Marketplace or Direct Sale: Who Is Actually Your Contract Partner When You Buy Refurbished?
3 min read
There's a logo on the invoice and a brand in your head. Then something breaks, and those turn out to be two different companies. Who your refurbished contract partner is decides who you call, when the device stops charging after five weeks, for instance.
Three platforms, three answers
| Platform | Who sells you the device | What that means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Refurbed | the individual merchant | your claim goes to that merchant |
| Back Market | a third-party seller, JUNG S.A.S. mediates | your claim goes to the seller |
| rebuy | rebuy itself, per its own terms | one address for everything |
This isn't a ranking, just two structures. Refurbito tests neither.
What this means for Gewährleistung and Garantie
English blurs two German words into one. Gewährleistung is the statutory liability every seller owes you by law. Garantie is a voluntary promise on top.
Refurbed writes in its own FAQ that your contract partner is "the respective merchant from whom you buy the product" (as of 13.08.2026). Back Market is blunter in its terms: it acts "in no way as a seller or buyer of the products".
So is the platform's Garantie worthless? No, it sits on top. The Back Market warranty certificate says the seller guarantee applies "in addition to the statutory Gewährleistung".
The German consumer body Verbraucherzentrale puts it plainly: Gewährleistung is set by law, Garantie is voluntary. A used phone with a warranty gives you both.
rebuy works differently. Purchase and sale contracts are formed directly with rebuy recommerce GmbH per its own terms, since rebuy buys devices in and resells them under its own name. Checking that one word for word is harder: the terms only come as a PDF.
What this means for returns and withdrawal
Refurbed return or rebuy return, your withdrawal goes to your contract partner, not to the logo. Who pays the return shipping is a topic of its own.
How long the warranty runs is covered in the refurbished warranty guide.
The providers sit side by side in the overview of refurbished providers in Germany, Refurbed alone in the 2026 review.
Check the seller name in your basket before you order, then compare the offers on Refurbito.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Back Market a marketplace or a retailer?
Back Market calls itself an intermediary in its own terms, and JUNG S.A.S. does not act as a seller there. Your purchase contract is with the seller of the device (as of 13.08.2026).
Who owes me the Gewährleistung on Refurbed?
Refurbed names the individual merchant as your contract partner in its own FAQ. The statutory Gewährleistung therefore falls on that merchant, not on the platform (as of 13.08.2026).
Is rebuy a direct seller?
According to its own terms, purchase and sale contracts are formed between you and rebuy recommerce GmbH. rebuy buys devices in and resells them under its own name.
What is the difference between Garantie and Gewährleistung?
The Verbraucherzentrale separates them. Gewährleistung is set by law and owed by the seller. A Garantie is voluntary, sits on top, and does not replace it.
