Phone insurance for refurbished devices: worth it or wasted money?
4 min read
Buy a refurbished handset and the upsell follows within seconds: full protection, a few euros a month. So is phone insurance worth it for a refurbished phone? Or are you just paying for peace of mind? The answer sits in the purchase price, not the condition.
Phone insurance waiting periods: refurbished isn't just used
Under its own terms, Wertgarantie waives the usual waiting period when a device has been professionally refurbished, cleaned and tested by a manufacturer or dealer (as of September 2026).
That's one insurer, though. CHECK24 notes the pool of insurers thins out as a device ages, and some providers want a condition check via an app first (as of September 2026).
The lower price turns the maths against the policy
The Verbraucherzentrale puts annual premiums at 10 to 30 percent of the sale price, and only recommends insurance when a total loss would mean genuine financial hardship (as of July 2023). On a refurbished device that bar sits lower still.
Run the numbers. This refurbished model Apple iPhone 13 mini 256GB grün comes in at roughly 370 euros (as of September 2026), so call it 37 to 111 euros a year. A screen repair costs between 90 and 350 euros (BDRA, as of February 2026). Two years in, you may well have paid for the likeliest claim twice over without anything happening.
The pricier model Apple iPhone 15 Pro 128GB Titan blau carries a bigger absolute loss, this is the case where cover would actually pay off. Even so, Stiftung Warentest called phone insurance a "feel-good product" (as of November 2022).
Apple iPhone 13 mini 256GB grün
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Apple iPhone 15 Pro 128GB Titan blau
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One check before you sign
Look at what the payout is based on. Plenty of policies settle at current market value, so the right sum insured is the figure on your invoice, not the list price.
Side note: Back Market runs its own insurance for refurbished devices, "BackUp" (source, 2021). Whether the terms still look like that today, I honestly don't know.
None of this is the statutory guarantee. What the seller already owes you is covered in warranty or statutory warranty on refurbished devices, and what to do first if the device is defective covers the claim itself. And if you're comparing anyway, the gap between two condition grades is often wider than a full year of premiums. In the end, refurbished phone insurance rarely proves worth it.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is phone insurance worth it for a refurbished phone?
Usually not. The lower purchase price cuts the exact loss the policy exists to cover. The Verbraucherzentrale only recommends one when a total loss would cause real financial hardship.
Do insurers treat a refurbished device like a used one?
Not necessarily. Wertgarantie covers professionally refurbished devices with no waiting period, and merely old ones only after three months. Other providers don't draw that line automatically.
What does phone insurance cost for a used phone?
The Verbraucherzentrale puts it at 10 to 30 percent of the sale price per year (as of July 2023). On a 370 euro purchase that's 37 to 111 euros annually, plus an excess.
Does insurance pay the new price if the phone is stolen?
Typically no. Payouts follow current market value or the agreed sum insured. So enter what you actually paid when you sign up, not the list price.
