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If your cell phone breaks or gets stolen and you don’t want to spend a fortune on a new phone, purchasing a refurbished cell phone is always an option. Refurbished phones are pre-owned, so they are significantly less expensive than new phones. However, you also run the risk of spending money on a phone that isn’t high quality, or that will break shortly after your purchase. Here is a list of pros and cons to buying a refurbished cell phone to help you in your decision.

Pros

The biggest advantage for most people in buying a refurbished phone is the savings. Purchasing a cell phone when you are not renewing a contract can cost you hundreds of dollars. Refurbished cell phones can be 50 percent or more off the retail price of the phone.

Refurbished cell phones are also environmentally friendly. Rather than sending these used cell phones to landfills, they are being recycled and thus avoiding contributing to environmental damage.

Finally, if you purchase your refurbished cell phone from a reputable company, you should be able to get a 90-day warranty period. So, if your phone malfunctions within three months of your purchase, you’ll be able to return it for a new one.

Cons

However, sometimes the cons of buying a refurbished cell phone can outweigh the pros. These phones have already been used or returned because of malfunctions. They could have physical defects, such as scratches or nicks, or internal defects, like the speakerphone or camera not working. Additionally, the 90-day warranty protection is significantly less than the one-year warranty protection you receive when purchasing a new phone.