Back Market is an online marketplace for refurbished phones, laptops, tablets and other electronics. It doesn't stock devices itself: independent refurbishers list, inspect and ship them, while Back Market sets the quality rules, runs customer care and attaches a 1-year seller warranty to every order. It suits shoppers who want a recent phone or laptop for less than new and can live with some cosmetic wear.

We reviewed Back Market's help center, quality pages and recent customer reviews. Short answer: yes, Back Market is a legitimate, well-established platform with a solid safety net, but your experience depends heavily on which seller fills your order, so pick listings with care.

Back Market at a glance

Founded2014, in Paris, France
Headquarters (US)Back Market Inc., New York, NY
What it sellsRefurbished smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktops, smartwatches and other electronics from independent sellers
Shipping (US)Free standard shipping; 48 contiguous states only; express delivery (within 2 business days) on some items, sometimes for a fee
ReturnsFree returns within 30 days of receiving your order; 1-year seller warranty from the delivery date
Customer serviceOnline requests through Orders, then Get help; Back Market says it replies to problem reports within 1 business day
BBB (as of November 2026)A+ rating, accredited since July 2022; 987 complaints in the past 3 years
Trustpilot (as of November 2026)4.5/5 from about 20,200 reviews (US site)

Who is Back Market?

Back Market was founded in Paris in 2014 by Thibaud Hug de Larauze, Quentin Le Brouster and Vianney Vaute. The company says it has raised more than $1 billion from investors and is a certified B Corp. Its US arm, Back Market Inc., is listed with the BBB at Union Square West in New York, with a business start date of February 2018.

In February 2026, AFP reported (via the French outlet Maddyness) that Back Market reached breakeven worldwide for the first time in 2025, after turning profitable in Europe in 2024. The same report put its customer base at 18 million across 17 countries, with about 1,800 refurbishing partners and roughly 700 employees. Our searches turned up no recent bankruptcy, data breach or US class action involving the company.

The key thing to understand is the marketplace model. Every order is fulfilled and shipped by an individual seller, and each listing names that seller, its location and where the package ships from. Sellers must follow Back Market's Quality Charter, which covers inspection, testing and quality control, and Back Market describes an inspection of up to 100 points for smartphones.

What Back Market sells and how prices compare

The catalog centers on smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktops and smartwatches, with other electronics alongside. Most of these devices come in several cosmetic grades, and because grades describe looks rather than function, a Good or Fair unit can be a sensible way to save if a few scratches don't bother you.

Checkout supports credit and debit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay, plus pay-over-time plans through Klarna and Affirm. Accidental damage isn't covered by the standard warranty; Back Market points buyers to a separately sold Protection Plan for that.

Before you buy, check what the same device costs new, so you know what the refurbished discount is really worth.

How Back Market's condition grades work

Back Market's help center says every device should be in full working order whatever its grade. For phones, tablets, laptops, desktops and smartwatches, the cosmetic standards are:

  • Premium: almost no signs of use. Only genuine manufacturer parts and batteries are used, with at least 90% battery capacity.
  • Excellent: very light micro-scratches that can't be seen from 8 inches or more away, and no scratches on the screen.
  • Good: light micro-scratches invisible from 20 inches or more, and no screen scratches.
  • Fair: visible wear with a few scratches or dents, possible light screen scratches visible when the display is on, and sometimes custom engravings.

Other device types use just two grades, Excellent and Good, with Good matching the Fair description above. Below Premium, sellers may use compatible rather than original parts, which Back Market says must perform as well as genuine ones, and the battery floor is 80% capacity. Water resistance isn't guaranteed on refurbished devices, since they are opened during refurbishment.

If a device arrives looking worse than its grade, open a request with photos from several angles. Back Market says you'll hear back within 1 business day. Orders received in the last 30 days qualify for a free return, or you can keep the device and the seller may offer compensation.

Shipping and delivery

Back Market's US help center promises free standard shipping on every item. Delivery is limited to the 48 contiguous states; Hawaii, Alaska and US territories such as Puerto Rico aren't served yet. Sellers generally ship within the country of the site you order from, and the listing shows where your package will come from.

Express delivery, promised within 2 business days for smartphones, watches, tablets and laptops, is offered on some items and may carry an extra fee. It isn't available from every seller or for every product.

If a package arrives damaged, contact customer care quickly. Back Market says reporting shipping damage within 3 business days helps the seller investigate with the carrier.

Returns, refunds and warranty

You have 30 days from receiving your order to send it back to the seller, and returns are free. Before shipping, erase your personal data with a factory reset, remove your SIM card and include every accessory that came in the box. Refunds can be withheld if the seller finds signs of liquid damage, impact or third-party handling.

Once the seller confirms the device arrived, it has up to 3 business days to issue the refund. Your payment provider then needs up to 7 business days for cards, PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay, or 10 business days for Klarna and Affirm (up to 45 days for Affirm virtual cards). If a return parcel is lost in transit, the seller still owes you a replacement or a refund.

If a device arrives faulty: open a request through Orders, then Get help, with a description and photos. Within the first 30 days, the seller offers a repair, a replacement if one is available, or a refund, whichever you prefer, and you receive a return label. If the seller disputes your request, Back Market can review it and step in when the claim is justified.

After 30 days, the 1-year warranty takes over. It runs for 12 months from delivery, is provided by the seller and covers hardware and software defects. It excludes normal wear (including lower battery capacity), significant impact damage, liquid damage and any repair or tampering by someone the seller hasn't authorized. Under the warranty, the seller repairs or replaces the device and refunds you if neither is possible. Back Market's returns page gives sellers 5 business days for most repairs and 7 for laptops and bulky items. Report problems promptly, because Back Market warns that late requests may be rejected.

What customers say

On Trustpilot, Back Market's US profile scores 4.5/5 from about 20,200 reviews (as of November 2026), with roughly 3,400 posted in the past year. Five-star reviews make up 83% of the total and one-star reviews 7%. Trustpilot notes that the company replies to 99% of negative reviews, usually within a week.

Recent positive reviews tend to praise device condition, low prices and quick, well-packed deliveries. Negative ones describe hardware faults such as blurry cameras or devices that won't power on, delivery mix-ups and slow communication.

The BBB file is more critical. Back Market Inc. holds an A+ rating and has been accredited since July 2022, but it logged 987 complaints in the past three years and 278 in the past 12 months. Because of that volume, BBB says it publishes only one in five of the complaints it handles for the company. Service or repair issues (415) and product issues (379) dominate, followed by delivery issues (117).

The 2026 complaints shown on the BBB site most often involve refunds that customers say were slow or missing after a return, warranty claims refused as accidental damage, return-label mix-ups and devices that were locked or failed early. Company replies are usually brief and point customers to their open claim, and in several cases a refund arrived only after the BBB complaint was filed.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Free standard shipping and free returns within 30 days on every order
  • 1-year warranty on every device, starting at delivery
  • Cosmetic grades with concrete, distance-based definitions
  • Premium grade guarantees genuine parts and at least 90% battery capacity
  • Back Market can step in when a seller disputes a claim
  • 4.5/5 on Trustpilot from more than 20,000 US reviews

Cons

  • Quality and service depend on the independent seller that ships your order
  • Below Premium, batteries can be as low as 80% capacity and parts may be non-original
  • The warranty excludes battery wear, impact damage and liquid damage
  • Nearly 1,000 BBB complaints in three years, many about refunds and warranty denials
  • No shipping to Alaska, Hawaii or US territories

Tips before you order from Back Market

  1. Read the seller details on the listing. Check who the seller is and where the device ships from before you add it to your cart.
  2. Pay for Premium only if parts and battery matter to you. It's the grade that guarantees genuine parts and at least 90% battery capacity; the other grades differ mainly in looks.
  3. Test everything in the first 30 days. Check battery health, cameras, speakers, ports, biometrics and carrier activation while you can still choose a repair, replacement or refund.
  4. Document the unboxing. Take photos when the package arrives and report shipping damage within 3 business days.
  5. Prepare returns carefully. Sign out of your Apple or Google account, factory reset the device, remove the SIM, pack every accessory and keep the tracking number.
  6. Use a card or PayPal if refund speed matters. Refunds to those methods take up to 7 business days after the seller issues them, versus 10 for Klarna or Affirm.

Is Back Market legit? Our verdict

Back Market is a legitimate, established marketplace, and its rules give buyers real protection: free shipping, 30 days of free returns, a 1-year warranty and a company that can step in when a seller disputes a claim. It's a good fit if you want a recent phone, tablet or laptop for less than new and you're willing to test it carefully during the first month.

It's less suited to shoppers who want one company to stand behind every device from start to finish, or who want a strong battery without paying for the Premium grade. If that sounds like you, compare Apple's Certified Refurbished store or Amazon Renewed before you buy.

Visit Back Market

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