Refurbished Grades Explained: Excellent vs Good
By Riki Baker · Updated 28 June 2026
The short answer: a grade describes how a device looks, not how it works. Every grade we sell is fully tested, has at least 80% battery health, and carries the same 12-month warranty. Excellent means barely a mark; Good means a few honest scratches for less money. So you are choosing on looks and budget, not on quality.
The grades, from top to bottom
Every device in our shop is given a condition grade by the technician who prepared it. The grade is about cosmetics, the marks you can or cannot see, and it sets the price. Here is exactly what each one means.
Certified
Like new
Brought up to a like-new standard through our 42-point inspection. Zero visible wear, so it looks and feels brand new.
Shop 2 Certified devicesExcellent
Barely a mark
Minimal signs of use. The screen is in perfect condition. The body may carry very faint micro-scratches you would only catch under direct light.
Shop 14 Excellent devicesGood
Light honest wear
Light cosmetic wear, such as minor scratches on the screen or body. Every function tested and working, at a lower price.
Shop 5 Good devicesPoor
Well used, fully working
More visible wear: scratches, scuffs or the odd minor dent. Still fully functional and priced to match. We do not always have these in stock.
Stock counts update automatically from our shop. Cosmetic descriptions are assessed by our technicians in good faith, and minor variations within a grade are normal.
What is identical, whatever the grade
This is the part that matters most. The grade only changes the cosmetics and the price. Everything below is the same on a Good device as it is on a Certified one.
Fully tested
Every function is checked before it is listed: cameras, speakers, microphones, buttons, charging, Face ID or fingerprint, and the screen. Nothing goes on sale until it passes.
80% battery health or more
Every device with a battery is at 80% capacity or above. On an iPhone that means you will never see the "Service" battery warning, and the figure is noted on the listing.
Faults flagged honestly
If anything does not work exactly as it should, we write it clearly on the listing before you buy. No quiet surprises after it arrives.
Data-wiped and reset
Each device is wiped back to factory and reset, so it arrives clean and ready to set up as your own.
12-month warranty
Every grade, from Certified to Poor, comes with the same 12-month mendmyi warranty from the date you receive it.
Prepared in-house
Every device is checked over in our Haverhill workshop by the same engineers who run our repair counter, not bought in ready-made from a warehouse. Some need parts and refurbishment, others just a thorough clean and a full test.
How we grade, and why you can trust it
Grading is not a guess from a stock photo. In the Haverhill workshop we test every function and check the battery, then look the body and screen over carefully under good light, set the grade and photograph the actual device you will receive. Some devices need parts and proper refurbishment to get there; others arrive in great shape and simply need a deep clean and a full test. Our top Certified grade is the one that goes through the full 42-point inspection.
Because the same engineers who run our repair counter do the work, anything that falls short gets put right or flagged. What you read on the listing is what turns up at your door.
From the workbench: which grade should you pick?
Here is the honest steer we give people across the counter. If the device is going straight into a case with a screen protector, which is most of us, Good is usually the smart buy. The marks that drop it a grade are the ones you will cover up anyway, and you pocket the difference.
If you like a device to look immaculate, never use a case, or you are buying it as a gift, step up to Excellent or Certified. You are paying a little more purely for the finish, not for it to work any better.
One thing worth knowing: the grades do not always carry a big price gap, and now and then a Good and an Excellent of the same model sit very close on price. So check both before you decide, and buy on what your eyes and your budget tell you, not on the label alone.
Right now there are 21 refurbished devices in the shop, from £97, every one tested, graded and warrantied.
It is not just phones
We grade everything we sell the same way. Whether it is a tablet for the sofa, a Mac for work or a console for the front room, the cosmetic grade, and the battery health where it has a battery, are written on every listing.
Ready to buy, or upgrading?
Once you know the grade you want, the rest is easy. Here are your routes, and we will give you an honest steer on any of them.
Buy refurbished
Pick the grade that suits your eyes and your budget. Every device is tested, wiped and backed by a 12-month warranty, with free UK delivery, or reserve and collect from us in Haverhill.
Browse the shopTrade in for credit
Put the value of your old device towards a refurbished upgrade and pay less than buying outright. We move your photos, messages, apps and accounts across and set the new one up for you.
Get a trade-in priceSell it for cash
Not upgrading with us? We still buy phones and devices outright, even broken ones. Tell us the model and condition for a clear quote and get paid by cash or bank transfer.
Get a cash quoteNew to buying refurbished? Our guide on how to check a refurbished phone before you buy walks through the checks that matter.
The bottom line
Refurbished grades sound like quality tiers, but they are really cosmetic ones. Certified looks brand new, Excellent has barely a mark, Good carries a few honest scratches for less, and the rare Poor device wears its history openly. Underneath, they are the same: fully tested, at least 80% battery, any fault flagged, and a 12-month warranty on every one. Decide how fussy you are about looks, weigh that against the price, and buy with your eyes open. If you are not sure which grade suits you, ask us, and we will tell you straight.
Refurbished grades: your questions answered
What is the difference between Excellent and Good refurbished?
It is cosmetic only. An Excellent device has minimal signs of use, with a perfect screen and at most very faint micro-scratches under direct light. A Good device shows light honest wear, such as minor scratches on the screen or body, for a lower price. Both are fully tested, both have at least 80% battery health, and both carry the same 12-month warranty. The grade tells you how it looks, not how it works.
Is a Good grade device reliable?
Yes. The grade describes cosmetic condition, not working order. Every Good device has been through the same testing as our top grades, has at least 80% battery health, and comes with the same 12-month mendmyi warranty. You are paying less for a few honest marks, not for a phone that works any less well.
What battery health do your refurbished devices have?
Every device with a battery is at 80% capacity or above, whatever the cosmetic grade. On an iPhone that means it will not show the "Service" battery warning. We note the figure on the listing, so you know exactly what you are getting before you buy.
What does Certified mean at mendmyi?
Certified is our top grade. The device has been refurbished to a like-new standard through our 42-point inspection, with zero visible wear, so it looks and feels brand new. It is the closest to buying new without paying new prices.
What happens if a feature does not work?
If anything does not work exactly as it should, we flag it clearly on the listing before you buy, so there are no surprises. On top of that, every refurbished device comes with a 12-month warranty covering manufacturing defects and component failure under normal use.
Do the grades apply to tablets, laptops and consoles too?
Yes. We grade every device the same honest way, whether it is a phone, a tablet, a Mac or laptop, a smartwatch or a console. The cosmetic grade, and the battery health where the device has a battery, are written on every listing.
Shop refurbished with confidence
Every device tested, graded honestly and backed by a 12-month warranty, with free UK delivery or reserve and collect from us in Haverhill.