Is Back Market a Scam? 

If you’re thinking of using Back Market, you need to know: Is Back Market a scam? 

Below, we explain whether Back Market is a scam and discuss some steps you can take to improve your safety when using this marketplace. 

What Is Back Market?

Back Market is an online marketplace where you can buy refurbished electronics and appliances, such as smartphones, laptops, tablets, game consoles, headphones, and other gadgets.

It connects consumers with professional refurbishers who restore pre-owned electronics. 

Is Back Market a Scam?

No, Back Market is not a scam. It’s a legitimate marketplace. However, as is the case with any marketplace, your experience will depends on the seller you purchase from. 

Though there are not many reviews of Back Market by third-party publications, those that do review the platform are generally positive. 

For example, reviewing Back Market for ZDNET, Maria Diaz said the following:

“I haven’t experienced any issues with the refurbished iPad 10th Generation from Back Market, aside from an initial lack of sound coming from the device when using Netflix or Hulu that didn’t happen with other apps, like YouTube. I simply restarted the iPad, and the issue was resolved and hasn’t happened since, making it evident it had nothing to do with the iPad being refurbished.”

On the other hand, writing for Wirecutter, Dave Gershgorn had a less glowing experience with Back Market:

“Back Market claims to have a 25-point inspection process, but the iPhone 13 we bought from the site had an unauthorized third-party display installed, which prompted an error in the Settings menu. And when we checked the battery health, it was at 84%, just on the verge of needing replacement (Apple recommends replacement when a battery is at 80% of its original capacity).”

User reviews of Back Market are very mixed:

• 3.4 out of 5. 0 stars (from 51 reviews) on Google.
• 4.5 out of 5.0 stars (from 15,987 reviews) on Trustpilot.
• 4.51 out of 5.0 stars (from 1,033 reviews) on Better Business Bureau.   
• 1.3 out of 5.0 stars (from 260 reviews) on REVIEWS.io. 
• 3.0 out of 5.0 stars (from 1,555 reviews) on Sitejabber. 

On online forums like Reddit, people likewise report mixed experiences.

One person warned others not to purchase from Back Market, saying their quality checks are minimal. They purchased a Samsung Gear S2 listed in “excellent condition,” but it didn’t work, overheated, and wouldn’t power on. 

When they sought help, Back Market suggested paying for a Samsung repair instead of honoring the warranty, claiming the device was too old, even though it was sold as refurbished. 

However, on that same thread, someone else said they had an entirely different experience. They bought two monitors from Back Market and have had no issues with them. 

Overall, the balance of reviews tilts toward frustration and mistrust, with people complaining about receiving defective products, warranty and refund issues, customer service problems, and trade-in issues (being offered less than initially quoted or receiving their devices back damaged). 

Of course, people who had a bad experience are much more motivated to post about it than those who had a smooth, uneventful transaction.

That said, the consistency of certain complaints (refund delays, warranty disputes, misleading “excellent condition” claims) suggests the issues aren’t just random bad luck.

Back Market is Better Business Bureau (BBB) accredited and has an “A” rating on the BBB website. It has received 863 complaints in the last three years, 337 of which have been resolved in the past 12 months. (Read our review “Is BBB a Scam?”)

Terms of service

In its terms of service, Back Market makes it clear that it is not the seller and has no responsibility for the quality, ownership, or safety of products sold. 

Sellers are fully responsible for product accuracy, condition, and compliance.

Buyers have a 30-day return window (“change of mind” allowed). 

You must return products within 14 days of notifying the Seller. Buyers cover return shipping costs and risk, unless the item is defective. Products must be returned in their original condition, complete with all accessories, and free of personal data. A full refund (including delivery costs) is usually given if conditions are met.

The Seller, not Back Market, provides a standard 12-month limited warranty.

Buyers can contact Sellers via the platform, and Sellers must respond within 24 hours (excluding weekends/holidays). Back Market may intervene if the Seller does not respond adequately, especially when it comes to defective products.

If Back Market intervenes and decides the Buyer’s claim is valid, it can enforce a refund, replacement, repair, or prepaid return label.

Essentially, your experience depends heavily on which Seller you get.

Returns and refunds policy

As per Back Market’s returns and refunds policy, you can return items you bought on the platform within 30 days for free if they’re defective, incorrect, missing accessories, or even if you just change your mind. 

After 30 days, a 1-year warranty covers hardware defects (not normal wear, liquid damage, or unauthorized repairs), and returns must include all accessories and a factory reset with personal data removed.

Warranty certificate

Back Market requires all sellers to provide a 12-month limited warranty covering defects in materials and workmanship under normal use, with remedies limited to repair, replacement, or refund. 

The warranty excludes damage from accidents, misuse, unauthorized repairs, or liquid damage, and only applies within the 48 contiguous U.S. states.

Personal data security through trade-in

When you trade in a device with Back Market, refurbishers automatically delete all personal data, and you can erase it beforehand for extra security. 

Security

In its privacy policy, Back Market says it has “reasonable technical and organizational measures” in place to protect your personal data.

These include “physical protection of locations, authentication procedures with personalized and secure access via identifiers and confidential passwords, encryption of certain data, etc.” 

Payment data is encrypted and handled by Adyen (PCI-DSS certified). Back Market lets you pay with prepaid cards. 

Privacy 

Back Market explains the kind of data it collects, for what purposes, and with whom it shares it in its privacy policy.

It collects the following personal information:

• Title.
• First and last name.
• Navigation data.
• History of shipping address.
• Invoicing address.
• Email address.
• Password.
• Date of birth.
• Age.
• Bank information number.
• Phone number.
• Company. 
• Customer service interaction data. 
• Orders, preferences, and interests.
• Products viewed and added to cart.
• Delivery incidents.
• Claims and conversations with an advisor. 
• Number of pages viewed.
• Number of visits to the site.
• Activity on the site and your return rate.
• Cookie data. 

Back Market collects this data for order management, personalization, marketing, fraud prevention, customer support, reviews, and insurance services. 

It may share it with sellers (for delivery of your products), customer service providers, marketing providers, and payment and fraud prevention partners. 

Back Market may transfer your data to servers in the U.S. and outside the EU with safeguards in place.

The company may retain your information for 3 years from the last activity or 6 years from the last order. Raw analytics data (site visits) is kept for a maximum of 13 months and is archived after that to meet legal, tax, and accounting obligations.

Depending on where you live, you may be able to exercise privacy rights, such as the right to request removal of data or limit how your data is used. 

According to its privacy notice for the liveness identity verification, Back Market may also collect your ID, civil status, and a short video selfie (via OnFido) to verify your identity, mainly to prevent fraud and resolve parcel-related incidents. 

Data is stored securely in the EU, kept up to 6 months if unvalidated (or 2 days if validated).

You retain rights to access, correct, delete, or limit this data’s processing.

So, Should You Use Back Market?

Depends.

Back Market is a good platform for discounted refurbished tech, but the risk is higher than buying from a retailer with direct accountability.

How to Use Back Market Safely and Privately

• Wipe your devices before selling/trading-in. Back Market says that refurbishers automatically delete all of your personal information, but it also notes that you can erase it yourself beforehand for additional security (and provides instructions). 
• Don’t overshare personal information. Only provide the data necessary for your order/payment. Decline optional data collection (e.g., marketing newsletters) in your account settings.
• Limit cookie tracking. Adjust your preferences on Back Market’s cookie settings page. Use a privacy-focused browser extension to reduce tracking.
• Check identity verification carefully. If asked for liveness verification, confirm it’s via OnFido (Back Market’s listed provider). Know that data will be stored up to 6 months if unvalidated, 2 days if validated. You can also request them to delete it. 
• Read the reviews. Before buying a product on Back Market, read the reviews to see previous customers’ experiences and see if they encountered any issues. 
• Use a secure payment method. Stick to Back Market’s checkout (don’t pay sellers directly). Prefer PayPal or a credit card for added fraud protection.
• Document your purchase. Save the product listing, screenshots of its “condition” rating, and your receipt. Keep copies of all communication with the seller.
• Test your item right away. When you receive the item, check its condition, functionality, and included accessories immediately. 
• Report straight away. Report any issues within the 3-day transit damage window or the 30-day return period. If the seller doesn’t respond in 24 hours, escalate through Back Market support.