Buying a refurbished phone without verification is the main reason people have bad experiences. Here’s exactly what to check — before you pay and after you receive the device.

Before You Buy: Ask the Seller

  • “What is the IMEI number?” (Every legitimate seller should tell you)
  • “What is the battery health percentage?”
  • “Is the device factory reset with no previous account?”
  • “What is your return policy and warranty terms?”

If a seller refuses to share the IMEI before purchase, walk away.

Check 1: IMEI Verification

The IMEI is your device’s unique identifier — like an Aadhaar number for your phone.

How to find the IMEI:

  • Dial *#06# on any phone to see its IMEI
  • Check the box/back of the phone
  • Settings → About Phone → IMEI

Where to verify:

  • CEIR (India): ceir.gov.in — Government of India’s device registry. Check if IMEI is blocked or reported stolen
  • Apple: checkcoverage.apple.com — Check activation status and warranty
  • Samsung: samsung.com/in/support/warranty/ — Warranty and status check

Check 2: iCloud/Google Account Lock

This is the #1 source of problems with second-hand iPhones.

For iPhone: When you set up the phone, it should NOT ask for a previous Apple ID. If it asks for someone else’s credentials — the previous owner didn’t properly sign out. This phone is essentially unusable for you.

For Android: After factory reset, setup should not ask for a Google account you don’t own. Samsung phones have an additional Samsung account lock.

Check 3: Battery Health

iPhone: Settings → Battery → Battery Health. Look for: Maximum Capacity. Above 85% is good. Above 90% is excellent.

Android: Download “AccuBattery” app — the most reliable battery health checker for Android. Check “Design Capacity” vs “Estimated Capacity.”

Check 4: Screen Authenticity (iPhone)

Some iPhones have had their screens replaced with non-original parts. On iPhone 14 and later, non-genuine screens show a warning in Settings. On older iPhones, use “Phone” app — a genuine Apple display will appear in the Parts and Service History (Settings → General → About).

Check 5: Physical Inspection

  • Test every port with an actual cable
  • Test speakers (play music, call someone)
  • Test both cameras (photo and video)
  • Test the microphone (record a voice note)
  • Test all buttons (volume, power, mute)
  • Test touch across every corner of the screen
  • Check for water damage indicator (usually inside SIM tray — white = dry, red/pink = water damaged)

After All This

If you’ve verified all of the above and everything passes — you have a legitimate, safe refurbished phone. At NewAsNew, we run all these checks before listing. Every verification step is part of our 50-point QC. You don’t have to do this yourself when buying from us — but knowing these checks makes you a smarter buyer everywhere.