This is China, where high-quality electronics at affordable prices can be bought. Why? Because most of the factories for the production of electronics and their components are located there. Refurbished phones that are repaired at the manufacturer's own factories are the most reliable investment in used electronics. They are restored by the same technicians on the same equipment as the new devices. In addition, when it comes to wholesale trading in general, the Chinese market is leader. If you want to buy refurbished phones in bulk then, the road to China is widely open and waiting for you.
Despite all the advantages of trading with China, many are afraid to do business with Asian partners due to quality-of-goods prejudice. Stereotypes dictate that all Chinese products are easy to find on the first page of Aliexpress. For those who don't know the intricacies of doing business in this region, the situation might seem critical, but if you know where and what to look for, your perception will radically change.
Problems you may face when buying refurbished phones in China
To begin with, we will tell you what pitfalls you may encounter when buying a gadget in China, and give some tips on how these troubles can be avoided.
Lack of global firmware
Many products offered in Chinese marketplaces were at the core only manufactured for the domestic Chinese market. And this means that the Android of such a smartphone only supports Chinese and English, there is no familiar Google Play but some incomprehensible Chinese applications instead.
Usually, gadgets without a global firmware are cheaper than smartphones with one. But as practice shows, the user will not get much satisfaction from low costs.
The solution is simple: before completing the purchase, you need to look for information about the availability of a global firmware in the phone' description. If such a detail is not found, it is better to consider another model.
Buying unknown Chinese brands
When purchasing phones from Xiaomi, Meizu, Samsung, Huawei and other well-known brands (naturally, with global firmware), the buyer can be more or less sure that the gadget will work well, the characteristics correspond to the declared ones with no unpleasant surprises. But sometimes there are models with top performance for a very small amount, however, manufacturers are clearly not well known. It is possible that you will come across something satisfactory; and perhaps not. The solution is again obvious and simple: do not take uncalculated risks.
Chasing the lowest price
Chinese sellers often offer an iPhone 8 for $50, for instance. At the same time, the description convinces you of the originality of the gadget and the presence of a global firmware, while the seller’s rating is quite high. It must be remembered that premium segment phones are just as expensive in China, not much cheaper than around the world. A good refurbished iPhone cannot be five times cheaper than in your retail stores.
In this case, often under the guise of a refurbished phone, they try to sell you a used one. You will discover this only after you have received a batch of goods. The likelihood that the seller will return your money or take back the goods is extremely small. Even if it happens, you will pay approximately the cost of the entire batch for delivery.
What about the solution then? Firstly, don't chase the lowest price. Secondly, check the availability of diagnostic certificates for products in order to accurately see all the information about devices before closing the deal. Even if such devices cost a little more, a couple of extra dollars is clearly not the price of quality assurance. In matters of international trade, the thesis “Trust, but verify” sounds louder than ever.
No warranty
One of the main advantages of refurbished phones over pre owned ones is that they have a warranty from the seller. If it is not there, this is an occasion to think and choose another supplier. Every phone, be it the one of the highest quality of a well-known manufacturer or not, can break down. If the wholesale supplier does not provide a good warranty, how can you offer it to your customers?
If a supplier uses diagnostic apps to test their devices and is responsible for their quality, they should be able to guarantee the devices fearlessly. But even in this case, it is better to double-check everything yourself, to not stumble upon unpleasant returns from your customers.
Seller rating disregard
Trade turnover in Asian countries is much higher than in Europe and the US. Among thousands of sellers, there are lots of reliable companies and outright scammers. Never limit the effort to check the seller's reputation, their ratings, presence on other sites, customer reviews, etc.
So here's the buyer's checklist:
- Check for global firmware
- Avoid buying cheap phones and those of unknown brands
- Make purchases only on trusted sites and check seller ratings
- Try to buy devices that are under warranty, that have passed diagnostic tests, and have the necessary certifications.
Recommended suppliers
So, when we figured out about "how" to search, let's find out "where" should the search take place. Here is a list of established companies with high reputation, attractive prices and convenient delivery.
- Alibaba
- Made in China
- H.K. Refurbished Stock
- Dhgate
- Gear best
- Banggood
- Tomtop
These companies are major market players that have long proven themselves with the work quality they ensure.
How to test Chinese smartphones?
When buying smartphones from China, you should take into account quality, as this market is flooded with fake items. Even when buying refurbished smartphones and not used ones, you will still need to pay close attention.
NSYS Diagnostics solution helps you recognize more than 100 visible and hidden defects. Numerous automated tests allow you to determine the functionality of the battery, camera, screen, speakers, microphones and others.
Why NSYS Diagnostics?
- “IMEI Checks: ESN, ESNA, SimLock Check” determines whether the phone has been lost, stolen or locked to the mobile operator.
- “Data Erasure/Restore” erases all personal data and updates the operating system to the latest version in a couple of clicks.
- “Cloud Database” automatically stores all your data and reports in the cloud, allowing you to work from any PC/WiFi.
- "Auto-activation" skips the long process of activating iOS and Android devices.
- “Label printing” allows you to create your own label designs with detailed information about the device.
- “Non-original parts detection” determines the originality of the screen, battery, rear and front camera, motherboard on iOS devices.
These and other features make NSYS Diagnostics a unique solution in the used device industry. Arrange a free demo and experience the difference!
