Back Market vs eBay Refurbished: which is better for refurbished Apple?

eBay Refurbished for a longer warranty (2 years against 1 year), cheaper iPads (from $49 against $75) and cheaper MacBooks (from $99 against $162). Back Market for cheaper iPhones (from $86 against $99) and more listings (1,702 against 499).

Prices checked Oct 30, 8:10 PM EDT. Sellers pay us a commission. It never changes the order. Is RefurbMe free to use?

Where Back Market and eBay Refurbished differ

Each store's own terms. A check marks the better one where we can rank it.

Back Market eBay Refurbished

Warranty

1 year
2 yearsCertified Refurbished is covered by a 2-year warranty serviced by Allstate; Excellent, Very Good and Good grades carry the seller's warranty.

Returns

30 daysNo restocking fees
30 daysFree returns within a minimum of 30 days.

Battery

Above 80% capacity
Not stated

Accessories

Both OEM and compatible available depending on seller
Items come in new packaging with original or new accessories and a manual (Certified Refurbished).

Shipping

FreeFree shipping to 48 contiguous United States
Not statedFree shipping on eBay Refurbished items.

Paying

Installments availablePossible with Affirm starting at 0% APR. Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, PayPal
Not statedCredit and debit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay.

Student discount

Yes5% off for college students
Not stated

The grades at Back Market next to those at eBay Refurbished

Same letter, different words. Every grade works fully; the grade describes looks. The photos follow the device you picked above.

Back Market eBay Refurbished

Premium and Excellent

Premium: Their screens and bodies have almost no signs of use; they contain only genuine manufacturer parts and batteries; and their batteries have a minimum capacity of 90%.
Battery 90%+Original parts
Excellent: The body may have very light micro-scratches that are invisible at a distance of 8 inches (a bit longer than a standard-sized pencil) or more. For items with screens, the screen will have no scratches.
Checked from 8 in awayScreen: no scratches

Certified and Excellent

Certified: The item is in a pristine, like-new condition. It has been professionally inspected, cleaned, and refurbished by the manufacturer or a manufacturer-approved vendor to meet manufacturer specifications.
Excellent: The item is in like-new condition.
Grade A: Almost no visible marks

AAlmost no visible marks

Good

The body may have light micro-scratches that are invisible at a distance of 20 inches (about an arm's length) or more. For items with screens, the screen will have no scratches.
Checked from 20 in awayScreen: no scratches

Very Good

The item shows minimal wear.
Grade B: Light marks on the body

BLight marks on the body

Fair

The body may have a few visible scratches and dents that don't affect performance. Devices with screens may have light scratches that are slightly visible when the device is on.

Good

The item shows moderate wear.
Grade C: Visible marks on body and screen

CVisible marks on body and screen

Back Market or eBay Refurbished?

Is Back Market or eBay Refurbished cheaper for refurbished Apple devices?

Back Market is cheaper: its lowest refurbished iPhone costs $86, against $99 at eBay Refurbished, as of October 30, 2026. eBay Refurbished is cheaper for MacBooks ($99 against $162) and iPads ($49 against $75). Across all its devices, Back Market starts at $63 and eBay Refurbished starts at $49. Prices come from RefurbMe's live listings and change daily.

Does Back Market or eBay Refurbished have the longer warranty?

eBay Refurbished gives the longer warranty on refurbished Apple devices: 2 years, against 1 year at Back Market, as of October 30, 2026. On returns, the figures are 30 days at Back Market and 30 days at eBay Refurbished. Each figure is the minimum every listing at the store carries, so some listings come with more.

Does Back Market or eBay Refurbished give longer to return a device?

Back Market and eBay Refurbished both give at least 30 days to return a refurbished Apple device, as of October 30, 2026. On warranty, the figures are 1 year at Back Market and 2 years at eBay Refurbished. Back Market's policy says: "No restocking fees." eBay Refurbished's policy says: "Free returns within a minimum of 30 days."

How do the grades at Back Market and eBay Refurbished compare?

Back Market sells refurbished Apple devices in Premium, Excellent, Good and Fair; eBay Refurbished sells Certified, Excellent, Very Good and Good. The same name can mean different things at each store, so compare each store's own wording. Every grade works fully; the grade only describes how the casing and screen look.

Does Back Market or eBay Refurbished have more refurbished Apple devices?

Refurbished Apple devices in RefurbMe's live listings, as of October 30, 2026: 1,702 at Back Market, against 499 at eBay Refurbished. By device: 873 iPhones against 151, 396 MacBooks against 94 and 335 iPads against 85. Back Market has more listings in 3 of the 4 device types both stores sell.

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