KT Revamps 'Mint Phone' for Used Mobile Phones... Increases Refund Rates and Online Sales

Lightning Market and Service Overhaul Implemented

A Bungaejangter employee is inspecting the condition of a used phone and performing data erasure. Photo by KT

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] KT announced on the 13th that it has increased the refund rate of the device return program for used mobile phones called 'Mint Phone Buyback' and revamped the service to allow purchasing Mint Phones online.

Previously, KT launched Mint Phone in August last year in partnership with the used goods trading company Bungaejangter. It offers quality-inspected used mobile phones at reasonable prices. KT explained that it is suitable as a work device for children who are at high risk of loss or damage, parents who mainly use basic functions, and sales or delivery workers.

Through this revamp, KT raised the refund rate of 'Mint Phone Buyback,' which refunds the purchase price to customers who return the device one year after purchase, from a maximum of 50% to up to 100%. For example, if a customer buys an S-grade used iPhone 11 64GB for 605,000 KRW and returns it without damage or defects after one year, they can receive 550,000 KRW back in their account after deducting 55,000 KRW VAT.

Bungaejangter cleans and repackages S and A-grade used phones, which are in the best external condition, and provides them as Mint Phones. A free after-service (AS) is provided for three months after purchase, and if customers subscribe to a paid service worth 20,000 KRW, they can receive AS for an additional year.

KT added that used mobile phones to be resold have their data completely deleted to an unrecoverable level through the 'Blanco Data Erasure Solution' (BMDE), thus blocking the risk of personal information leakage.

Mint Phones can be purchased on the online site. If customers want to check the actual product before buying, they can find a dealer through the 'Store Guide' on the site.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.