In the midst of its legitimization phase, the reconditioned market will be able to count on a major player in France: Apple. After putting its refurbished iPhone online store on hold in 2021, the manufacturer is relaunching it with second-hand mobiles.
So, you can find an iPhone 13 128 GB at €639 or a 13 Pro Max 1 TB at €1,499. According to the Cupertino company, these mobiles display respective price drops of €110 to €340, but this presentation is somewhat misleading, the crossed out price being the last defined by Apple on its store and not taking into account the prices charged. by other web merchants. At Boulanger, for example, we find a new iPhone 13 128 GB at… €649, or barely €10 more than at Apple.
Warranty, new battery and free delivery
Even in the refurbished market, Apple’s prices aren’t particularly competitive. At Recommerce, the leading French reconditioner, the same model is sold for €469 in “perfect condition”. At Backmarket, which puts refurbishers from around the world in competition on its marketplace, the iPhone 13 128 GB sells for between €400 and €550.
Where Apple seeks to make the difference is in the quality of the reconditioning. The company promises a “replacement of original Apple parts”phones “packaged in a new box with all accessories and cables” And “a new battery, a new external case, a one-year warranty and free delivery and returns”. Something to reassure anyone looking for a refurbished phone without taking any risks.
Here again, Apple is not doing particularly better than the competition since all reconditioners are required by the Consumer Code to offer a two-year warranty. Since January 1, 2022, the period of presumption of prior defects (which allows the warranty to be invoked without having to prove anything) has even been extended from 6 to 12 months for used products. This means that a refurbisher must offer you a solution if there is a problem, no questions asked for 12 months after purchase. Beyond that, it is necessary “provide proof of the existence of the lack of conformity on the day of sale”specifies the DGCCRF.
A strategy out of step with the market?
Apple also intends to play with the assurance of use of original parts, a guarantee that reconditioners do not always offer, mainly for reasons of price. In short, as for new products, Apple displays higher prices than the competition due to a presumed quality of service superior to what the rest of the market offers.
If we can only rejoice at the presence of one more player on the reconditioned market, especially in the case of a major player who comes to legitimize it and offer reassurance to the general public, Apple’s commercial strategy is a little perplexing. Year after year, studies highlight that the savings made are the first purchasing criterion leading to the acquisition of a refurbished mobile (66%), far ahead of ecological motivations (43%), even if the latter progresses each year. .
THE “lack of trust in sellers” being cited by 35% of respondents as an obstacle to the democratization of second-hand goods, the arrival of an official Apple store could perhaps make the difference. Moreover, iPhones occupy the first five places in the ranking of the best-selling refurbished phones in France in 2023. It remains to be seen whether the public will be ready to pay more for a 100% product. made by Apple.