How refurbished phone grades compare

Every retailer grades condition in its own words. A "Good" at Back Market, a "B Grade" at CEX and a "Renewed Good" on Amazon describe much the same phone. PhoneHound maps them all onto four grades so prices can be compared like for like.

What each grade really means
Like New
Looks and works as if it just came out of the box. No visible scratches or marks. Often comes with original or equivalent accessories.
Also called: Excellent, Pristine, Grade A, Renewed Premium, Certified Refurbished
Good
Fully functional with only light signs of use. May have minor scratches on the body but the screen is clean. Put it in a case and you won't notice.
Also called: Good, Grade B, Renewed Good, Grade A (CEX)
Fair
Works perfectly but has visible signs of use — scratches, small scuffs, possibly a minor screen mark. A good choice if condition doesn't matter to you.
Also called: Fair, Acceptable, Grade C, Renewed Acceptable, Reasonable
Poor
Heavily worn or may have functional issues. Best for parts, repair projects, or if you'll be covering it immediately. Read the listing carefully.
Also called: Poor, Faulty, Spares & Repairs, Grade D, For Parts

What each retailer calls each grade

RetailerGoodFairPoor
Back MarketExcellentGoodFairPoor
Amazon RenewedRenewed PremiumRenewed GoodRenewed AcceptableAcceptable
eBayCertified RefurbGood – Seller RefurbAcceptableFor Parts
Music MagpieExcellentGoodFairPoor
CEXA GradeB GradeC GradeD Grade
MazumaPristineGoodAcceptableFaulty
ReboxedExcellentGoodFairPoor
John LewisCertified RefurbCertified Refurb––
Currys CertifiedCertified Refurb–––
Argos RefurbishedRefurbished–––
Giffgaff MarketplacePristineGoodReasonable–
SmartFoneStoreGrade AGrade BGrade C–
4GadgetsExcellentGoodAcceptable–
Laptops DirectRefurb Grade ARefurb Grade B––
FonehousePristineGood––
EnvirofoneExcellentGoodSpares & RepairsFaulty

Questions

What does Like New mean for a refurbished phone, and what do retailers call it?

On PhoneHound, Like New covers these retailer labels: Back Market "Excellent", Amazon Renewed "Renewed Premium", eBay "Certified Refurb", Music Magpie "Excellent", CEX "A Grade", Mazuma "Pristine", Reboxed "Excellent", John Lewis "Certified Refurb", Currys Certified "Certified Refurb", Argos Refurbished "Refurbished", Giffgaff Marketplace "Pristine", SmartFoneStore "Grade A", 4Gadgets "Excellent", Laptops Direct "Refurb Grade A", Fonehouse "Pristine", Envirofone "Excellent".

What does Good mean for a refurbished phone, and what do retailers call it?

On PhoneHound, Good covers these retailer labels: Back Market "Good", Amazon Renewed "Renewed Good", eBay "Good – Seller Refurb", Music Magpie "Good", CEX "B Grade", Mazuma "Good", Reboxed "Good", John Lewis "Certified Refurb", Giffgaff Marketplace "Good", SmartFoneStore "Grade B", 4Gadgets "Good", Laptops Direct "Refurb Grade B", Fonehouse "Good", Envirofone "Good".

What does Fair mean for a refurbished phone, and what do retailers call it?

On PhoneHound, Fair covers these retailer labels: Back Market "Fair", Amazon Renewed "Renewed Acceptable", eBay "Acceptable", Music Magpie "Fair", CEX "C Grade", Mazuma "Acceptable", Reboxed "Fair", Giffgaff Marketplace "Reasonable", SmartFoneStore "Grade C", 4Gadgets "Acceptable", Envirofone "Spares & Repairs".

What does Poor mean for a refurbished phone, and what do retailers call it?

On PhoneHound, Poor covers these retailer labels: Back Market "Poor", Amazon Renewed "Acceptable", eBay "For Parts", Music Magpie "Poor", CEX "D Grade", Mazuma "Faulty", Reboxed "Poor", Envirofone "Faulty".

Is a Back Market "Excellent" phone the same as a CEX "A Grade" phone?

Both describe a phone with no visible marks, so we treat both as Like New. Exact standards vary by retailer, which is why we also rate how honestly each retailer grades.

Where our grades come from

We don't inspect phones ourselves. Retailers set their own grades and we translate them into one scale. Where a retailer's grading tends to be stricter or looser than average, we say so in the retailer ratings.