of recommerce
Smartphones have now become devices that can be used for years without any problems. Most of us do too. The technology is so good that you can still use a device that has already been three years old or resell it without any problems. Re-commerce companies are becoming all the more important, because the smoother the purchase and sale of used technology works, the longer functioning technology will remain in circulation.
