A man has shared the surprising offer he received from CeX for his brand new £900 iPhone.
In a recent video posted on TikTok, they addressed a question: “Why does CeX offer such 'terrible' prices?”
According to him, there’s actually a method behind how the popular electric reseller does its business.
While CeX is sometimes known for its low trade-in offers, the creator explained that the company’s grading system plays a major role in how much they’re willing to pay for items.
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“They actually grade items A, B, or C,” he said.
“This can change their offer massively.”
He claimed that grading depends on the condition of the device, packaging, and accessories — and it can mean the difference between a surprisingly good payout, and a disappointingly low one.
On their website, they explain: "We have a dedicated pricing team who set our buy-in prices. As with our selling prices they take into account market trends and various economic factors.
"Their overall aim is to give you as much as possible for your goods whilst making sure we offer the best value for buying second-hand around.
"Prices quoted at the time of booking are subject to testing and may change depending upon condition and accessories provided."
To test this out, he took in a brand new, boxed iPhone he'd bought for £900.
This was a grade A-worthy product, described 'in mint/new condition'.
"The product must be immaculate; if it is not then it is unfortunately not deemed as an A grade. All accessories means everything that would have originally come in the box," CeX explain.
The man in the clip shared on TikTok was shocked when CeX offered him £940 — slightly more than he originally paid.
“So technically, this was a good offer for CeX,” he explained.
However, instead of taking the £40 profit, he decided to explore a different route.
The phone was sourced through a reselling app called Crepe Chief Notify, a community known for helping users find and flip high-demand products.
Rather than settling for the CeX deal, he listed the iPhone on eBay — and the results were staggering.
“Instead of taking the £40 profit at CeX, I put it on eBay, I took it home, and made £600,” he said, suggesting that selling directly to buyers can be far more profitable than trading in at a store.
LADbible Group has contacted CeX for comment.
Anish Vij