Stay FAR AWAY - absolutely ****! You’ll regret every cent spent

My Experience with Revibe: Think Carefully Before Buying

I regret buying from Revibe, and based on my experience, I would not recommend them to anyone.

Revibe’s social media advertising makes everything look fantastic. The devices look immaculate, the marketing is professional, and the promises about original devices, quality checks and warranties give you confidence that you’re buying from a reputable company.

That was exactly why I bought from them.

On 15 April 2026, I purchased an iPhone 14 Pro Max 512GB in “Excellent” condition for R12,599. I needed a reliable phone for my personal life and, more importantly, for running my businesses.

Instead, what followed has been a deeply frustrating experience.

1. The microphone was faulty before the phone was dropped

From early on, the microphone worked intermittently. People couldn’t hear me properly on calls, WhatsApp voice notes were sometimes distorted or unusable, and calls were unreliable.

I spent time troubleshooting the device and took it to iStore for diagnostics. The problem was intermittent, and I had already raised the microphone issue with Revibe.

This is an important distinction: the microphone fault existed before the accidental drop. It was not a problem that suddenly appeared because my daughter accidentally dropped the phone.

2. I was left with a phone I couldn’t reliably use for business

I run businesses, and my phone is an essential working tool. I depend on it to speak to clients, suppliers and staff, manage WhatsApp communications and handle everyday business operations.

When people cannot hear you properly on calls, it affects your ability to work professionally.

I had bought this device specifically because I needed something dependable. Instead, I was left struggling with an intermittent fault and trying to work around it.

3. The situation became even more frustrating when the phone was accidentally damaged

After the phone was accidentally dropped, I had to submit an insurance claim for the physical damage.

During the subsequent assessment, a visibly swollen replacement battery was found inside the device. The battery was a third-party replacement, not an Apple-branded battery, despite the assurances I understood to be associated with the device’s originality and refurbishment.

The battery was approximately five months old, and its health had previously shown around 97%. I had not experienced obvious battery-life or charging problems.

I am still seeking a proper technical explanation of the battery’s condition. I cannot claim to know exactly when or why it became swollen, but finding this inside a device sold in “Excellent” condition raised serious concerns for me.

4. The warranty situation left me feeling trapped

Because the phone had suffered accidental damage, I had to go through insurance for the physical repairs. Once the device was opened during the repair process, the warranty situation became more complicated because of the restrictions around third-party repairs.

The original microphone fault had existed before the accident, yet I was now concerned that the repair process could affect my ability to have that original fault addressed under warranty.

From a customer’s perspective, this is incredibly frustrating. You report a fault, the phone subsequently suffers a separate accident, and the process of resolving the accident creates further complications around the original problem.

5. The regional model and iStore compatibility concerns

Another concern arose when I took the phone to iStore.

I was informed that the device appeared to have components or a screen associated with a different regional model. I also encountered limitations around what iStore was prepared to repair or replace on the device.

This raised practical questions for me about servicing, repairs and the phone’s suitability for the South African market. I also had concerns about whether I would be able to trade the device in through iStore in the future.

These are important things to understand before buying a refurbished phone. A device can look excellent on the outside, but customers also need confidence that it can be serviced and supported locally.

I would encourage anyone considering a refurbished iPhone from Revibe to confirm its exact model number, parts compatibility, repair eligibility and trade-in eligibility with Apple or an authorised service provider before purchasing.

6. The advertising and the reality did not match my experience

Revibe’s marketing creates the impression that you’re buying a carefully inspected, professionally refurbished device backed by meaningful after-sales support.

After my own experience, I started looking more closely at independent customer feedback and found other people describing problems with their purchases and attempts to resolve them.

I cannot verify every other customer’s account, but seeing those reports after experiencing my own problems made me question the confidence I had placed in the advertising.

Social media marketing can make a company look excellent. What matters is what happens when the product you receive does not work as expected.

My advice to anyone considering Revibe

Please do your research before spending your money. Read independent reviews, understand the warranty exclusions, check the device’s regional model and confirm that it can be serviced locally.

For me, this purchase has meant unnecessary stress, unreliable business communications, time spent trying to resolve faults and ongoing concerns about the phone’s components and repairability.

I regret this purchase. I would not buy from Revibe again, and I cannot recommend them based on my experience.

A refurbished phone does not have to be perfect, but it should reasonably match the condition advertised, and customers should be able to expect fair and practical support when genuine faults arise.

I bought this phone to make my life easier. Instead, it has created problems that I should not have had to deal with after spending R12,599 on a device advertised in excellent condition.

My advice is simple: think very carefully before buying from Revibe. Don’t rely on the advertising alone. Do your homework first. Or JUST DONT BUY FROM THEM.