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Back Market

Back Market Review

Back Market is a French-founded online marketplace for refurbished electronics, launched in 2014 and now operating across 16+ markets with approximate...

4.0/5
Refurbished Phone Marketplace
Free Delivery
2,165
Total deals
374
Phones available
£50
Cheapest SIM free

Pros & cons

Pros

  • Widest selection and genuine price competition with multiple refurbishers competing on every listing, consistently delivering the lowest prices in the UK refurbished market
  • Strong buyer protections including 30-day no-fault returns, 12-month warranty, and platform intervention if sellers are unresponsive
  • Conservative grading means devices routinely arrive in better condition than the listed grade, with Good often looking Excellent
  • Available on TopCashback and Quidco with regular promotional discount codes providing additional savings on already competitive prices

Cons

  • Online-only customer service with no live chat or prominently advertised phone line, and resolution times can be slow when issues arise
  • 14% one-star Trustpilot rate is higher than UK competitors like MusicMagpie and The Big Phone Store which both score 4.7
  • Trade-in valuations through the BuyBack programme can be revised downward after device inspection, leading to disputes
  • No physical UK presence and devices do not come in original manufacturer packaging

Overview

Back Market is a French-founded online marketplace for refurbished electronics, launched in 2014 and now operating across 16+ markets with approximately 17 million customers globally. The UK arm trades as Back Market UK Ltd, registered in Bristol.

Unlike single-retailer refurbished sellers, Back Market operates a pure marketplace model connecting buyers with over 2,700 vetted professional refurbishers. Multiple sellers compete on the same product listing, naturally driving prices down. Only one in three seller applicants is accepted onto the platform, and all must meet a 25-point quality standard covering hardware, software, cosmetics, and battery health.

All phones are sold SIM-free and unlocked with a 30-day no-fault return guarantee and 12-month warranty. Devices are graded across four tiers: Premium, Excellent, Good, and Fair, with customers consistently reporting that devices arrive in better condition than the listed grade suggests. Back Market has raised over one billion dollars in funding and was valued at 5.7 billion dollars as of 2022.

Delivery

Free
Delivery
No
Next Day

Free delivery on all orders. Typical delivery time is 2-5 working days, though many customers report receiving devices within 48 hours. Delivery is handled by the individual seller, so times can vary.

Cashback & Offers

Back Market is listed on both TopCashback and Quidco. First-order discount codes of around ten pounds off orders over one hundred pounds circulate regularly through affiliate channels. A dedicated Good Deals section offers ongoing promotions.

Our Verdict

Back Market is the dominant refurbished phone marketplace in Europe and consistently offers the most competitive prices in the UK market thanks to its multi-seller model. The combination of strict seller vetting, conservative grading, and a 30-day return guarantee makes it a reliable choice for most buyers.

The main weakness is the customer service experience when something goes wrong. The in-account messaging system and lack of live chat can make issue resolution feel slow and impersonal. The 14% one-star Trustpilot rate, while partly explained by the high volume of transactions, indicates that a meaningful minority of customers have poor experiences.

For straightforward purchases where nothing goes wrong, which is the majority of cases, Back Market delivers excellent value. If you know the specific phone model you want and are comfortable buying online without the safety net of a physical store or phone support, Back Market will almost certainly offer the best price.

Quick Specs

Type Refurbished Phone Marketplace
Trustpilot 4.2/5
Delivery Free

Latest Back Market Deals

Compare the best mobile phones available from Back Market.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max deals
Spec breakdown · average of 4 categories
Performance
98%
Display
97%
Camera
85%
Battery
84%
See full spec comparison →
Expert reviews · 6 sources
Contracts £43 avg/m
Upgrades £48 avg/m
SIM Free £929
Check Deals 11917 deals
Apple iPhone 17 Pro deals
Spec breakdown · average of 4 categories
Performance
98%
Display
93%
Camera
86%
Battery
77%
See full spec comparison →
Expert reviews · 7 sources
Contracts £39 avg/m
Upgrades £46 avg/m
SIM Free £849
Check Deals 10672 deals
Apple iPhone 17 deals
Spec breakdown · average of 4 categories
Performance
95%
Display
93%
Camera
81%
Battery
71%
See full spec comparison →
Expert reviews · 6 sources
Contracts £32 avg/m
Upgrades £37 avg/m
SIM Free £629
Check Deals 10633 deals
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra deals
Spec breakdown · average of 4 categories
Performance
100%
Display
92%
Camera
85%
Battery
67%
See full spec comparison →
Expert reviews · 5 sources
Contracts £39 avg/m
Upgrades £39 avg/m
SIM Free £800
Check Deals 9655 deals
Samsung Galaxy S26 deals
Spec breakdown · average of 4 categories
Performance
97%
Display
84%
Camera
79%
Battery
66%
See full spec comparison →
Expert reviews · 7 sources
Contracts £29 avg/m
Upgrades £34 avg/m
SIM Free £567
Check Deals 8041 deals
Google Pixel 11 Pro deals
Spec breakdown · average of 4 categories
Performance
89%
Display
95%
Camera
91%
Battery
65%
See full spec comparison →
Expert reviews · 6 sources
Contracts £37 avg/m
Upgrades £34 avg/m
SIM Free £883
Check Deals 6939 deals
Samsung Galaxy S26+ deals
Spec breakdown · average of 4 categories
Performance
97%
Display
92%
Camera
79%
Battery
66%
See full spec comparison →
Expert reviews · 6 sources
Contracts £34 avg/m
Upgrades £40 avg/m
SIM Free £671
Check Deals 6814 deals
Google Pixel 11 Pro XL deals
Spec breakdown · average of 4 categories
Performance
89%
Display
98%
Camera
91%
Battery
64%
See full spec comparison →
Expert reviews · 5 sources
Check Deals 5707 deals
Apple iPhone 16 deals
Spec breakdown · average of 4 categories
Performance
93%
Display
71%
Camera
70%
Battery
69%
See full spec comparison →
Expert reviews · 5 sources
Contracts £26 avg/m
Upgrades £32 avg/m
SIM Free £479
Check Deals 5691 deals
Google Pixel 11 deals
Spec breakdown · average of 4 categories
Performance
89%
Display
79%
Camera
83%
Battery
70%
See full spec comparison →
Expert reviews · 5 sources
Contracts £30 avg/m
Upgrades £29 avg/m
SIM Free £765
Check Deals 5665 deals
Apple iPhone Air deals
Spec breakdown · average of 4 categories
Performance
98%
Display
95%
Camera
72%
Battery
58%
See full spec comparison →
Expert reviews · 5 sources
Contracts £36 avg/m
Upgrades £42 avg/m
SIM Free £615
Check Deals 4396 deals
Apple iPhone 17e deals
Spec breakdown · average of 4 categories
Performance
95%
Display
58%
Camera
44%
Battery
78%
See full spec comparison →
Expert reviews · 6 sources
Contracts £30 avg/m
Upgrades £35 avg/m
SIM Free £575
Check Deals 3521 deals
Samsung Galaxy S25 deals
Spec breakdown · average of 4 categories
Performance
98%
Display
84%
Camera
73%
Battery
62%
See full spec comparison →
Expert reviews · 5 sources
Contracts £26 avg/m
Upgrades £28 avg/m
SIM Free £379
Check Deals 2991 deals
Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold deals
Spec breakdown · average of 4 categories
Performance
89%
Display
98%
Camera
78%
Battery
51%
See full spec comparison →
Expert reviews · 4 sources
Check Deals 2877 deals
Apple iPhone 15 deals
Spec breakdown · average of 4 categories
Performance
85%
Display
71%
Camera
61%
Battery
65%
See full spec comparison →
Expert reviews · 5 sources
Contracts £21 avg/m
Upgrades £25 avg/m
SIM Free £319
Check Deals 2364 deals
Google Pixel 10a deals
Spec breakdown · average of 4 categories
Performance
70%
Display
76%
Camera
72%
Battery
64%
See full spec comparison →
Expert reviews · 7 sources
Contracts £16 avg/m
Upgrades £24 avg/m
SIM Free £305
Check Deals 2047 deals
Samsung Galaxy A57 deals
Spec breakdown · average of 4 categories
Performance
60%
Display
70%
Camera
55%
Battery
55%
See full spec comparison →
Expert reviews · 5 sources
Contracts £19 avg/m
Upgrades £23 avg/m
SIM Free £285
Check Deals 1764 deals
Apple iPhone 16e deals
Spec breakdown · average of 4 categories
Performance
93%
Display
58%
Camera
41%
Battery
78%
See full spec comparison →
Expert reviews · 5 sources
Contracts £24 avg/m
Upgrades £31 avg/m
SIM Free £359
Check Deals 1684 deals
Samsung Galaxy A37 deals
Spec breakdown · average of 4 categories
Performance
47%
Display
67%
Camera
53%
Battery
48%
See full spec comparison →
Expert reviews · 2 sources
Contracts £18 avg/m
Upgrades £21 avg/m
SIM Free £242
Check Deals 1600 deals
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 deals
Spec breakdown · average of 4 categories
Performance
98%
Display
92%
Camera
74%
Battery
52%
See full spec comparison →
Expert reviews · 6 sources
Contracts £59 avg/m
Upgrades £62 avg/m
SIM Free £704
Check Deals 1506 deals
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL deals
Spec breakdown · average of 4 categories
Performance
85%
Display
98%
Camera
84%
Battery
65%
See full spec comparison →
Expert reviews · 6 sources
Contracts £33 avg/m
Upgrades £34 avg/m
SIM Free £475
Check Deals 1328 deals
Samsung Galaxy A27 deals
Spec breakdown · average of 4 categories
Performance
45%
Display
63%
Camera
42%
Battery
48%
See full spec comparison →
Expert reviews · 1 source
Contracts £16 avg/m
Upgrades £17 avg/m
SIM Free £207
Check Deals 1210 deals
Google Pixel 10 deals
Spec breakdown · average of 4 categories
Performance
85%
Display
79%
Camera
70%
Battery
69%
See full spec comparison →
Expert reviews · 3 sources
Contracts £21 avg/m
Upgrades £23 avg/m
SIM Free £398
Check Deals 1195 deals
Google Pixel 10 Pro deals
Spec breakdown · average of 4 categories
Performance
85%
Display
95%
Camera
84%
Battery
65%
See full spec comparison →
Expert reviews · 4 sources
Contracts £25 avg/m
Upgrades £28 avg/m
SIM Free £492
Check Deals 1148 deals