Consumer Reports: This is what you need to look for when buying a refurbished phone

Last month, we told you that with the price of high-end handsets more expensive than they ever have been, refurbished smartphones are in demand. But with so many different refurbished models and so many different places that offer them, what can you do to protect yourself from purchasing a lemon? Non-profit magazine Consumer Reports (CR), which does not accept advertising so that it can be perceived as neutral, has some advice.

CR says that consumers need to make sure that they are getting a phone that really has been refurbished and not merely cleaned up, placed in a box, and put back on ...