TechCheck® is how Reboxed turns a few honest questions about your phone into a guaranteed price. You tell us whether it turns on, whether the screen or casing is damaged, what cosmetic condition it's in and whether it's network locked. Those answers produce an instant quote that holds for 14 days, and if your phone arrives as described, that quote is the price you get paid. No headline number designed to win your click, then quietly shrink once we've got your device. We've paid thousands of sellers this way and earned over 10,000 reviews across Trustpilot and Reviews.io, so this isn't theory. It's the whole point of the company.
What is TechCheck®, in plain English?
TechCheck® is our upfront grading process. Most trade-in sites ask one lazy question: "what condition is it in?", with a dropdown of Good, Fair, Poor and no real definition of any of them. That vagueness is where quotes go to die, because your "good" and their "good" are rarely the same phone.
TechCheck® breaks that one fuzzy question into specific ones a normal person can actually answer. Does it power on and hold a charge? Is the screen cracked or scratched? Any dents or chips on the frame? Is it locked to a network? Each answer maps to a real grade, and the grade sets the price. You're not guessing at a category. You're describing your actual phone.
The result is an instant, guaranteed quote rather than an "estimate" that's really just bait. That word, guaranteed, is doing a lot of work, and it's worth being clear about what it means: if the phone we receive matches the phone you described, the number doesn't move.
How does TechCheck® actually set the price?
Three things drive your quote, and it helps to know them.
First, the model and storage. An iPhone 15 Pro 256GB and a 128GB sit at different prices, so we pin down exactly what you've got. Second, working order. A phone that powers on, holds charge and has all its functions intact is worth far more than one that doesn't, which is why we ask. Third, cosmetic condition, graded honestly against described damage, not vibes.
Here's the insight most sellers miss: condition moves your payout more than almost anything else, and it's the one variable you control at the point of quoting. Get the model right and the working status right, and the only thing left to get wrong is condition. That's exactly where the grading gap opens up.
| TechCheck® asks | Why it matters to your price | What trips sellers up |
|---|---|---|
| Does it turn on and work fully? | Working phones are worth most; faults drop the grade sharply | Forgetting to test the mic, cameras or Face ID before quoting |
| Is the screen damaged? | Cracks and deep scratches lower the grade | Scratches hide on a lit screen and show on a dark one |
| What's the casing like? | Dents and chips on the frame drop grades faster than people expect | Months of small knocks the brain stopped noticing |
| Is it network locked? | A locked phone is worth less | Not knowing, or assuming, instead of checking |
Why is the grading gap the thing that catches people out?
The grading gap is the difference between the condition you think your phone is in and the condition it's actually in. You've looked at your phone every day for two years. Your brain filed away that scuffed corner months ago. A grader seeing it for the first time, under bright workshop light, registers every mark at once. Neither of you is lying. You're just looking at different phones.
This matters because the entire trade-in industry quotes off your description, then grades off the device. When those two things don't match, the quote changes. We've all done it: you'd swear the screen is flawless, then you tilt it under a lamp and find a faint constellation of hairline scratches. TechCheck® exists to catch that on your sofa, not on our workbench. Worth knowing: roughly 90% of the downgrades that happen in this industry come from honest mis-grading at self-assessment, not from a company moving the goalposts.
Is the TechCheck® quote really guaranteed, or does it ever change?
Let's be honest about the limits, because pretending a quote can never change would make us exactly the kind of company this article is warning you about.
If your phone arrives matching what you declared, the quote stands and you're paid the same day we receive and verify it, Monday to Friday, before the 2pm cut-off. If the device genuinely doesn't match, because something was missed or mis-graded, you get a revised offer with the reasons. You can accept it, or have your phone sent back free. There's no hostage situation, no awkward friction designed to make you give in. The honest test of any trade-in firm isn't whether revised offers ever happen. It's what they do when you say no.
The quote is also valid for 14 days. Post your phone inside that window and the price holds. After it, the number can move, because phone values shift quickly, especially around a new launch. Post promptly and you sidestep that entirely.
What happens to my phone (and my data) after TechCheck®?
You get a free sales pack with a QR code or prepaid label, post the phone (an insured Special Delivery option is there for high-value devices), and it comes to our TechCheck® engineers. They verify it against your description, then securely and permanently wipe it, even if you forgot to factory reset. No faff, no lingering photos or accounts.
From there your phone gets a second life. Reboxed repairs and refurbishes where possible and recycles responsibly where it can't, and we plant five trees for every device rehomed as part of a mission to rehome 100 million devices. The phone sat in your drawer is wasted value and wasted materials. TechCheck® is the front door to fixing both.
When isn't Reboxed the right choice?
If you want the absolute maximum amount of money and you don't mind the work, selling privately on eBay, Vinted or Facebook Marketplace will usually beat any trade-in quote, ours included. You cut out the middleman, so the maths favours you. The trade-off is your time and nerves: listing photos, haggling, no-shows, return requests, and the small but real chance of being scammed. TechCheck® is built for people who'd rather have a guaranteed price, a secure wipe and same-day payment than squeeze out the last £20. If that's genuinely not you, sell privately with our blessing.
When you are ready, see what your phone is worth in about 30 seconds with TechCheck®, or start from the sell my phone hub. Selling an iPhone specifically? Go straight to sell my iPhone. Want to see the full journey first? Here's how it works.
FAQ
Q: What is Reboxed TechCheck®?
A: TechCheck® is Reboxed's upfront grading process. Instead of one vague condition dropdown, it asks specific questions about whether your phone works, whether the screen or casing is damaged and whether it's network locked. Those answers produce an instant, guaranteed quote that holds for 14 days.
Q: Is the TechCheck® quote guaranteed?
A: Yes, provided the phone arrives in the condition you described. If it matches, that's the price you're paid, the same day we receive and verify it. If it genuinely doesn't match, you get a revised offer with reasons, which you can accept or decline for a free return.
Q: How does Reboxed decide how much my phone is worth?
A: Three things: the exact model and storage, whether it's in full working order, and its honest cosmetic condition. Condition is the variable you control at quote time, which is why accurate grading keeps your payout intact.
Q: Will my data be safe?
A: Yes. Every device is securely and permanently wiped by our TechCheck® engineers on receipt, even if you didn't factory reset it yourself. It's still good practice to back up and sign out of your accounts before posting.
Q: How long is a TechCheck® quote valid?
A: 14 days. Post your phone within that window and the quote holds, as long as the device matches your description. After 14 days the price can change, because phone values move quickly.
Q: Why do most quote reductions happen?
A: Around 90% come from sellers over-rating their phone's condition at self-assessment, usually by missing screen scratches or frame dents. TechCheck® is designed to catch that up front so the quote you accept is the one you're paid.
