We say every product passes our 50-point quality check. But what does that actually mean in practice? What exactly are our technicians doing? What causes a product to fail? This article gives you the full picture.

Why 50 Points?

Forty-two points wouldn’t catch enough. Sixty points would be redundant. After years of QC work, we settled on 50 checkpoints as the comprehensive-but-practical standard that catches real issues without over-engineering the process.

Currently, 38% of devices submitted to us fail and are rejected. We only list what passes all 50 points.

Stage 1: Source & Authenticity (Points 1–8)

Before a device is even opened by our technicians, we verify:

  • Documented source (corporate IT refresh / authorized vendor / verified individual)
  • IMEI/Serial number against government and brand databases
  • Not reported stolen or blocked (checked on CEIR and brand portals)
  • No active iCloud/Google/Samsung account lock
  • Original brand + manufacturing date verification
  • No signs of import grey market origin

What fails here: Devices with blocked IMEIs, suspected stolen devices, grey market imports with mismatched serial numbers.

Stage 2: Physical Inspection (Points 9–18)

A thorough cosmetic inspection under proper lighting:

  • Display — dead pixels, colour uniformity, brightness, backlight bleeding
  • Screen glass — cracks, chips, touch sensitivity across all zones
  • Body panels — dents, cracks, missing screws, warped chassis
  • Hinges (laptops) — wobble, resistance, maximum angle test
  • Keyboard — every key pressed individually, backlight uniformity
  • Trackpad — click feel, multi-touch gestures, palm rejection
  • Ports — physical damage, loose connections, corrosion

What fails here: Cracked screens, significant dents, keyboards with dead keys, damaged ports.

Stage 3: Internal Components (Points 19–30)

We open the device where applicable and inspect:

  • Battery — cycle count, health percentage, swell/physical damage
  • RAM — tested with MemTest or equivalent, correct capacity
  • Storage — S.M.A.R.T. data, health status, read/write speed test
  • Cooling system — fan speed, thermal compound condition
  • Internal connectors — no corrosion, proper seating

What fails here: Battery below 80% health, SSD with bad sectors, failing RAM.

Stage 4: Functional Testing (Points 31–44)

  • Camera — front and rear, resolution, autofocus
  • Speaker — volume levels, both channels, clarity
  • Microphone — pick-up quality, noise
  • Bluetooth — pair, transfer, disconnect
  • WiFi — connect to 2.4GHz and 5GHz, speed test
  • Cellular (phones) — call quality, signal strength, SIM tray
  • Charging — cable charge and wireless charge where applicable
  • Biometrics — fingerprint, Face ID/recognition
  • USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, SD card — all tested with physical devices
  • 3.5mm audio — input and output

Stage 5: Software & Security (Points 45–50)

  • Complete factory reset performed
  • Previous owner data fully wiped (DoD 5220.22-M standard)
  • Clean OS installation (or verified clean reinstall)
  • No third-party software pre-installed
  • Activation complete — no lock screens asking for previous credentials
  • System performance benchmark (doesn’t fail many, but catches thermal throttling issues)

What Happens to Failed Devices?

Devices that fail our QC are either returned to the seller or held for parts. We do not repair and relist devices that fail our inspection. If it doesn’t pass, it doesn’t ship. That’s our standard.