"Phones are just too pricey!" "Are all smartphones this expensive now?" "Getting last year's flagship used is the real deal!"
These sentiments resonate strongly and reflect the everyday experiences of us, the average consumers. Data within the mobile industry has long indicated a bottleneck phase after a period of rapid development. The reasons are manifold: high prices, homogeneity, lack of innovation, durability, and sustained performance.
In response to shifting demands in the new phone market, the used smartphone market has gained considerable favor among consumers in recent years. For buyers, purchasing a depreciated yet still high-performing phone, which is essentially indistinguishable from a new one, offers both savings and a premium experience. Why not seize the opportunity?
However, the used smartphone market is a mixed bag. For the average consumer, navigating it and making informed purchases require careful consideration.
Second-hand smartphones are suitable for whom? Before diving into the purchase, it's crucial to ascertain whether you truly need to venture into the realm of second-hand smartphones because once you acquire one, selling it off later might not be as straightforward. So, under what circumstances would I recommend opting for a used smartphone? In other words, who are second-hand smartphones suitable for?
In my view, second-hand smartphones are suitable for users who currently possess mid-range devices, especially those who are using devices from the previous few generations. After about three years of usage, their current phones inevitably experience wear and tear in terms of memory, performance, and overall smoothness, reaching a point where an upgrade becomes necessary.
At this juncture, given a similar budget, I would prioritize recommending the purchase of a recent-year second-hand flagship phone over a brand-new mid-range model. This way, consumers can obtain a flagship product with better specifications and a more comprehensive experience at almost the same price, thus significantly enhancing their consumer experience.
On the other hand, for users who have been using flagship phones for quite some time and aren't excessively demanding in terms of specifications, opting for a previous-generation second-hand flagship phone can offer a considerable upgrade in terms of value for money and user experience, without deviating too far from the latest flagship models.
Of course, needs vary, and purchasing a second-hand smartphone as a backup or work device is also a viable option. Most importantly, buying a used smartphone fulfills a genuine need, but it's essential to choose the platform wisely and learn how to sift through the right products.
How to Choose the Right Platform?
Currently, there are many second-hand trading platforms available, including Xianyu, Zhuanzhuan, Paipai, Ai Huishou, and Zhao Liangji, which are widely used by consumers. Let's briefly introduce a few popular ones.
Xianyu, Alibaba's idle trading platform, is a mobile app linked to Taobao and Alipay, with transactions guaranteed and relatively high security. It has the widest visibility and covers a wide range of product categories, making it the first choice for many consumers.
Zhuanzhuan, a second-hand trading platform launched by 58 Group, focuses on transactions in mobile phones, 3C electronics, books, and other categories, with a mobile app available. Similarly, there's Zhao Liangji, another mobile app specializing in second-hand mobile phones and 3C electronics, both of which belong to the Zhuanzhuan Group, providing similar security guarantees and belonging to more vertically oriented second-hand trading platforms.
Paipai, under JD.com, is a trading platform mainly for recycling and selling second-hand mobile phones. With JD.com as a guarantee, it boasts high security and user volume, making it a popular platform for transactions in recent years. All of these second-hand platforms mentioned above are trustworthy in terms of security, user base, and product variety.
Based on my own user experience, I might recommend the Xianyu platform. It's a highly reputable platform with Alipay providing transaction guarantees, and official customer service is available to solve problems at any time, offering both security and convenience.
Moreover, it offers a wide range of product categories, making it more suitable for long-term use by users. Crucially, its UI design is user-friendly, with a logical layout that's easy to navigate, requiring almost no learning curve. So, all in all, it's quite user-friendly.
When making a purchase, what should you pay attention to?
On the second-hand trading platform, there are certain differences among used mobile phones.
In terms of the phones themselves, they are mainly divided into refurbished, official refurbished, renovated, assembled, and premium used phones. Among them, refurbished and assembled phones are products that have had parts replaced or have been reassembled, posing significant uncertainties and not worth purchasing. The other categories mainly differ in terms of their condition, with little to no issues in terms of functionality and configuration, though prices may vary.
In terms of seller identity, they can generally be categorized as individual sellers and officially certified merchants. The former are usually individuals selling their own unused items, having a better understanding of used products, but verifying the products requires time and effort. The latter are second-hand merchants who typically source products from individual channels, so there may be refurbished or assembled phones among their offerings. However, these sellers are backed by platforms, providing some guarantees for product after-sales service.
Given the above circumstances, when purchasing a used phone, it's necessary to discern the seller's identity, which can be determined by the items listed on their personal page. Also, it's essential to evaluate the reputation of individual sellers on their personal page, including their Sesame Credit score, other buyers' feedback, etc., and preferably choose sellers with high credibility.
During communication, it's important to confirm various details to ensure that chat records can be used as a guarantee for subsequent rights protection. Confirm the specific model of the phone, whether it is genuine, what quality the seller promises, whether returns are accepted in case of issues, etc. Try to be meticulous about all possible unexpected situations before making a purchase.
Additionally, you can also use the official device verification channel to inspect the phone, although this service may come with a fee and does not accept returns upon receipt, which is not recommended except for large and valuable items.
Upon receiving the phone, it's necessary to confirm the following steps before signing for it. Firstly, check if the appearance matches the seller's promise of being 99% new or 90% new, and whether there are any other damages. Secondly, confirm its authenticity by checking the serial number through the phone's internal settings and verifying it on the official website.
Finally, confirm its functionality by testing whether each button is responsive and operational; take multi-focus and multi-angle photos with the camera to see if there are any issues with imaging; confirm the battery status by watching videos or playing games, etc.
Overall, the key is to ensure a multifaceted functional experience that affects daily use. If any issues are found, it's important to negotiate with the seller for a resolution as soon as possible. If necessary, you can seek assistance from the platform's official customer service to ensure that the funds are still in escrow.
Nowadays, with the rapid iteration of new models and the relatively high pricing of new phones, the second-hand phone market has become quite lively. However, second-hand trading platforms are mixed, and many people's judgments about products are subjective, inevitably leading to transaction disputes or other irregularities.
On one hand, platforms need to continuously improve their transaction management systems to create a favorable consumer environment. On the other hand, as consumers, we should also learn to discern and select information when purchasing used products, in order to reasonably and legally safeguard our own rights and interests.
