My apologies if this is breaking any community guidelines, I am new here. I'm posting here on Frugal since i've seen a few similar posts in this subreddit.
I have been thinking of getting a new phone for quite some time. I have been using an LG V30 for the past 2-3 years. It still functions fine, but the camera quality is worse that I'd like it to be as a photographer. I would like to upgrade to something with a good camera, and something that would last me for a while. Due to a few very kind gifts, I now have enough gift money on Amazon for a decent used phone. I have been looking at the iphone 12 mini and google pixel 6a in specific. They are both in my price range, have good cameras, and would (hopefully) last me a good 4-5 years. The only issue is that these are refurbished items, and many people who have bought anything refurbished from amazon have received products in poor condition and end up getting a refund. I have read several threads where people recommend going straight through Apple's refurbished store, but I have amazon-specific credits, and their items are still wildly out of my price range. Now I'm wondering if I would be better off just saving the cash for a later date on something I know I would get good use of. Does anyone have experience with Amazon refurbished? Should I take the risk? Thanks in advance.