Virgin Media O2 has overhauled its O2 refurbished phone Like New programme and is offering savings of up to £439 across a select range of refurbished phones.
The network is also offering a limited-time discount of £360 on selected mobiles for all customers, as well as an additional £70 upfront saving on some phones, including the Samsung Galaxy S23 5G 256GB, for existing customers. Both offers can be used in conjunction, meaning existing customers can save up to £430.
VMO2 says demand for refurbished mobile phones is up 36 per cent since 2021. Last year, O2 saw a year-on-year rise in purchases of refurbished phones. Like New phones are available on both Classic Plans and Plus Plans.
Customers who purchase a Plus Plan contract get a three-year handset warranty.
Phones sold under the ‘Like New’ program undergo at least 40 quality checks for the screen, microphone, flashlight, volume key, speaker, camera, battery, and fingerprint scanner. Customers who purchase a Plus Plan contract get a three-year handset warranty. Classic Plan users get a one-year warranty with 14 days to exchange or return
Data from GfK UK’s Tech360 survey reveals the rise in sales of used mobile phones. One quarter of those who bought a device in 2023 chose a refurbished or second-hand model, up from 19 per cenrt in 2021.
According to analysis of GfK UK’s Tech360 survey, the majority of used handset buyers cite finance as the primary motivation for their choice, with around half of over 35s more likely to state this as a key consideration. While price is important for buyers under 35 years old as well, they are more likely to mention the impact on the environment as a reason to buy a refurbished phone per cent.
However A YouGov survey of 2,544 adults has revealed that while most people had heard of refurbished phones, only six percent currently own one.
YouGov said, 70 percent of those who knew about refurbished handsets were unsure which networks provided them. while there is considerable awareness and some interest in refurbished handsets, significant barriers remain. Half of the surveyed sample said they were unlikely to consider a refurbished phone as a replacement. Only one in five (22 percent) considered it likely they would change their current phone for a used later model.
Virgin Media O2 Circular Economy Manager Louise Whitaker and YouGov’s Olivia Bonito will be speaking at Mobile News two-day October conference Circular Summit and will reveal the network’s used device strategy and consumer research in detail.