The Tilow grading standard
Every refurbished phone on Tilow is graded against one standard, not each shop's own idea of "good". The grade is how the phone looks, the software holds it to the floors below from the phone's test, and what has been replaced in it is shown on its own line.
In force: Tilow grading standard, version 3, published 19 October 2026.
How a grade is decided
The phone is tested
Functions, battery health and any failed checks are recorded against the phone.
The software grades it
It applies the floors below: a full working test, the battery and the photos.
A technician can only lower it
The technician assesses how the phone looks. The final grade is the lower of the two, never higher.
| Grade | How it looks | Battery at least |
|---|---|---|
| A As new | No marks visible at 30 cm on the screen, back or frame, and no dents. | 85% |
| B Excellent | Light marks seen only up close. The screen is clear when it is on. No dents. | 80% |
| C Good | Visible scratches on the body. Micro-scratches on the screen are not seen when it is on. Small dents allowed. | 80% |
| D Fair | Heavy scratches, chips or dents. The screen may show marks but is not cracked. | 80% |
| F Fault declared | Works but for the fault named on it (no Face ID, say). Sold at a discount with the fault declared. | Any |
Every graded phone works fully, and its listing shows its actual battery health. A brand new phone (sealed, never activated) is not graded.
Parts, apart from the grade
The grade is how the phone looks. What has been replaced in it is shown on its own line, from every part a Tilow repairer has fitted to it and the phone's own test:
- All original
- Genuine part replaced
- Non-genuine part (the phone may show a parts message)
A part whose quality is not known to be genuine is shown as non-genuine.
A phone that cannot be listed
A phone that is activation locked, reported lost or stolen (blacklisted), or fails its IMEI check cannot be listed on Tilow at all. Neither can a phone that has not been given a cosmetic grade, or one that does not meet the floor of any grade.
Questions
Who sets the standard?
Tilow sets it for the whole network. Repairers cannot edit it. A new version is published in full, and every phone records the version it was graded under.
Does a repair change a phone’s grade?
No, the grade is how the phone looks. Parts fitted to a phone are recorded on it, so a phone with a non-genuine screen says so on its Parts line, wherever that screen was fitted.
How do the grades compare with other sellers?
They are set to line up with the grades Australian refurbished phone sellers use, so As new means no marks you can see, and Good means visible marks on the body. Compare the battery health and the Parts line as well as the grade.
What warranty comes with a graded phone?
At least 12 months, from the repairer who sells it. See the warranty page for what it covers.