PCS Wireless, the global distributor of new and preowned mobile devices and accessories, went to the Mobile World Congress to launch Repaq, a brand of retail-packaged, certified pre-owned smartphones.
At launch, the Repaq program will provide retailers in 65 countries with certified pre-owned smartphones from tier-one brands at discounted prices with a 12-month guarantee, the company said.
“With today’s mobile market being driven largely by devices with MSRPs of $599 and up, there is a large consumer segment demanding lower-cost options,” the company said. Repaq “will serve the $349.99 MSRP consumer,” PCS Wireless added.
“With the days of subsidized phones behind us in many markets,” said CEO Ben Nash, “global consumers today understand the purchase of a smartphone is no longer a small investment.”
The $1 billion company is no stranger to selling pre-owned devices. The company operates its PCS Customized CPO Program, which enables network operators and MVNOs to sell certified pre-owned smartphones in packaging that carries their own brand name. That program targets a more aggressive suggested retail of $249, the company said.
Besides distributing new and used phones from major brands, the company also backs phone and tablet maker Posh Mobile and distributes Posh’s products.
Founded in 2013, Posh Mobile offers more than 15 unlocked Android tablets and smartphones available through retailers, e-tailers, MVNOs and carriers around the world. The brand targets the $139.99 suggested price point, though its phones range from $79 to $199, with a feature phone available at $25. Cellular-equipped tablets range from $129 to $149, and
“This PCS unlocked-device triple play of Repaq, Customized CPO and Posh Mobile equips today’s retail supply chain with branded, cost-effective solutions at three important price tiers that are commonly ignored or underserved in global markets,” the company said.
The programs will also “allow us to expand the scope and dynamic of our vendor relationships within our reverse logistics and asset recovery businesses,” added Nash.
PCS Wireless is also a reverse-logistics provider of mobile-device lifecycle services for fortune 1,000 companies throughout the world.
