Consumer Comparison
The Big Phone Store vs Reboxed
How their experience truly compares
The Big Phone Store has been working with used and refurbished phones since 1999. Reboxed is a much newer company, incorporated in 2019. Age alone does not make one refurbisher better than another, but what it can show is how long a business has had to refine its testing, grading, delivery, repair and aftercare processes across thousands of different problems and device generations.
So this isn't a page claiming Reboxed isn't good.
We think the more useful question is: what does each retailer do to make your refurbished purchase feel "just right" — and what happens when your order is one of the few that does not go perfectly.
Price Comparison Snapshot
| Model |  | Reboxed |
|---|---|---|
iPhone 12 Mini 128GB | Cheapest £179.99
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£45.51 (20%) | Cheapest £225.50 |
iPhone 13 Pro Max 128GB | Cheapest £359.99
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£138.01 (28%) | Cheapest £498.00 |
iPhone 14 Pro 128GB | Cheapest £379.99
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£116.01 (23%) | Cheapest £496.00 |
Pixel 9a 128GB | Cheapest £329.99
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£11.00 (3%) | Cheapest £340.99 |
Pixel 8 256GB | Cheapest £299.99
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£123.53 (29%) | Cheapest £423.52 |
Correct as of: 23/07/2026
Introduction
Which Refurbished Phone Retailer Gives You More Confidence?
What matters | The Big Phone Store | Reboxed | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|---|
Established | Since 1999 | Incorporated in 2019 | A longer operational record matters most when unusual faults, delivery problems or warranty claims need resolving |
Trustpilot rating | 4.8 from approximately 5,200 reviews | 4.2 from approximately 2,600 reviews | TBPS has maintained a higher score across a larger body of customer feedback |
One-star reviews | Approximately 3% | Approximately 14% | A materially smaller proportion of TBPS customers report the most serious level of dissatisfaction |
Standard battery guarantee | At least 85% | At least 80% | TBPS gives every standard device more battery-health headroom from the day it arrives |
Device testing | Published 90-point check | Core TechCheck page publishes a 70-point check | Test totals are not directly comparable, but both should be considered alongside the guarantees and support behind them |
Returns | Up to 45 days, subject to the published notification process | 30 days | TBPS gives you more time to decide whether the phone is right for you |
Standard warranty | 12 months | 12 months | Both provide meaningful first-year protection |
Longer warranty options | 24 months, five years or lifetime options available | Optional 24-month warranty and battery plan | TBPS offers more choice for customers planning to keep their phone for several years |
Customer support | Telephone, email and a physical Wolverhampton store | Online support and contact form | Being able to speak to someone directly can matter when an order is missing or a fault needs explaining |
Figures correct as of July/2026
The Trustpilot Comparison
Trustpilot ratings for both retailers are strong, and close. At time of writing, The Big Phone Store holds 4.8☆ from 5,100+ Trustpilot reviews; Reboxed holds 4.2☆ from 2,600+ Trustpilot reviews.
Trustpilot Overview
The Big Phone Store
Trustpilot Overview
Reboxed
TESTING AND REFURBISHMENT
What actually happens before a phone reaches you
Every phone we sell goes through a 90+ point PhoneCheck inspection at our Wolverhampton facility. If a device doesn't meet the standard, it doesn't go on sale.
The Big Phone Store
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90+ point PhoneCheck inspection on every phone
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Finance, theft, loss, blacklist and police-register checks
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Minimum 85% battery health, one figure, published consistently — with a 100% option at checkout
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12-month warranty as standard, upgradable to 2-year, 5-year or lifetime cover
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Up to 45 days to complete a return: 30 days to notify, 15 days to send back
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Refurbished and supported from our own Wolverhampton facility since 1999
Reboxed
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Direct retailer, not a marketplace — same model as us
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"TechCheck®" certified — their own standard
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12-month warranty as standard
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Next day delivery advertised
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Battery guarantee of 80%, 5% lower than The Big Phone Store
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30-day returns
What does “more experience” actually give you?
Saying that a company has been trading since 1999 means very little unless that history produces a practical benefit. Here is what it should mean for you.
Knowledge that only comes from growing alongside phones
Processes that stand the test of time
More chances to learn what works and what fails
Customer support: fine until it isn't
Reboxed runs on email: One inbox, 10am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Send a follow-up before they reply, and your case gets pushed to the back of the queue. That's not us being harsh — it's their own stated policy.
But phones don't break during office hours. A £500 handset that never turns up. A parcel sent to the wrong address. A device you need for work tomorrow morning. None of that waits nicely in a contact form for a reply that might come in three days, or might not.
Reboxed's own review data backs this up. Delayed responses. Delivery problems that drag on unresolved. The positive comments mention individual staff who went out of their way, which tells you the good outcomes happen despite the system, not because of it.
We built ours the other way round. Pick up the phone and a real person answers. Walk into our Wolverhampton store and talk to someone face to face. Email us and hear back the same working day, almost every time. We respond faster to get you back on track when things don't go to plan, because we understand that your phone acts as your connection to your friends, family, work and the world.
Choose Reboxed if:
Reboxed may be right for you when:
It has the exact model and colour you want.
Its like-for-like price is substantially lower.
You prefer its packaging and online experience.
You are comfortable with online-only support.
A fair comparison should not tell you to ignore a meaningfully better price.
Just make sure you compare the same model, storage, condition and battery option.
Choose The Big Phone Store if:
The Big Phone Store is likely to suit you better when you value:
A higher minimum battery guarantee.
More time to return the phone.
Telephone and in-person support.
Longer warranty options.
A higher customer rating.
A much smaller proportion of one-star reviews.
A retailer with a longer history of handling refurbished-phone faults and returns.
98%
Repairs turned around and sent back the day they arrive
99.8%
Customer queries answered the same working day
25+ years
Working locally in Wolverhampton
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Compare properly. Then decide.
A refurbished phone should not only look good when it arrives.
The company behind it should still be useful when the parcel is delayed, the battery disappoints or the phone develops a fault.
That is where The Big Phone Store has the clearer advantage.