Condition is everything — but most people get it wrong
The single biggest lever you have over your Samsung's buyback price is the condition grade you select. Most people either underestimate or overestimate their device, and both cost you money.
Underestimating is the most common mistake. You select 'Good' when your device is actually Excellent — leaving £50–100 on the table. Overestimating is less common but leads to a revised offer on arrival, which can feel like a surprise even if it's fair.
Our recommendation: clean your device thoroughly, remove the case, and examine it under a bright light at different angles before grading it. Hairline scratches that you can only see in direct light don't drop a device from Excellent to Good. Visible scratches that you'd notice immediately in normal use do.
Remove all accounts before you do anything else
This sounds obvious but it's the most common reason for payment delays. Make sure to: sign out of your Samsung account (Settings > Accounts and backup > Manage accounts), disable Google FRP by factory resetting after account removal, and confirm the device passes the setup screen without asking for previous account credentials.
A device that arrives with FRP active cannot be processed until you resolve it remotely. This adds days to your payment timeline and causes unnecessary stress.
Don't wait for a better price
The most expensive thing you can do with a phone you're planning to sell is hold onto it. Samsung values drop consistently over time. The S26 launch in February 2026 pushed S25 prices down by around 12% overnight. The same will happen when the S27 launches in early 2027.
The best time to sell any Samsung is always: now.