Free has entered into a partnership with CertiDeal to offer refurbished smartphones to its subscribers. And the operator promises prices “at least 10%” lower than those of the market competition.
A package at cost price and nothing else. That was the early days of Free. That of the mobile operator who wanted to shake up the market by arriving with offers at prices that defied all competition. And stop there.
Nearly 10 years later, Free proudly displays prices that have not budged and a still limited range that ” will not move within five years “. You do not risk getting lost in the price list, it only has three prices, with discounts if you are also an Internet subscriber: 2 euros (zero euros with the Free box) or 19.99 euros (15.99 euros or 9.99 euros for Freebox Pop subscribers), or even 9.99 euros in the case of the Free Series. Apart from a few promotional offers here and there, nothing to report.
Refurbishment, a growing trend
Long reluctant, the ISP has launched an assault on the smartphone rental market in 2021 with Free Flex, a 24-month offer with an option to purchase at no additional cost. New devices, often premium, but also refurbished. ” The share of refurbished smartphones is on the rise“, explains toFrandroid Céline von der Weid, communications director of the Iliad group. “We have also placed collection boxes in our stores to collect devices for refurbishment. There is a real customer demand and appeal to give a phone a second life.»
Reconditioning has therefore become an important point for Xavier Niel’s group, which has joined forces with Ateliers du Bocage, a player in the solidarity economy and social reintegration, to refurbish devices and distribute them to associations.
“There comes a time when you have to be a bit reasonable. When you change technology, it makes sense to change your laptop for a new one. Beyond that, one can ask the questionadds Isabelle Audap, corporate communications manager at Iliad. “Unlike the competition, we do not encourage you to change your new phone all the time, with the subsidy which pushes you after 12-18 months to take a new smartphone, and absolutely new ones. »
Free Flex got off to a flying start, relying in particular on refurbished smartphones. A desire totransparency” also hammered out internally with an invoice that is clear and detailed about what you pay, but also an important strategic point in the minds of Free. “We have undertaken a process concerning the CSR policy, the climate strategy, around the terminals and the network“, we add in the operator. “Refurbished is important in our thinking and it is a growing share of smartphone sales with us that confirms that we are on the right track.”emphasizes Céline von der Weid.
A partnership with CertiDeal to consolidate its positioning
To go further in its desire to recycle and save money for its subscribers, Free has established a partnership with CertiDeal, a major player in the refurbished market. This comes in the form of an exclusive offer accessible from the latter’s site for its approximately 13.7 million subscribers. Enough to offer a wide range of devices “at the best market prices“, we promise at Free.
To take advantage of it, you will obviously have to subscribe to a Free package and this will then give access to “discounts of at least 10%compared to prices charged elsewhere. Thus, a black iPhone 12 64 GB in perfect condition is announced at nearly 558 euros when Back Market discounts it at 652 euros and SMAART at 700 euros for an equivalent product, advances the mobile operator.
All devices will benefit from a two-year warranty on the sale of a device that has undergone the entire certification process and verification tests at 30 checkpoints of its condition carried out by CertiDeal, a player whose workshops are in Parisian region.
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