Is Back Market Legit? Pros, Cons, & User Reviews Explained

Do you want to upgrade your phone but can’t afford a new one? They’re getting expensive now.

Lucky for you, Back Market can offer you a good refurbished phone without emptying your bank account.

Now you’re full of questions: Should I risk it? Is Back Market legit?

In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about Back Market so you can decide if it’s the right fit for you.

What Is Back Market?

Back Market is a rising online marketplace that sells refurbished electronic devices. The founders of this company believed that refurbished electronic devices offer great value and wanted people to utilize them to their full potential.

Whether it’s laptops, phones, or kitchen supplies, you can find a wide range of electronic products on their website.

If you want a good phone for a low price, Back Market is a great place to shop. You get discounts of up to %70 of the item’s original price. You can even get better prices than selling on Craigslist.

The company’s focus on refurbished items reduces the environmental damage caused by e-waste.

Offering valuable products with great prices and giving the environment a chance to recover, Back Market has become an influential entity in the refurbished goods market.

How Does Back Market Work?

It’s crucial to note that the workers of Back Market don’t refurbish the devices they sell on the platform. The website acts as a host for third-party companies to sell their products.

Although it hasn’t been in the business for that long, Back Market can connect you with thousands of certified sellers. The best part is that you can find devices in excellent condition.

Sellers enlist items that customers have used and returned. Sometimes, these items have only been lightly used. If you’re lucky, you can get a device that’s as good as the original.  

Back Market is all about transparency. They don’t claim that all the phones on their platform are in great condition.

From “Fair,” “Good,” or “Excellent,” they let you know the conditions in which the item is available.

Category	Description
Fair	Your phone will have visible scratches on the body and the screen
Good	A good phone will have fewer visible scratches and a great screen
Excellent	Your device will have light scratches and a perfect screen.

That means you know what to expect when you place your order.

Common Questions to Understand

If you’re still hesitant, that’s understandable. You probably have a few questions. Well, we’re here to answer them.

Here are some common questions people ask about Back Market.

Is Back Market Second Hand?

The idea behind Back Market is similar to OfferUp in the sense that the items you buy from the website have had a previous owner. Unlike OfferUp, though, Back Market’s products are more professional.

When you buy a second-hand product, you can’t guarantee its quality unless you know the buyer. Most consumers don’t have that luxury, though.

With Back Market’s refurbished items, there’s more room for accountability. Not only do professional examiners test and clean your item, but you also get information on who refurbished it.

What Is the Quality of Back Market?

Back Market is all about providing you with the best online purchasing experience. Last year, the company had a failure rate of %4.

While not having any failing devices would’ve been better, that’s still an impressive rate compared to other marketplaces.

It’s also not easy to become a Back Market seller. The company forces potential sellers to go through a rigorous selection process.

From delivering the items within a few days to offering a limited warranty, Back Market holds their sellers to high standards.

Is Back Market Good for Refurbished Phones?

 Back Market has revolutionized the process of selling old phones. Now you can get phones in neat condition for great prices. Whether it’s Samsung, iPhone, Sony, or Xiaomi, you’ll find a wide range of brands on their website.

Since the gadgets come in various conditions, you can find a suitable phone even if you’re on a budget.

No matter what you pay, expect to get a fully functional device that can handle your everyday tasks.

That said, don’t expect a glamorous look from phones in fair condition. As the cheapest option on the website, they don’t offer as much value as their expensive counterparts.

Is Back Market Legit?

You won’t understand how serious Back Market is until you go through the purchasing experience. Throughout every step of the way, you’ll see how and why the company has built a reputable name.

• Long history: While it’s been in the business for less than a decade, Back Market has served over six million customers. With high-quality products and a small error ratio, the company has established itself as a fearsome force.  
• Professional website: The developers have made sure to put all the items in an organized, easy-to-access layout. With an intuitive interface, competitive prices, and accurate product descriptions, you can tell the company means business.
• Sustainability: Back Market has received financial support from some of the most influential investment companies in the industry. From Goldman Sachs to Aglae Ventures, it has proven itself worthy of these investments.
• Smooth ordering process: You have various methods to pay for your purchases, like  Visa, American Express, MasterCard, etc. The website also allows you to track your order, giving you the ease of mind everyone looks for in a business transaction.

Is Back Market Reliable?

Selling stuff online leaves room for a lot of mistrust, but if there’s one thing you can trust Back Market with, it’s quality assurance. It has a hardcore screening process, accepting only a third of the sellers who apply to join its platform.

It also investigates its sellers, asking them about their services and how they maintain their quality. Of course, sellers would have to provide proof that they offer quality services.

Sometimes, company workers will even make anonymous orders to ensure that the sellers are on top of their game. If a seller’s service drops in quality, the company puts them on probation.

Is Back Market Safe?

Every device they sell on their platform goes through a minimum of 25 examinations.

From the body to the software, they ensure that the various components of the device are still working.

Back Market’s selling point is its one-year warranty. Some products even have a two-year warranty.

That’s not something you’ll find in many other marketplaces. If anything, it shows you how confident they are in their products.

If that’s not enough, you also get a 30-day money-back guarantee. As a company that serves 14 European countries around the world, along with the US, Back Market’s products aren’t something to sneeze on.

What Are Users Saying About Back Market?

The best way to know if a company is trustworthy is to listen to other people’s experiences with it. That’s what we’re doing.

In this section, we’ll provide you with reviews written by consumers who ordered various items from Back Market.

What Trustpilot Reviewers Liked About Back Market

As a platform that’s designed specifically to leave reviews on goods and services, we had to include Truspilot’s reviews.

• Quick Delivery: If there’s one thing that all satisfied users agree on, it’s that orders arrive quickly. Some can even take a couple of days.
• Affordable Prices: With discounts up to %70, consumers can get exquisite deals on Back Market. With the prices of electronic devices skyrocketing now, customers are glad they got a good device without having to pay full price.  
• Devices’ conditions: While it depends on the condition in which you order your device, most consumers agree that their devices arrive in a solid condition. The product descriptions are accurate. Some reviewers even claim that they can’t tell the difference between their purchase and a retail device.

What Sitejabber Reviewers Liked About Back Market

Sitejabber is another website that allows consumers to leave reviews on Back Market’s services. With more than one thousand views, you can get a clear idea of how the company functions.

• Exceeds expectations: Despite ordering their products in a fair or good condition, clients receive devices that offer a similar experience to the original device. Some consumers couldn’t even tell that their devices were used.
• Clear communications: Confused first-timers can contact the workers of Back Market to walk them through the purchasing process.
• Neat Packaging: While the packaging is underwhelming, it keeps the devices safe throughout the shipping process.

Why Are People Worried About Using Back Market?

As with any other company, not all customers will have a good experience with Back Market. We brought you the good. Now it’s time for the ugly.

What Trustpilot Reviewers Are Worried About

Trustpilot reviewers didn’t hold back on mentioning all the aspects in which Back Market didn’t deliver a good service.

Misleading descriptions

The description of their products are accurate for the most part, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be deceiving.

A seller can replace the original battery of a phone without mentioning that in the description. You can also order a phone in good condition but have it arrive with visible scratch marks and a bad screen.

Lack of communication

Unfortunately, there have been a few instances where a lack of communication from customer care has cost clients money.

If there’s a dispute between you and the seller over returning an item, the company can side with the seller without giving you an explanation.

Gradual decay

Faulty devices don’t always come right out of the box. Some of them take time to decay. In this case, the three-month money-back guarantee will not help you.

What Sitejabber Reviewers Are Worried About

With 1,300 Back Market reviews, some of them are bound to be bad. In this section, we show all the complaints that Sitejabber reviewers had about Back Market.

1. Misleading warranty

Unfortunately, the warranty doesn’t cover all the problems your phone can experience. If it gets water damaged, you have to bring it to a repair shop.

The problem is that the company doesn’t mention that in the warranty information or FAQ section. They cover it in the help section, which most consumers only use to contact customer care.

2. Unchecked items

As the company deals with an overwhelming number of items, some devices will go unchecked.

3. Waste of time

Returning items is a hassle, as shipping them back and forth takes too much time.

Back Market Quality & Guarantees

Back Market cares more about offering high-quality products than many other marketplaces. When sellers don’t meet the company’s standards, customer care agents interfere to sort out the problem.

The cherry on top is that it also asks customers for feedback to understand what they like about their services and what they think needs to improve.

Back Market has a strict return policy. If the workers suspect you damaged the phone before returning it, they’ll deduct the damage cost from the money you want back.

Unfortunately, this leaves room for errors, as you can send a phone back without even activating it, but the company could still deduct damage costs.  

Back Market Customer Service

No matter who you’re dealing with, buying refurbished items is a risk. There’s always a chance to get a faulty device. What happens in that case? Can you rely on customer service to sort out the issue?

Unfortunately, you can’t. While customer care agents are responsive when you need help placing an order, they’re not as communicative when you’re asking for a refund or want to return your device.

Many have complained that they take too much time to respond and they’re not that attentive. For example, many have complained that customer service agents have dismissed their requests for a refund and sent them another device.

Fixing faulty devices is a hassle and you’ll have to pay for shipping yourself. Even then, you can’t guarantee they’ll fix the problem.  

If you want to file a complaint, you won’t find an email address or phone number to use. The only communication method you get is sending messages to a chat box.

That’s not to say that this is the default customer service experience. You can get communicative agents. Unfortunately, you shouldn’t expect them to solve your problem quickly.

For the most part, expect things to go smoothly. If you encounter a problem, though, it can take weeks to solve. That’s if they’ll solve it in the first place.

When it comes to refunds, they’ll bend over backward to not give you your money back.

Frequently Asked Questions

You probably have a few questions. Well, here are frequently asked questions that can help you form an accurate idea about the company.

Similar Gigs to Research

Are you interested in using Back Market now? Well, you need quick ways to make money to be able to buy items online.

That’s why we’re bringing you different platforms that can help you earn extra cash.

• Is InboxDollars Legit?: A comprehensive guide that shows you how legit InboxDollars is and how much money you can make on it.
• Is Opinion Champ Legit?: Learn how legit Opinion Champ is by understanding how it works and how much it offers its users.
• Is TeePublic Legit?: A step-by-step guide to understanding why you should choose TeePublic to sell your merchandise.

Wrapping Up

The next time someone asks: is Back Market legit? You’ll have the answer. It’s a rising star in the refurbished goods industry.

From opening their website to receiving your order, you can see that the company has put effort into giving you a comfortable purchasing experience.

However, that doesn’t mean it’s risk-free. When you buy a refurbished phone, you never know what you’ll get.

Unfortunately, if you get a bad device, the customer service won’t be that helpful.

Let us know what you think of this article in the comments, and share it with your friends if you found it helpful.