Back Market grades explained

Back Market's Fair, Good, Excellent and Premium grades describe how a device looks, not whether it works. Back Market says the grade system "reflects the appearance of items sold on Back Market" and that each device is guaranteed "100% functional" at every grade (Back Market condition page). Premium is the grade that adds a promise about genuine parts and a higher battery floor, and the sections below walk through each one.

Rebuya sells nothing and does not inspect devices. We show each seller's own condition words, price, warranty and returns side by side so you can compare before you click out. If your question is whether to buy from Back Market at all, start with Is Back Market legit?

Cosmetic grade examples

Back Market splits its grades by device type. Smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktops and smartwatches get all four grades. Other categories only get Excellent and Good (condition page).

Back Market describes the body of the device at each grade this way (condition page).

• Premium. Screens and bodies have "almost no signs of use."
• Excellent. Marks on the body are invisible from 8 inches or more.
• Good. Marks on the body are invisible from 20 inches or more.
• Fair. The body may show visible scratches and dents.

Screens follow a similar pattern. At Excellent and Good, the screen has no scratches. At Fair, the screen may show light scratches while it is on (condition page).

The listing photos are stand-ins, not pictures of your unit. Back Market says representative photos cannot depict each exact device (condition page). The grade text is the promise you are buying against.

Premium parts distinction

Premium does two things beyond looking cleaner. Back Market says Premium units contain "only genuine manufacturer parts and batteries" (condition page). The same page gives Premium a battery "minimum capacity of 90%," compared with the 80% standard for smartphones on the battery page (battery page).

So if a genuine screen or battery matters to you, Premium is the grade whose description says so. The Fair, Good and Excellent descriptions are about appearance. The price gap between grades is listing-specific; check the selected variant.

Phone versus other-device battery minimum

For smartphones, Back Market's standard battery minimum is 80% capacity, meaning the share of its original charge the battery can still hold. There is also an "Extra charge battery" option with a 90% minimum (battery page). The iPhone 15 selection we read showed "Standard battery," which is the 80% tier (iPhone 15 page).

Do not carry the phone rule across to everything else. Back Market's battery page gives a different minimum for other device classes (battery page). Read the battery page for your device type, and read the listing.

We could not verify the actual battery reading on any device that ships, so treat the minimum as a floor rather than a prediction. For a model-specific battery checklist, see our refurbished iPhone 13 guide.

Returns if appearance differs

If what arrives looks worse than the grade you paid for, Back Market's grade page tells you to open "Orders > Get help." It asks for photos from every angle (condition page).

Back Market's US help page says items have free 30-day returns and a one-year seller warranty. Check the selected listing and the current policy before buying.

What to check before you buy

• The grade word on the exact variant you selected, since changing storage, color or grade can swap the seller.
• The "Proudly refurbished by" line, which names who refurbished that unit.
• Whether the battery line says "Standard battery" or "Extra charge battery."
• The returns and warranty lines on that listing, not on a different variant.
• For anything other than a phone, the battery page's minimum for that device class.

FAQ

Does a Fair grade mean the device might not work properly? No. Back Market says every grade is "100% functional" and that the grade reflects appearance (condition page). Fair means visible scratches and dents on the body and possibly light scratches on the screen while it is on.

What is the difference between Excellent and Premium? Excellent means body marks are invisible from 8 inches or more and the screen has no scratches. Premium adds "almost no signs of use," "only genuine manufacturer parts and batteries," and a 90% battery minimum (condition page).

What battery health will a Back Market phone have? The standard smartphone minimum is 80% capacity, and the "Extra charge battery" option has a 90% minimum (battery page). We could not verify the reading on any specific shipped device, so check the listing.

Do laptops and tablets have the same 80% battery minimum? Not necessarily. Back Market's battery page gives a different minimum for other device classes (battery page). Check that page for your device type before you buy.

Who actually refurbishes the device? Back Market says professional sellers refurbish items on its marketplace. Check the named seller or refurbisher on the selected listing (Back Market).

What if the device arrives with more wear than the grade promised? Open "Orders > Get help" and send photos from every angle, which is what Back Market's grade page asks for (condition page). Keep your order and condition evidence until the case is closed.

Compare Back Market's grade words, warranty and returns next to other sellers on Rebuya's Back Market page.