How to Sell a Broken Smartwatch

A broken smartwatch is still worth selling — typically £10 to £62 at For Parts, against £40 to £250 in working order.

Can you sell a smartwatch that does not work?

Yes. Repairers, people replacing one component and buyers who want a project all shop deliberately at this end. None of them will accept a fault they discover after paying.

What actually goes wrong with smartwatches

These are the faults that move a smartwatch down the grades, and the first things a buyer will ask about:

Models no longer receiving software updates
Battery that no longer lasts a day
Deep scratches to the screen or bezel
Missing proprietary charging puck or cable

Grading it honestly

Fair covers something heavily used, or with a described fault or missing part: around £18 to £112. For Parts covers something not working or incomplete, sold as seen: roughly £10 to £62. Grades are seller-declared and nobody inspects them for you, so grading up does not raise what you get — it produces a buyer who arrives expecting something else. All five grades explained.

Working out what you actually have

Establish the fault properly rather than guessing at it:

Check the model still takes current software updates
Charge fully and record how long a normal day lasts
Confirm you still have the correct charger

Photographing the fault

Photograph the damage directly and in focus — it is the evidence that the rest of the description is honest:

The watch face on, showing the display working
The back sensor array and case, showing scratches
The settings screen with the model and case size
The band, charger and anything else included

What to state in the listing

Alongside the fault itself, buyers of broken smartwatches want these confirmed:

Exact model, case size and material
Phone compatibility, and whether it needs a specific app or platform
Tested battery life per charge
Whether the original charger and band are included, and the band size

Brand, model and case size: “Garmin Forerunner 255, 46mm, Black”. Case size matters for fit and band compatibility. State which phones it pairs with — a watch that only works with one platform needs saying, and it saves you a dozen messages.

What buyers will ask

Answer these in the listing rather than waiting to be asked:

“Does it work with my phone?”

State the platform requirement plainly. Some watches are locked to one ecosystem and buyers get caught out constantly.

“How long does the battery last?”

Give a tested figure with the display settings you used. Smartwatch battery claims and reality diverge sharply.

“Is the charger included?”

Confirm it. Smartwatch chargers are almost always proprietary and awkward to replace.

Is it worth repairing first?

Usually not, unless it is cheap and you can evidence it. What lifts the price is condition and completeness, which a repair rarely restores:

Recent models still supported by the maker
Battery lasting close to its original rated day count
Original charger, which is nearly always proprietary
Spare or unworn straps included

If the work would cost more than the gap between £62 and what a sound one fetches, sell it as is broken and let the buyer decide.

When to list it

Steady with a strong Christmas lift and a January bump from fitness resolutions. Fitness-focused models sell fastest in the new year.

Getting it to the buyer

Small and easy to post. Confirm the watch is unpaired and reset before it goes, or the buyer cannot set it up.

WishThrift does not process payments, arrange delivery or hold funds. Confirm the money has cleared before the item leaves your hands, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed.

Ready to list it? Free to list, no commission, and neither side pays a buyer-protection fee — create a free account, or read the full smartwatch selling guide if yours turns out to be sound.

Frequently asked questions

Is a broken smartwatch worth anything?

Yes — typically £10 to £62 at For Parts against £40 to £250 working. Repairers and people harvesting one component buy deliberately at this end. Models no longer receiving software updates

Should I repair it before selling?

Usually not, unless the repair is cheap and you can evidence it. The things that genuinely lift the price are recent models still supported by the maker and a repair rarely restores those.

What do buyers ask about a faulty smartwatch?

The fault itself, in detail. State the platform requirement plainly. Some watches are locked to one ecosystem and buyers get caught out constantly. The listing that answers it before being asked is the one that sells.