What a fair price looks like
Condition on WishThrift is described by the seller against five grades, and nobody inspects it on your behalf — so the description and the photographs are what you are buying on.
| Condition | Typical | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| New with Tags | £350 (~$466) | Unused, tags or seals intact |
| Like New | £298 (~$396) | Barely used, no visible wear |
| Good | £228 (~$303) | Light signs of use, complete and working |
| Fair | £158 (~$210) | Heavily used, or a described fault or missing part |
| For Parts | £88 (~$117) | Not working or incomplete, sold as seen |
Sterling guide ranges with an approximate US dollar equivalent at £1 ≈ $1.33 (July 2026). Sellers set their own asking price; these are a starting point for judging an offer. All five grades explained.
The checklist before you pay
An account lock is the single biggest one — a device still signed in to an iCloud, Google or Microsoft account cannot be reset and is effectively unusable. After that, battery health and undisclosed third-party repairs.
Run through these before money changes hands — they are the things that decide whether a mobile phone is worth what is being asked:
- Blacklisted or finance-locked IMEIs, which are unsellable
- Devices past their security-update window
- Cracked screens and back glass
- Batteries needing immediate replacement
And the things worth paying more for, because they hold their value:
- Unlocked handsets with a clean IMEI
- Recent models still receiving security updates
- Battery health well above eighty percent
- Original box, charger and accessories
Common faults and fakes
Outright counterfeits are rare outside accessories, where fake chargers and cables are a genuine fire risk. The commoner problem is a device described as working that has a fault the seller knows about.
Ask the seller to factory reset and remove their account BEFORE you pay, and to send a photograph of the settings screen showing it signed out. Ask for the exact model identifier and, on anything with a battery, the battery health figure.
WishThrift does not authenticate, inspect or grade anything, and no marketplace check replaces your own. If a seller will not answer a direct question about condition or origin, that is the answer.
Questions to ask the seller
These are the three that get asked most often about a mobile phone, and the answers tell you most of what you need:
Test with another network’s SIM if you can, and say what you found. This is the first question on almost every phone sale.
Test the cameras, speaker, microphone, charging port and buttons individually, and list anything that does not.
Remove your accounts and reset before listing, then say so. It removes the buyer’s main worry in one sentence.
Also worth establishing before you commit:
- Check the IMEI against a blacklist service
- Note the exact model, storage and battery health
- Factory reset and remove all accounts
Photographs to ask for
If the listing does not already show these, ask — a seller who has the item will send them in minutes:
- Front, screen on, showing the home screen
- Back and sides in daylight
- The settings screen showing model and storage
- The charging port and any damage, close up
Details to confirm before you commit
- Exact make, model and storage
- Unlock status and original carrier
- Battery condition and realistic daily life
- What is included: charger, cable, case, box
Live mobile phone listings
Nothing matching is listed at the moment. Browse electronics for what is live now, or everything on the site — stock changes daily and new listings are free to post, so it is worth checking back.
When to buy
Sells quickly at realistic prices. Budget and older handsets have a steady market as spares, children’s phones and travel phones, provided they are described honestly.
Prices move against that cycle for a buyer: the cheapest time to buy is when sellers are listing most, not when demand peaks.
Paying and collecting safely
WishThrift does not process payments, hold funds or offer buyer protection — you agree the price and the method with the seller directly, which is what keeps the platform free on both sides. Meet somewhere public where you can, inspect before you pay, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed. Be wary of any seller who wants to move the conversation elsewhere before you have agreed anything.
Selling one instead?
If you already have a mobile phone sitting unused, it is free to list and there is no commission — the price you agree is the amount you keep. Read how to sell mobile phone for what to photograph and how to price, or what mobile phone is worth at each condition grade.
Frequently asked questions
What should I pay for a used mobile phone?
Around £26 to £228 in good condition, more for barely-used examples and less for anything with a described fault. Compare against the seller’s photographs rather than the grade alone.
How do I check a mobile phone before buying?
Ask the seller to factory reset and remove their account BEFORE you pay, and to send a photograph of the settings screen showing it signed out. Ask for the exact model identifier and, on anything with a battery, the battery health figure.
Is buying a mobile phone second hand safe?
Yes, with the ordinary care any private sale needs. WishThrift does not authenticate, inspect or hold funds, so inspect before you pay where you can, meet somewhere public, and keep the conversation on the site. An account lock is the single biggest one — a device still signed in to an iCloud, Google or Microsoft account cannot be reset and is effectively unusable. After that, battery health and undisclosed third-party repairs.
See also: all buying guides · mobile phone value guide · selling mobile phone · Electronics · condition grades.