What to Know Before Buying a Refurbished iPhone From Walmart

Walmart sells its renewed iPhones through the online Walmart Marketplace, where independent vendors list products. The highest standard, "Restored Premium," is limited to items sold by manufacturers, manufacturer-authorized sellers or select third-party sellers trusted by Walmart. These phones are described as "refurbished to the highest standard" and show an excellent screen and body with only light micro-scratches. Battery capacity is 90 percent of a new iPhone.

The next tier, "Restored," covers phones refurbished by authorized partners. After inspection, cleaning and verification, they meet a lower standard than Premium Restored and usually offer only 80 percent of a new phone's battery capacity. Walmart grades these units as Like New, Good or Fair. Like New devices have very light micro-scratches that are invisible at a distance of one foot. Good devices have a clean screen and barely visible scuffs, while Fair units may show noticeable scratches and markings that can be felt.

Walmart also lists pre-owned, non-refurbished phones, which undergo a more variable inspection process and lack refurbishment requirements. Open Box options are another possibility: these come in original or generic packaging with no signs of use and include original accessories.

Reviewing the seller is a second major step. Each Marketplace listing names the reseller under "Sold and shipped by". Clicking that name reveals contact information, a company statement and public customer reviews. Since reviews are often mixed, Engadget advises shoppers to look up the reseller outside Walmart as well.

Return and warranty policies should be checked before finalizing the order. Walmart's policies differ by product and by seller, so the guide stresses reading the specific terms carefully before a problem appears.