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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How does it work?

It's really very easy. You find your product in our database via the search box and if you're happy with what we're offering for it, you go through the checkout process and subject to a minimum order value of £25 you can immediately download a QR Code to take to the post office. Pack your item, take to the Post Office and send! Once we receive the item, we'll process it and send you the money!

Why should I use The Big Phone Store?

The Big Phone Store has been in the mobile recycling business since 1999 and we have made the selling process as simple as possible whilst offering the best prices because at the end of the day that's what our customers want!  We offer the best prices in the industry and this together with a smooth and pleasant process and fast payment makes us the better choice. Of course we don't expect you to just take our word for it, so why not see what our customers have been saying?

Is it “safe”?

Absolutely. Your item is insured during transit up to £100, (but if its worth more, we recommend you send it Special Delivery). In terms of whether or not we're trustworthy, 100% we are and this is why customers keep coming back to us. 

How long do payments take?

The majority of our customers choose to be paid via bank transfer as we send payment the same day we process their order, however there are some exceptions to this. Please see our Terms & Conditions. Once we've made payment to your bank account, your payment will clear in your account the next working day provided your order reaches us before 12pm (Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays and weekends). If our order reaches us after 12pm, we'll send your payment the next working day. The funds will clear in your account the following working day. If you have chosen to be paid via PayPal then please allow us an additional 24 hours to process payment. Whatever method you choose, we try to get your funds to you as soon as physically possible.Just to give you an idea of how seriously we take our payments to you; we recently broke our own record with a payment time of 5 minutes and 43 seconds after the item entered our warehouse. Now that's impressive!

How can I receive my money?

We offer payment via bank transfer or PayPal. 

Do you change your offer?

So long as the item is “as described” by yourself during the checkout process, we will honour our initial offer. However, there are times when people mistakenly give us the wrong model type for their device or just completely neglect to let us know a screen is smashed and send it to us as a “working phone”. So in short, our offer is as honest and accurate as the customer is with us.  If the item is not "as described" then we will email with a revised offer which you can either accept or decline. The choice is completely yours. 

How long is your offer valid for?

Once you have checked out you will have 14 days within which to send your phone to us after which our offer will expire and you will then have to go through the process again but we cannot guarantee that you will get the same offer as prices change all the time. 

What if I'm not happy with an offer?

Not a problem! If you're just browsing our site and don't think it's for you then we appreciate that. If we have made a revised offer for your device because we found a fault or there was issues stemming from the checkout process and you're not happy with it, we can return the item to you. We're reasonable people and don't want to mess anyone around.

My offer has been revised - why?

Once your order reaches us, one of our trained technicians will test it and put it through a series of quality checks. to make sure that it matches the condition you selected. If, after the assessment, the device you've sent does not match this condition, it'll be revalued and you'll be offered a revised price.

The revised offer will be sent to you via email; the reason for the price revision will be clearly stated along with the option to accept or decline the offer. You'll then have 7 days to decide whether you'd like to accept or decline the new price.

If you choose to accept the revised price, we'll complete the order and finalise your payment to clear in your account the same day, provided that you accept the offer before 2pm. If you accept the offer after 2pm, payment will clear in your account the next working day.

If you choose to decline the revised price, we'll return your device. 

I haven't been paid. What do I do?

Firstly, we would hope that you'll accept our sincerest apologies and then let us know. Our customer service team will then get the issue ironed out as soon as possible.

How do I send my item to you?

The Big Phone Store provides a freepost service for all orders over £25. We will even send you a handy Packaging Guide with step by step instructions.  Simply download the QR code that is provided after checkout (which will also be emailed to you) pack the device securely and safely and take your QR code to your nearest Post Office and Royal Mail will then create a label for your parcel and send it to us.  There is no need to print any labels yourself.  If your order is less than £25 then you simply arrange your own postage.  It's very easy! Then just relax!

Are my items insured?

Postage is free for orders over £25 and the tracking number insures your pack for up to £100, but if it's worth more you can (and we strongly recommend that you do) upgrade to Special Delivery.  Just remember to get proof of postage from the Post Office. 

How many devices can I include in one freepost pack?

You can only include 2 phones per package. If you have more than 2 phones to send to us then you can request additional QR Codes for each box again free of charge. 

How long does shipping take?

The tracked service provided via the pre paid label takes between 2-3 days but if you choose to upgarde to  Special Delivery then this will be a next working day service. Please note that all delivery times are approximate and we cannot be responsible for any delivery delays.

What should I send with my device?

If you are sending a used mobile phone then all we need is your device, its battery (if removable) and your order ID so we know who the item is from. You do not need to send any chargers, SIM cards or memory cards. If you are sending a new phone or anything other than a mobile phone then we need everything that came with it in the original sales pack (including but not limited to batteries, chargers, cases etc). 

Do I have to send accessories in with my phone?

No. The value on the website is for the handset only. You are welcome to send accessories with the device but this will not increase the value quoted. If you are sending a new phone or anything other than a used mobile phone then we need everything that came with it in the original sales pack.   

How do I remove my iCloud/Google/Samsung/Huawei account?

We have helpfully set out a step by step guide here so simply follow the instructions and you're done.  It is important that you remove your account because otherwise when we try to test or resell the device, we will be unable to access any of the functions and the device will become inoperable. Therefore, we won’t be able to offer the full price for it.

What sort of things do you buy?

Within reason, we'll buy anything that you're looking to sell. While we do focus on electronics and their accessories, we will always consider an item. If you have something that we haven't got listed on our site then feel free to ask for a valuation.

What if my item isn't listed on your site?

Not a problem. Get in touch with us and we'll get back to you with an offer as soon as possible.

My item is broken. Will you still buy it?

Oh yes! In fact, it's kind of our speciality. Our engineers will work on your device to get it back into working order and then we'll find it a new home. In the rare cases where a new home cannot be found, we'll recycle it as responsibly as possible – while also following WEEE directives.