SECOND HAND
CONTINUED
Nelson added that the stigma around second hand devices is clearing, as businesses place more faith in the condition the devices they receive will be in. “If you look at some of the growth in marketplaces like Back Market over the last couple of years, the popularity is staggering. “I think that there was a stigma before. I think maybe people thought that it was either beneath them to buy a secondhand device, or they were concerned about the condition it would come in, whether there’d be third party parts in the phone or the phone would explode. There’s probably still some stigma there, but I think that’s definitely changing.” Safe (Second) Hands Despite these concerns, Donavan said that partners can be the key to mitigating any risks businesses may reel exposed to. “When the channel works with the right partners then there is no risk. The unregulated nature of the secondary market does mean that lower-grade products are offered, which may not be genuine or in great condition. “Well-known brands such as Renewd go further to ensure the customer experience is as close to the primary (new) market as possible when opening a pre-owned product. The quality is also backed up by a 24 months quick turnaround service and warranty. “All pre-owned products bought through reputable partners will have undergone rigorous cosmetic and technical procedures before being graded and made available to the channel. Return rates are very comparable to new product offerings and return procedures mirror the primary market with warranty periods that are even longer than the original manufacturer warranties. Everything is done to ensure no private data is received or passed on through the secondary market.” Realising Value In terms of the benefits, naturally, second- hand devices result in savings for businesses that can add up to a pretty penny. “There’s a huge difference in pricing between new and graded devices,” said Nelson. “It also changes at different times of the year, so when we’re coming up to a new Apple event, second hand pricing will start to dip.
some of the Chinese vendors you’re looking at a 50 to 60% saving, so it can be quite big especially if you’re a large business buying 1,000 units.” If that is not enough to entice businesses into the graded devices, Donavan and Athwal both said that resellers need to communicate with potential customers face to face, so they can understand how technology is prepared and have faith in the products they are purchasing. “The savings from the second-hand market can be huge, ranging from 40% to 85% of the new price,” said Athwal. “To convince businesses to embrace the second-hand market, the easiest way is to send them a few trial handsets, allowing them to fully assess the viability of buying used devices. “In addition, we offer tours of our facility, which gives them confidence in the quality of our products. During these tours, many businesses are blown away by the scale of the refurbished phone market, which often leads them to feel they are missing out and the orders soon follow.” “PCS Wireless and its trusted partners are working with the key B2B resellers to educate them and the channel as to the advantages of pre-owned tech adoption,” said Donovan. “The message is getting through and more and more businesses are turning to this option. “Resellers are running a growing number of test projects, sample drops and round tables which are aimed at educating the sector. It is clear however that the industry is adopting this change across the platforms from phones, to iPad.”
Steven Athwal, Managing Director
thebigphonestore. co.uk
The savings from the second-hand market can be huge, ranging from 40% to 85% of the new price.
“Ultimately savings can be 40 to 50 percent on the tier two brands, for
34
Powered by FlippingBook