The iPhone Purchase Experience

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CeX (Complete Entertainment Exchange) is a well-established UK high street and online retailer that buys and sells second-hand electronics, games, phones and more. They have hundreds of stores across the UK.

CeX offers two ways to sell your device: in-store or online. In-store you can walk in, have your device tested on the spot, and receive payment immediately. Online you can get a quote, send in your device via post, and receive payment once it has been inspected.

Payment can be received as cash or as a CeX voucher – the voucher amount is typically higher than the cash offer. You will need to bring valid photo ID when selling in-store.

Search for your device and get a valuation on the CeX website. They also have a Trustpilot page.

Mazuma Mobile is a UK-based phone recycling company. They offer guaranteed fixed pricing – unlike some other recyclers there are no inflated ‘up to’ prices that change when your device arrives.

Search for your device on their website, select the condition and receive an instant valuation. Once you register your sale, Mazuma will send you a free sales pack with a freepost bag. You can choose from Royal Mail Tracked or DPD collection from your door – both are free. Shipping is tracked and typically arrives at their HQ within 1–3 working days.

Mazuma pay on the same day they receive your device via Faster Payments bank transfer, which should clear in your account the same day.

Sell your device at mazumamobile.com. They also have a Trustpilot page.

Envirofone is a UK mobile phone recycling company. Search for your device by make and model (or IMEI number), select the condition and receive an instant quote.

Once you register your sale, Envirofone will send you a free Enviropack – a box to wrap your device securely with a free posting label included. You can fit two devices in one pack.

When received they will test the phone and send you a final offer. If the condition doesn’t match what you selected, they’ll email you with a revised price – you can accept the new amount or request the device back free of charge. Once you confirm, payment is processed the same day.

Sell your device at envirofone.com. They also have a Trustpilot page.

Back Market is a global marketplace for refurbished electronics that also offers a trade-in (buyback) program. They operate in the UK, US, and across Europe.

Back Market uses a network of independent refurbishers to process trade-ins. In some cases, your device may end up being handled by other trade-in companies already listed on this page. Because of this, you can often get a better trade-in value by going direct to those companies rather than through Back Market as the middleman.

To sell your device, search for it on the Back Market Buyback page, answer a few questions about its condition (screen, battery health, cosmetic damage), and receive an instant quote.

Sell your device at backmarket.co.uk. They also have a Trustpilot page.

Choose with caution. In 2023 MusicMagpie did not honour saved quotes – instead they requoted to the current price and called it a pricing error. This only appears to happen with SmartDROP and not when sent in via Royal Mail.

Click here to go to MusicMagpie’s selling site. Search for your device and select the correct model and storage.

Select your network and condition. MusicMagpie will then show you an offer price.

You can then choose to continue to checkout or save for later. You can complete a sale and have 21 days to send to MusicMagpie. Allow at least 7 days from postage for it to arrive, so it should be sent latest 14 days after completing the order.

When saving an order and then resaving, this does not lock in your quote – MusicMagpie are very misleading with this. All you are doing is saving the make and model of device. It looks like MusicMagpie are making the rules up as they go along and being underhand as they appear to have changed the way it works.

Sending Options

You can send to MusicMagpie via Royal Mail or drop off in person at a participating Timpson store.

Timpson In-Store Drop-Off

MusicMagpie has partnered with Timpson stores across the UK as a replacement for the old SMARTDrop kiosks. You must start your trade-in online first – you cannot walk in without a pre-placed order. Timpson is only available on single-device orders and on eligible models (iPhones, Samsung Galaxy phones, and iPads).

To use Timpson: get a valuation online, select the Timpson option at checkout, then take your device to your nearest participating store along with the QR code from your confirmation email and a valid form of ID (debit card or driving licence). A Timpson colleague will run security, IMEI, account lock and condition checks – the whole process takes around 10–20 minutes.

Once your device passes the checks, payment is made by bank transfer and should be in your account within minutes. There is no service charge for using Timpson, unlike the old SMARTDrop kiosks which deducted a fee from your valuation.

If your device is regraded, the Timpson colleague will explain why and offer a revised price. You can accept the new amount or take your device back on the spot – no obligation. Use the store locator on MusicMagpie’s Timpson page to find your nearest participating store.

Before you go: remove iCloud (or your Google account) from your device and reset it to factory settings.

Royal Mail

If you choose Royal Mail you will receive a QR Code to take to the Post Office – they will scan it and attach the label. Make sure you package the device securely and take photos and videos before sending.

There have been a number of reports where the device has arrived ‘damaged’ even when covered in layers of bubblewrap. A good idea is sending in its original box.

The process during peak times can be really slow. Below are key stages:

• Drop off at Post Office
• Royal Mail Update – Item received at Regional Distribution Centre
  • An email will arrive from MusicMagpie saying “Your order is on the move”
• Royal Mail Update – Item delivered
  • This does not mean the item has been delivered to MusicMagpie
  • This means the item has been put in an area at Royal Mail where anything for MusicMagpie is collated on a pallet, then sent on – during busy times they wait to collate
  • During busy times it can take longer than 7 days to get to them and be inspected
  • You will receive an email saying it has been received and is on its way to the warehouse
• Another email should come through saying it is at the warehouse and awaiting inspection
• Once inspected you will get an email confirming the amount and asking you to confirm you are happy to go ahead

Royal Mail is quite a convoluted process as the information isn’t quite true.

Contacting MusicMagpie

Contacting MusicMagpie is quite difficult. Click for web chat.

It is quite difficult to locate a phone number – here it is: Customer Services – 0333 555 0101, Complaints – 0345 404 0506.