Methodology

How the RefurbScore trust score works

A score out of 100 for each refurbished electronics seller, built only from data our team has validated. Here is exactly what it measures, how much each part weighs, and what can never influence it.

01The principle

A transparent 0–100 company score built from verified reviews, audits and admin-validated evidence — no black box.

1
We collect evidence
Buyer reviews, audits and seller records.
2
We verify everything
Moderated, checked and admin-validated.
3
You get a clear score
From 0 to 100 — your certification level follows from it.

0210 pillars and their weight

The score adds up ten pillars grouped into four families. The weights below are the ones used by the scoring engine; for each pillar we also say what a buyer should look at.

Verified reviews

25% weight

Verified reviews
25% weight
Prefer sellers with many verified buyer reviews, not just public comments.

Customer service

35% weight

After-sales quality
15% weight
Check how fast the seller replies and resolves warranty issues.
Avg. delivery time
10% weight
Compare the stated delivery promise with what buyers report.
Return rate
10% weight
High return rates may signal grading or quality issues.

Quality commitment

22% weight

Real warranty
10% weight
Confirm what the warranty excludes (battery, accessories) and how claims are handled.
Technical tests
8% weight
Prefer sellers issuing device passports with full hardware checklists.
Devices sold
4% weight
Volume alone is not quality, but very low volume means less track record.

Transparency & trust

18% weight

Transparency
10% weight
Look for published company identifiers, test protocols and honest condition labels.
Company tenure
4% weight
Established sellers have a longer track record you can check.
Ecology
4% weight
Relevant if sustainability is part of your purchase decision.

03Which data counts

Only admin-validated factors count. Unverified data is excluded from the score. Each piece of information shown on a profile states its source and its verification level. Possible sources:

Audit verified
Document verified
Admin created
Public source
Merchant claimed
Customer reported

Information declared by a seller is shown as such. It only counts towards the score once our team has validated it.

04Complete or provisional score

Complete score: Validated pillars represent at least 80% of the total weight. The score adds up their points; a pillar that is not validated earns no points.
Provisional score (normalized): Validated pillars represent between 40% and 80% of the total weight. The score is scaled back to 100 from those pillars only so that it stays comparable, and the coverage is shown on the profile.
Initial score: Less than 40% of the total weight is validated. The score is calculated the same way but remains indicative until more data has been checked.

05Score and certification

After a successful RefurbScore Certified audit, the trust score sets the certification level shown on the company profile.

CertifiedAudit 70+
RefurbScore Certified audit passed — baseline tests, warranty and after-sales verified.
SilverAudit 85+
Full audit plus strong verified reviews on delivery, returns and transparency.
GoldAudit 90+
Excellent after-sales, warranty clarity and buyer satisfaction confirmed by audit.
PlatinumAudit 95+
Premium audit across all 11 criteria including legal compliance and ecology.
EliteAudit 98+
Market reference — every audited criterion at the highest level.

How to get certified

06The device score (passport)

Device RefurbScore (passport) is calculated separately from hardware tests, battery health and cosmetic grading.

Hardware: 30% weight
Battery: 25% weight
Cosmetic: 15% weight
Warranty: 15% weight
Seller trust: 15% weight

How devices are tested

07Independence

RefurbScore trust scores reflect verified reviews, audits, certifications and validated evidence only. Paying for a plan unlocks merchant tools — it never increases your score.

Subscriptions never change the score
Unverified data is excluded
Updated after every audit

Methodology

How the RefurbScore trust score works

A score out of 100 for each refurbished electronics seller, built only from data our team has validated. Here is exactly what it measures, how much each part weighs, and what can never influence it.

01The principle

A transparent 0–100 company score built from verified reviews, audits and admin-validated evidence — no black box.

1
We collect evidence
Buyer reviews, audits and seller records.
2
We verify everything
Moderated, checked and admin-validated.
3
You get a clear score
From 0 to 100 — your certification level follows from it.

0210 pillars and their weight

The score adds up ten pillars grouped into four families. The weights below are the ones used by the scoring engine; for each pillar we also say what a buyer should look at.

Verified reviews

25% weight

Verified reviews
25% weight
Prefer sellers with many verified buyer reviews, not just public comments.

Customer service

35% weight

After-sales quality
15% weight
Check how fast the seller replies and resolves warranty issues.
Avg. delivery time
10% weight
Compare the stated delivery promise with what buyers report.
Return rate
10% weight
High return rates may signal grading or quality issues.

Quality commitment

22% weight

Real warranty
10% weight
Confirm what the warranty excludes (battery, accessories) and how claims are handled.
Technical tests
8% weight
Prefer sellers issuing device passports with full hardware checklists.
Devices sold
4% weight
Volume alone is not quality, but very low volume means less track record.

Transparency & trust

18% weight

Transparency
10% weight
Look for published company identifiers, test protocols and honest condition labels.
Company tenure
4% weight
Established sellers have a longer track record you can check.
Ecology
4% weight
Relevant if sustainability is part of your purchase decision.

03Which data counts

Only admin-validated factors count. Unverified data is excluded from the score. Each piece of information shown on a profile states its source and its verification level. Possible sources:

Audit verified
Document verified
Admin created
Public source
Merchant claimed
Customer reported

Information declared by a seller is shown as such. It only counts towards the score once our team has validated it.

04Complete or provisional score

Complete score: Validated pillars represent at least 80% of the total weight. The score adds up their points; a pillar that is not validated earns no points.
Provisional score (normalized): Validated pillars represent between 40% and 80% of the total weight. The score is scaled back to 100 from those pillars only so that it stays comparable, and the coverage is shown on the profile.
Initial score: Less than 40% of the total weight is validated. The score is calculated the same way but remains indicative until more data has been checked.

05Score and certification

After a successful RefurbScore Certified audit, the trust score sets the certification level shown on the company profile.

CertifiedAudit 70+
RefurbScore Certified audit passed — baseline tests, warranty and after-sales verified.
SilverAudit 85+
Full audit plus strong verified reviews on delivery, returns and transparency.
GoldAudit 90+
Excellent after-sales, warranty clarity and buyer satisfaction confirmed by audit.
PlatinumAudit 95+
Premium audit across all 11 criteria including legal compliance and ecology.
EliteAudit 98+
Market reference — every audited criterion at the highest level.

How to get certified

06The device score (passport)

Device RefurbScore (passport) is calculated separately from hardware tests, battery health and cosmetic grading.

Hardware: 30% weight
Battery: 25% weight
Cosmetic: 15% weight
Warranty: 15% weight
Seller trust: 15% weight

How devices are tested

07Independence

RefurbScore trust scores reflect verified reviews, audits, certifications and validated evidence only. Paying for a plan unlocks merchant tools — it never increases your score.

Subscriptions never change the score
Unverified data is excluded
Updated after every audit