Back Market fights against electronic waste




 The 2 -year-old French start-up had an innovative idea - it refurbishes electronic products. Instead of throwing them out when you do not want them anymore or when they do not work, you can sell them to the small firm. After your device arrives, it is sent to certified factories and they make a complete check-up to find what is not working or change worn out pieces such as the battery or the charger. The aims of the firm ar to fight against electronic waste and planned obsolescence. On the website, you can find a wide range of products: phones, computers, televisions and even large and small household appliances.






Be environmentally friendly



 
The most important concept is to limit pollution in a society of consumerism. The amount of electronic waste also called e-waste is huge. Indeed, French people change their phone every 18 months. On average, each French person produces 22 kg of e-waste EVERY YEAR! By buying refurbished products, you will protect your planet and reduce pollution. For every phone bought on Back Market, 130g of waste has been avoided. 




The price is attractive

Think about your wallet. Almost everyone wants new technology at lower cost. Now it is possible! 

You can save the planet and save money at the same time! Because the company re-use electronic pieces and devices, the production costs are cheaper. 
In consequence, prices are lower (20% less at least) even for new devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S7. The price depends on the condition of the product - the more the product is like new and higher the price is. In the description of every product a condition mark is mentioned: from “super shiny” if the product is like new to “stallone” if the product has some scratches and bangs.


Quality at the best price

Do not be worried about the quality. Every product is guaranteed automatically 6 months and if you think that is not enough, you can double the guarantee for just €14.99 more. Moreover, the after sales service is very efficient. As soon as a problem appears, you can contact the seller directly and Back Market helps you if necessary. If you are not satisfied with your device, you can use the money back guarantee.


Sell your old device

Give another life to your electronic equipment instead of abandoning it in a cupboard. Whether it is working perfectly or is out of service, Back Market takes it. Your devices are more useful with new owners. You will get money in return and can buy something else. Be proud to limit pollution and make someone happy. 


The Customer Relationship 

Every customer receives personalised emails from Vianney -one of the three co-founders. From the creation of an alarm (to be informed when a device is corresponding to your expectations - price, color or memory) to after the purchase, all the messages are humoristic and original. Through them, the customer feels closer to the company. He is not just considered as a mere customer but also as a member of a special community - the Backers (Back Market’s community).


The 3 co-founders of Back Market (Vianney is on the left)


The blog

The crew gives some piece of advice and speaks about topical subjects in the blog like “what precautions must be taken when you bring your phone on the beach” or “what are the characteristics of the new Iphone”. All of this, once again with a touch of humour. The topics are very various and interesting.


Want to work for Back Market?

If you feel very concerned by the limitation of e-waste and work for a French start-up, apply to work for Back Market. Thanks to its success, the company has to grow and is looking for new employees. The headquarter is based in Paris but the company works with a lot of countries (Belgium, Italy, Spain or Germany). 






Do not hesitate, buy at Back Market: “the (super)market” of refurbished products!


Angélique.G




Comments

  1. Hi Angelique! Your article is very interesting! I had not heard of this company before. I really like their concept since it is very innovative and environmental friendly. Electronic waste has become a huge problem and it is very important that some companies take the initiative to do something about it.
    Have you ever bought or sold anything on this website? Do you know if they have a lot of competitors?

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  2. Hello Sofia! Thanks for your interest. Yes, I have bought my phone on this website. To be honest it was because of the price and I thought that the company principle is awesome. I am pretty proud of this purchase because it is eco-friendly and I have made a French start-up working.
    Researching, I have found 2 other French companies : fr.e-recycle.com and www.ecofone.fr. E-recycle has the same goals as Back Market : fighting against planned obsolescence. For Ecofone, it is not specified, I just know that it sells refurbished phones. So, I would say that the company does not have a lot of French competitors. Regarding the foreign competitors, obviously you can find refurbished electronic equipment on Amazon, Ebay… but I did not find any similar company.

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  3. Thank you Angélique for this article, you make me want to use this website ! I feel concerned because I have an "old" smartphone in the back of a closet which is useless since I use another one. So I will use the Black Market not to waste a smartphone, which could be used by someone else.

    But... I wonder why they chose the name "Black Market" ? To my mind, Black Market appears like a bad thing while their activites are very good for the environment.

    Thanks again for this article and have a good day.

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  4. Hello Mathilde ! I suggest you to sell your phone to the company, like that you will get money and buy new shoes at Spartoo, for example. As you said, your phone is more useful if you sell it.
    To answer to your question, they did not call the company “Black Market” but “Back Market”. You are right, “Black Market” has a bad connotation and you thing immediately to the Dark web. Unlike “Back Market” refers to the market where you can find products already used.

    Angélique.G

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  5. Hi Angélique!
    Thank you for your article, is it really interesting to read and I did not know this concept before. This is a good thing that I read your article because I just bought a new cellphone. I am really thinking about selling my old one to this company.
    Would you consider to work for this company some day? You said they are also working with countries like Italy so they might need your italian language skills.

    Floriane C.

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    Replies
    1. Hello FLoriane!
      Yeah, when I discovered this company I thought it could be nice to work with them. Moreover, they are looking young people with strong knowledges in marketing... exactly what we are studying. Maybe one day I will apply to work for the company. I think it can be very interesting and speaking italian can be an asset for it.

      Delete
  6. Hi Angélique! Thank you for introducing this innovative website to us. I do think it is a very good choice for us to recycle our electronic products while doing something meaningful to the environment-produing less e-waste as you mentionned. I just wondered how you got to know this website and how the company Back Market "sells" itself to the public?

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    Replies
    1. Hello Bei ! I discovered this website by chance when I was looking for a new smartphone because my old one had got wet on the beach. I did not want to pay a lot. I thought this website was the ideal solution.
      To sell its product, Back Market does not have physical shop. You can only buy online. As I said in the article, products are sent in certified factories where they have a full check-up and be repaired if necessary before being sold online.

      Delete
  7. Hello Angelique ! I would like to thank you to make me discover this creative website. I didn't know this concept before, So I'm glad to know it now. I really like your article, it is very interesting. If you want to work in this company in the future, your italian languages skills will really help you to make the difference !

    Thanks again, Have a nice evening

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    Replies
    1. Hello Cynthia! I am glad that you find my article interesting. And I agree with you : my italian skills can make a difference.

      Delete
  8. What a discover ! This is a very interesting article. I think recycling become more and more important and people should be aware of this website. Thanks to your article people can discover a new concept and help the planet !I will definitly use this website for my next smartphone.
    Do you know if their also selling computers or other electronic devices ?

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  9. Hello Camille!
    When I bought my smartphone last spring, there were only small household appliances but now you can find computers, phones, fridges, oven, washing machines... nearly all you want.

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  10. Thank you for this enlightening article ! Very interesting and well written! Learnt a lot and I might consider buying my next smartphone with Back Market!

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  11. Hello Thomas! Thanks for your interest. You can be confident and buy your next smartphone on this website! Let me know if you have any questions.

    ReplyDelete

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