Fresh Start Tech
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How we grade

Honest condition,
scored every time.

Every device we sell is graded across the categories below. The grade you see on a listing is the exact result of running this rubric on that device. No aspirational marketing copy, no "mint" stretch, no surprises when it lands. If we got it wrong, we eat the return.

Grade scale

Six tiers. Calibrated so a typical clean refurb lands at B.

A+
Like new
A
Excellent
B
Good
C
Fair
D
Salvage
F
Defect
Two rules

How the per-aspect grades roll up to one overall grade.

Rule 01

Screen sets the ceiling.

The overall grade is never higher than the screen grade. A pristine body and battery can't lift a worn-out screen. The screen is what you stare at every day, so it caps how the device feels, and how we list it.

Rule 02

Any F blocks the listing.

If any single aspect grades F (cracked screen, swollen battery, dead biometrics), the device routes to our repair queue and never gets listed. We don't sell broken-and-disclosed; we either fix it or send it back to its owner.

How we grade

Every device scored on the same rubric.

Screen sets the ceiling. Overall grade is never higher than the screen grade. Any single F (cracked screen, swollen battery, dead biometrics) routes to the repair queue and never gets listed.

Screen

Both

What you look at every day. It carries the most weight and caps the overall grade.

  • A+Open-box condition, effectively unused. No wear of any kind, even up close.
  • AUsed, but no signs of wear from an arm's length away.
  • BA few fine marks you'll catch up close at an angle. Still invisible while you use it.
  • CLight scratches you can see during normal use. The display itself still looks perfect.
  • DDeep scratches, chips, dings, or a minor pressure mark / dark spot on the display. Everything still works.
  • FCracked, dead pixels, burn-in, or dead touch spots. We can't ship it.

Case / Body

Both

The frame, sides, corners, and back — everything outside the screen.

  • A+Flawless. No scratches, nicks, dents, or discoloration anywhere.
  • AA few light scratches at most. No nicks, dents, or deep marks.
  • BLight scratches and maybe a small nick or two. No dents.
  • CClear wear. Scratches, nicks, and/or a dent or two. Color may have faded slightly.
  • DHeavy wear all over, but still solid and fully usable.
  • FBent frame, cracked back glass, or water damage. We can't ship it.

Battery

Both

The letter tracks the health % — and A+ also requires 20 charge cycles or fewer. Listings always show both the letter and the exact number.

  • A+98% or higher. 20 cycles or less. Holds a charge like the day it shipped.
  • A90%+. Strong all-day battery.
  • B85–89%. Solid for a full day of normal use.
  • C80–84%. Still gets you through the day, just to the charger a little sooner.
  • DUnder 80%. Works, but we tell buyers a replacement is recommended.
  • FSwelling, a service warning, or any hardware fault. We can't ship it.

Ports / Charging

Both

Charging port, wireless charging, SIM tray, headphone jack — tested with a known-good cable.

  • A+Every port like new. Charges fast the moment you plug in, wireless on the first try.
  • AA trace of lint or wear inside, nothing you'd notice. Charges at full speed.
  • BA little wear inside. Charges reliably with any standard cable.
  • CTakes a careful plug-in, then charges at full speed.
  • DCharges only slowly, or wireless doesn't work, or the SIM tray is bent (still seats).
  • FWon't charge, cuts in and out, or a port is broken. We can't ship it.

Cameras

Both

Every lens tested — front and rear on phones, the webcam on laptops.

  • A+Every lens flawless. Sharp instant focus, full-strength flash.
  • AA speck of dust you'd only spot on a white-wall test. Invisible in real photos.
  • BA little scuffing on the lens cover at an angle. Photos look fine.
  • CVisible scratches on the lens cover that can add a slight haze in backlit shots.
  • DHeavy lens scratches with visible haze, or one extra lens not pulling its weight.
  • FCracked lens, dead camera, or focus that won't work. We can't ship it.

Biometrics

Both

Face ID / Touch ID, set up fresh and unlocked 10+ times across angles and lighting.

  • A+Sets up clean and unlocks instantly, every single time.
  • ASets up clean and unlocks reliably at normal speed.
  • BReliable day to day. Once in a while it needs a second look or touch.
  • CWorks most of the time. Sometimes takes a second try.
  • DWorks, but noticeably slower or pickier. We note it on the listing.
  • FDoesn't work, or it's disabled in hardware. We can't ship it.

Speakers + Mic

Both

Checked with a real phone call, loud playback, and a voice-memo recording.

  • A+Crystal clear at any volume. No distortion even maxed out.
  • AClear at every volume. Just a touch of distortion on bass-heavy tracks at max.
  • BClear in normal use. Some distortion at max volume on certain content.
  • CA little scratchy or thin at high volume.
  • DTinny even at moderate volume, or one backup mic sounds muffled. We note it.
  • FA dead speaker, dead mics, or call audio that fails. We can't ship it.

Buttons

Phones

Power, volume, and the mute / Action button.

  • A+Every button feels new. Crisp click, full press, no rattle.
  • AAll work great. One might feel a hair less crisp.
  • BAll work reliably. A little softer than new, but never a missed press.
  • COne button is stiff or needs a firmer press, but always works.
  • DOne button is hit-or-miss, or the mute switch is loose. We note the workaround.
  • FA button that doesn't work, is stuck, or is broken.

Keyboard

Laptops

Every key pressed individually, and the backlight checked across all zones.

  • A+Every key feels new. Crisp click, full travel, no rattle.
  • AEvery key works. One or two feel a touch less crisp.
  • BEvery key works reliably. A little shine on the most-used keys.
  • CVisible wear on the keycaps. One backlight zone a bit dim.
  • DOne key needs a firmer press but always works, or the backlight is noticeably uneven.
  • FA dead, stuck, or missing key, or liquid damage. We can't ship it.

Trackpad

Laptops

Surface checked for wear, click tested 10×, multi-finger gestures verified.

  • A+Flawless surface. Crisp, even click. Every gesture responds.
  • AA trace of scuffing you'd only see at an angle. Click stays crisp.
  • BLight surface wear that doesn't affect use. Click is reliable everywhere.
  • CVisible scuffs. Click feels a little different edge-to-center.
  • DHeavy wear, a mushy or uneven click, or the occasional missed gesture.
  • FBroken click, cracked surface, or gestures that fail. We can't ship it.

Interior case / body

Laptops

Palm rest, deck, hinge interior, and the inner bezel around the screen.

  • A+Flawless inside. No palm-rest wear, no discoloration.
  • AA micro-mark or two. No darkening on the palm rest.
  • BLight palm-rest wear from normal use. A minor mark here or there.
  • CVisible palm-rest darkening and marks across the deck.
  • DHeavy palm-rest wear, dents in the deck, or scuffing around the hinge.
  • FLiquid-damage marks, corrosion, or structural damage. We can't ship it.
Phone-only gates

Two phone facts that aren't graded. They're disclosed.

These don't roll into the overall grade. Both are real facts about a phone that affect what you can do with it, and we surface them on every listing verbatim, never buried in fine print.

iCloud / Activation Lock

Must be cleared before we list. If activation lock is still active when we receive a device, it routes to a "needs unlock" queue. We do not bypass.

Carrier status

Listed verbatim: Unlocked, AT&T-locked, T-Mobile-locked, Verizon-locked, or other. Blacklisted IMEIs (lost / stolen / unpaid) cannot be listed at all.

Got a question about a specific listing's grade? Reach out to ty@freshstart.tech. If we graded it wrong, we cover the return shipping and refund, no argument.