Frank Mobile Review: Is It a Good Refurbished Seller?

Nowadays, we can not imagine our lives without a smartphone, can we? Whether it's about checking emails or watching a YouTube video of our favourite creator, these little portable devices have become an integral part of our daily lives.

But at the same time, buying a good quality smartphone is becoming increasingly difficult. Technology is not getting any cheaper. And people need to fork out thousands of bucks to get their hands on something substantial.

However, refurbished smartphones have solved this problem to some extent. Not only are they cheap, but they also offer value for your money for the buyers on a shoestring budget. Flagship devices that cost pretty pennies can be found at a significantly reduced price at refurbished stores.

But wait! Not all refurbished stores are created equal. One such refurbished smartphone store that we have picked today to review is Frank Mobile.

Is this Australian refurbished smartphone brand good to buy from? Does Frank Mobile offer freebies, discounts, and deals?

This is what we will find in today's blog post. So without further ado, let's delve straight into it!

Samsung and Apple, Is That It?

Apple has indeed captured half of the Australian mobile market share. But it does not mean that everybody in Australia uses Apple iPhone or Samsung, for that matter.

On Frank Mobile's website, you can find a wide range of iPhones, from the iPhone 6s to the iPhone 13 Pro Max. Some are available in Mint and Great condition, while others are available in Good. You can also find refurbished iPhones available in all three conditions based on their previous usage.

However, when it comes to Samsung, they only have a total of 47 products listed on their website, which includes the Samsung S series from S6 to S22, some A Series models, and one or two Samsung Galaxy Note 10.

But apart from Samsung and Apple, they do not deal in other brands' products like Huwaei, Redmi, Oppo, or Sony, putting them a little behind their competitors like PhoneBot.

Physical Store, What's That?

Yes, it's true. Frank mobile does not have a physical store; they only operate online.

While there's no harm in operating online completely, having a physical store is often preferred, especially in the refurbished smartphone space.

Why? Because not every customer will blindly order a phone by just looking at some alluring pictures on a website. Some customers need concrete proof of whether the phone is in good condition or it is being falsely advertised. And that sometimes means making customers able to check products physically by visiting your store.

Besides that, a physical store also works wonders for confused customers to buy a device according to their needs. The staff present in the store could listen to the customer's requirements and budget and offer them the product they actually need.

But sadly, you can not visit the physical store in Frank Mobile's case because they don't have one.

Deals, Discounts, Freebies, Anything?

Who doesn't love discounts, deals, and freebies? The question is, does Frank Mobile provide any of those? The answer is Yes and No.

Yes, Frank Mobile offers a 20% discount, but you know it is a gimmick, right? They actually price their products 20% higher and then cut the costs to make them look discounted. Old technique, mate!

Apart from that, they do not offer any deals or freebies along with the original purchase. However, other competitors have deals going on all year round on refurbished devices which can make you save even more bucks.

Moreover, Frank mobile only provides a charging cable and a sim ejector tool with the smartphone. Whereas, PhoneBot does not only offer chargers along with refurbished devices but also equips its customers with new batteries with the purchase of older Apple refurbished iPhones like iPhone 6, 7, and second hand iPhone 11.

Battery Health is Not Clearly Defined!

Imagine ordering a perfectly looking refurbished device just to charge it over and over? That's what bad battery health does. It reduces your smartphone's battery life, preventing you from using it for extended periods.

On Frank Mobile's website, they claim to offer products that have higher battery health than 80%. While 80% is the minimum battery health threshold for their products, they do not mention their products' exact battery health.

More so, they do not mention the minimum battery health threshold for Mint, Great, and Good condition refurbished devices.

This might leave the buyer overwhelmed. The consequence of bad battery health might not be evident immediately, but its repercussions will be visible after a couple of months or a year.

For instance, take a look at this Frank Mobile's customer review:

Live Chat Support? Nah!

While traditional customer support channels like email and phone are all good and fine, Live chat support takes things up a notch.

Live chat support is a super useful feature as it helps customers quickly solve their problems or queries related to your products. The live chat feature does not usually keep customers waiting for hours or days to answer their queries.

However, no such feature is available on Frank Mobile's website.

Moreover, their customer support is also unresponsive over the weekends, and you will probably not get your queries answered for at least two days if you ask something on Friday.

So Should Your Next Purchase Be From Frank Mobile?

Buying a refurbished device from any store across Australia, let alone Frank Mobile, depends on your need and requirements.

For example, if you want to buy a refurbished smartphone from a brand other than Apple or Samsung or if you want heavy discounts or freebies along with your purchase, Frank Mobile is not for you.

On the contrary, if you only need an iPhone or Samsung device with free shipping across Australia, you can opt for Frank Mobile. Just be sure to research Frank Mobile's competitors like PhoneBot, BecexTech, MobileGuru, and others as well before making your purchase decision.

As we said, at the end of the day, it all comes down to your smartphone needs. Just make sure to do proper research before doing business with any online store to avoid future hassle. Happy Shopping!

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are of the author. All brand names/trademarks belong to their respective owners and Phonebot has no affiliation with these brands.