Direct answer
Grade A, B, and C are marketplace shorthand for how a used phone looks. They are not a single official scale. SERI’s R2v3 standard covers responsible reuse facilities. It does not publish a public A/B/C cosmetic chart for every lot. Buy the written meaning, photos, and functional tests, not the letter alone.
Key takeaways
- Treat A/B/C as a seller dialect until it is defined in the order.
- Map AAA or Super A onto the same table or reject the extra letters.
- Keep locks, IMEI, and battery out of the cosmetic letter.
- Two Grade B lots can disagree on cracks, paint, and ports.
- A letter without photos is a Clarify, not an Accept.
Grade letters are a shortcut. Wholesale fails when both sides think the shortcut is a standard.
What the letters usually try to say
Use this only as a translation table. Put your own words in the contract.
| Letter | Common seller meaning | Still missing unless written |
|---|---|---|
| A | Light marks, no cracks, no missing parts | Function, battery floor, locks |
| B | Visible wear, no unstated cracks | Same |
| C | Heavy wear or stated damage | Same |
| AAA / Super A | Marketing above A | A mapped definition |
If a supplier cannot map AAA onto A, the extra letter is decoration.
What no official body is doing for you
There is no public worldwide A/B/C law for used phones. R2v3 is a facility standard for responsible reuse and recycling. It does not replace your cosmetic photos.
Refurbished is a process word. Grade A is usually a look word. Do not treat them as synonyms. See refurbished phones.
Accept / Clarify / Reject
| Quote | Accept | Clarify | Reject |
|---|---|---|---|
| “Grade A” plus scale and photos | Photos match the scale | Letter only | “Looks like A” after arrival |
| Mixed A/B/C carton | Counts by grade | “Mostly A” | One price, hidden mix |
| Grade C with cracks | Crack map in the order | “C means cheap” | Cracks sold as B |
| Grade A plus “unlocked” | Lock field written separately | Lock buried in the letter | Locked units in an A unlocked lot |
How to use the letter in a lot
- Ask the seller to define A, B, and C in one paragraph each.
- Ask for four-side photos of a unit they call A and a unit they call B.
- Write function, battery, IMEI, and locks as separate fields. The grading guide lists what must stay outside the letter.
- Sample against those photos, not against a memory of last month’s Grade A.
Related checks
Frequently asked questions
Is Grade A almost new?
Only if the quote says so and the photos match. Many sellers use Grade A for light wear, not for unused stock. Unused stock belongs on a new-phone quote.
Does R2 certification mean the phones are Grade A?
No. R2v3 is a facility standard for reuse and recycling. It is not your carton grade.
Sources and methodology
- Welcome to R2v3 — Sustainable Electronics Recycling International Accessed August 22, 2026.
Update history
- — First published. Official sources on this page were accessed on this date unless a later note says otherwise.
Factual corrections after publication are listed on the corrections page. There is no separate reviewer identity on this desk. See the editorial policy.