“What an truely awful, unreliable company. I ordered an iPhone 13 Pro, 13 days ago and delivery should have been 2 days later (payment was taken when phone was ordered!). Initially, 4 days after the due delivery date, they emailed to say they didn’t have the colour I ordered, only a Granite. I messaged back to say any colour but Granite would be ok (I sent a screenshot of a blue phone from their website, which was showing as available). I also spoke to someone on the phone and they said they would call me back within the hour. Since then, NO response to any phone calls/ emails. I’ve left messages to call me/ email to discuss options, but nothing back from them at all. I have no idea when I’ll receive my phone or a refund.”
“Order was placed on 27th March and marked as dispatched shortly after, but as of the 31st it still hasn’t arrived. I contacted customer service and was told delays were due to a high volume of sales, which honestly doesn’t feel like a convincing explanation.
Overall, the experience has been disappointing — unclear dispatch updates and slow delivery with little accountability. Based on this, I would advise others to be cautious before ordering.”
“Avoid this company at all costs.
This has been one of the most frustrating and poorly handled purchasing experiences I’ve had.
- After the advertised delivery date had passed and I hadn't received my handset, I got in touch with the company.
-They later contacted me to let me know that they didn't have it in stock and offered me a lesser model with a partial refund to match that handset's advertised price.
- I had made it explicitly clear, on two occasions, that I did not want this lesser substitute they had offered and requested either the original item ordered or a refund.
Yes two occasions because their response to my request was to give me the same offer again.
- Despite this the handset that the company had repeatedliy attempted to push the same unwanted handset onto me again. Ignoring my clear requests it was ultimately sent it out anyway, completely disregarding my instructions and further prolonging the process.
I returned the item as instructed. Royal Mail tracking confirms it has been delivered to them, yet a week later, they have not even acknowledged receipt—let alone processed a refund.
Communication has been consistently poor. Responses are generic, scripted, and avoid addressing the actual issues. Requests to speak with management have been ignored entirely. As well as my initial requests for a refund, should they not be able to fulfill my order. The phone number has no answer, and it's probably best your conversations are clear in text available to both parties anyway.
I am now in a position where they have both my money and the returned handset, and are simply not engaging.
To make matters worse, the same item that i origionally ordered has still been advertised on their website throughout this process. Which I have pointed out on multiple occasions, however there it remains able to trap others.
This is not just bad service—it shows a complete lack of accountability once they have your money.
I would strongly recommend purchasing elsewhere unless you are prepared to be faced with completely unnecessary stress, chase, repeat yourself, and potentially fight to get your money back.... for no benefit whatsoever.”
“I bought a iPhone from smart cellular and it said my phone will be delivered in the 20th, well that never happened they then called me days later to say the phone is not in stock, and till today I’m still waiting for this phone. 1. I’m starting to think they are a scam 2. Why advertise a phone that not in stock for people to pay money for it, that’s just stupidity and false advertisement. I still haven’t heard nothing from them and still waiting for my phone 2 weeks later”
“Smart Cellular originally offered me £465 for my Samsung S24 Ultra 256GB, which seemed fair. Once the phone arrived, they suddenly dropped the offer to £210. I immediately asked for the phone back and even sent them the return postage cost, but instead of returning it, they kept messaging asking what price I would accept.
I told them CEX had offered £340, and after more back-and-forth emails they finally came back with £300. By this point, after all the delays and constant renegotiating, I just wanted the whole situation resolved as I was losing patience and confidence in the process.
The phone was in great condition — always in a case and less than two years old — so none of this felt justified. They also asked me to “confirm” my bank details again despite already having them from the start, which felt like yet another delaying tactic.
Their claim of “immediate payment” is simply untrue. They are difficult to reach, rarely answer the phone, and do not return messages. As I write this, I am still waiting for my so‑called immediate payment.
Please don’t be fooled by promises of “best” or “highest” prices. They will knock the price down once they have your phone and make the process as drawn out as possible. Avoid this company at all costs. March 25th and still no payment, and I could almost guarantee that someone would get back to this review yet still delay payment, not answer their phone or reply to emails.”
“Absolutely DIABOLICAL company- I wish I had the option to leave 0 stars.
I have no idea how this company is still even functioning- their response times to any queries are shocking, they are impossible to contact over phone, and take days on end to answer repeated emails.
I purchased a phone now originally 6 WEEKS ago. The phone was meant to be in excellent condition, which it was not, with significant scratches and dents, and with no charging cable.
They took 2 weeks to respond to my emails and send me a returns label. They then tried to fob me off with “free ear pods”, as compensation, even though these are given free to customers anyway. Once I finally received the label, I sent the phone back promptly.
Now over 3 weeks later, I still have not received the replacement phone! All I keep getting in emails is the phone will be dispatched “shortly”. I would not touch this company with a barge pole, or recommend it to my worst enemy. I wish I’d have just stuck with Back Market. I will now be requesting a full refund, and compensation for hours of my time wasted chasing this up. DISGUSTING, incredibly poor excuse of a company.”
“Beware!!! This company have sent me a "excellent refurbished phone" I paid over £300 for but it does not work. The signal drops out as the antenna must be damaged, as I have compared it with other identical phones side by side and it cannot get a signal. Also the screen keeps going blank and requires a restart.
They answered emails very quickly when buying and say will answer all emails within 48 hours but they are ignoring me for longer than this.
Luckily I bought it though a credit card so I have raised a dispute with them.
Avoid if this is how they treat their customers when things go wrong.”
“⚠️ Warning – Avoid Smart Cellular at all costs
I’m sharing this to warn others about my extremely negative experience with Smart Cellular.
I sent them my Samsung S25 Ultra device and since then, everything has gone wrong. Despite numerous phone calls, voicemails, and emails, I have received absolutely no response from the company. I have not been paid for my device, nor has it been returned to me.
To make matters worse, I even paid for next-day return, which was completely ignored.
After exhausting every possible way to contact them, I was left with no choice but to report the device as stolen to both my network provider and the police. That’s how serious this situation has become.
This has been one of the most unprofessional and frustrating experiences I’ve ever had. A complete lack of communication, accountability, and basic customer service.
If you are considering using Smart Cellular — don’t. I strongly recommend you look elsewhere to avoid the stress, financial loss, and time wasted that I’ve experienced.
I will now be pursuing this through legal channels, including small claims court.”
“The package was empty when it arrived, there was no £200 iPhone inside only the charger. I have tried to call, no one answers, I have left voicemails for a call back, no one calls back, I have sent emails for 10 days, no one replies. They simply do not have any customer service and my daughter now has no birthday present.
DO NOT BUY FROM HERE!!!”
“I sent a mobile phone to this company for sale on 16 February. After receiving an initial valuation of £80.50, I was then offered just £9.50. I declined the offer and requested my phone be returned, but despite multiple follow-ups, I have received no response and my device has still not been returned.
This level of service is extremely disappointing. I would caution others to be aware that communication may be poor, and items may not be returned promptly.”
“AVOID AT ALL COSTS
Initial quote looked good, but after inspection the offer was reduced by almost 70% due to alleged scratches and marks.
My phone was in very good condition and I had photos taken before sending it. I honestly can’t be bothered to argue with them, so I asked for return and cancelled this trade-in immediately, as the whole experience makes me feel this company is not genuine.”
“Appauling customer service. Returned a phone as it was no longer needed as I ordered the incorrect one. The return was done on the 19th February and it’s the 13th march and I have still not received a refund. I’ve emailed them over 7 times and they keep asking for tracking number. I provided everything they asked for. Showed proof that it says they have received my item back but still not refunded the amount. And they just keep sending emails asking for more evidence. When I have gave them all evidence even proof they have accepted it. No contact number only an email which useless.”
“This company is NOT TO BE TRUSTED! They offer a fair price online for your device and then more than half their offer once they have it. I would have given no stars but it won’t let me. Such a morally indecent way to operate a business. STEER WELL CLEAR!,”
“Very poor company , firstly as advertised don’t do same day payment and also when you contact them all you get it I have spoke to accounts to put your payment through as priority this was 5 days ago so I have decided I want my phone back so I can go to a decent company as they have had my phone a total of a week and a half and I still have no money. AVOID”
“Slow to dispatch, item not as described, bought excellent/pristine, screen scratched, phone casement damaged. Slow to respond to emails to arrange returns”
“I have been saving up for a long time to buy the Google Pixel 9a. I placed my order on Monday and received a confirmation email, but since then, the communication has been appalling. When I finally got through, I was told the order 'doesn't exist' and then the staff hung up on me. I have called 5 times today with no answer. You have my money. Either ship my phone immediately or process a full refund. This is no way to treat a customer.”
“Worst company to sell your phone
This is the worst company I have dealt with, not only in attempting to sell a phone, but overall. I sent a brand-new, sealed phone to the company. I was initially told that I had provided a false document and was later informed that the phone was on a contract. I provided the original Google invoice to demonstrate that this was not the case.
The advertised price of £535 was subsequently reduced to £250 without a clear or reasonable explanation. I requested information on how to submit a formal complaint on multiple occasions, but these requests were ignored. I was also advised that my postage costs would be refunded; however, after the phone was returned to me, this refund was refused, steer well clear of them is my advice.”
Hi there,
Thank you for sharing your feedback and we are sorry for the inconvenience caused.
Please note that devices once received are evaluated against the condition described by the customer if the details do not match the exact description of the customer then our quality evolution team proceeds with a revised quotation. The customer is kept informed through out the process and can make a decision to the new quote offered. Our team also reaches out the customer to get suggestion of new price by mentioning the reason of reassessment for the device. If the quote is not agreed upon then customers are able to contact the customer service team to review, arrange a resolution, or request a return of their device in line with the delivery and returns policies.
Kindly send an email to our team on sell@smartcellular.co.uk with your order number so the team can investigate this in detail.
We appreciate your patience and understanding throughout the process.
Kind regards,
Team Smart Cellular
“I purchased my phone off them mid October 25 , it was for a present in a weeks time , I was assured this would arrive, it didn’t , seems like they didn’t even have the phone to sell at that stage , I immediately cancelled my order received sluggish emails which confirmed this cancellation but a few days after along comes the phone , I requested to return it and have a refund, this request alone took 2 weeks to activate, they sent me a return label for Royal Mail, I immediately sent this back, , this was mid November 25 , they took weeks to confirm it’s safe receipt but have since done so , and I have 30 plus emails apologising for the delay in issuing my refund repeatedly saying the same despite advising them that I’m seeking legal advice etc etc , it’s 9 Jan 2026 and still waiting, please people DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY”
Hi there,
We’re really sorry for the inconvenience you’ve experienced. Please contact our support team at sales@smartcellular.co.uk with your order number and any relevant details, and we’ll prioritise your case for swift resolution. We’ll aim to arrange a resolution in line with our delivery and returns policies.
Kind regards,
Team Smart Cellular
Hi there,
We’re really sorry for the inconvenience you’ve experienced. Please contact our support team at sales@smartcellular.co.uk with your order number and any relevant details, and we’ll prioritise your case for swift resolution. We’ll aim to arrange a resolution in line with our delivery and returns policies.
Kind regards,
Team Smart Cellular
“The payments are not same day after a lot of back on forth and they decided to offer me £300 less than I was quoted and way less that is quoted for my device online for even the lowest grade which my device they admitted was in amazing condition, I then got told I need to wait 3 days for payment even though on the website it clearly states 'same day', it has been nearly a week and I am still waiting for payment”
Hi there,
We’re really sorry for the inconvenience you’ve experienced. Please contact our support team at sell@smartcellular.co.uk with your order number and any relevant details, and we’ll prioritise your case for swift resolution. We’ll aim to arrange a resolution in line with our payment and returns policies.
Kind regards,
Team Smart Cellular
