Who Owns grademobile.co.uk?

Understanding the ownership of an online business provides valuable insight into its history, stability, and accountability. Grademobile.co.uk offers a degree of transparency regarding its origins and current operational status, painting a picture of a company with a genuine story and a clear business trajectory.

The Founder’s Journey

The company’s “About Us” section provides a personal and inspiring narrative about its inception, tracing its roots back to a teenage entrepreneurial endeavour. This personal touch often resonates positively with consumers, showing passion and dedication behind the brand.

• Founding Story: Grademobile was founded in 2014 by Owain when he was a teenager.
• Humble Beginnings: The initial capital came from birthday money from his grandparents, used to purchase a broken iPod touch and a new screen—his first refurbished device.
• Growth and Evolution: What started as a small personal project evolved into a significant enterprise.
• Passion for Refurbishment: The narrative suggests a genuine interest and early talent in device refurbishment.
• Entrepreneurial Spirit: Highlights the journey from a simple idea to a structured business, which can be inspiring to potential customers.

Company Status and Operations

Beyond the personal story, Grademobile.co.uk provides concrete details about its current operational status, demonstrating its growth into a reputable and regulated entity within the UK market. This professional structuring adds significant weight to its legitimacy.

• Official UK Mobile Network: Grademobile states it is “now an official U.K. mobile network,” implying a level of infrastructure and regulatory standing beyond just a reseller.
• Market Leading Recycler: They also position themselves as a “market leading mobile phone recycler,” reinforcing their commitment to the circular economy and environmental benefits.
• FCA Approved Firm: Crucially, they are an “FCA approved firm,” meaning they are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK for certain financial activities, likely related to their leasing agreements. This requires adherence to stringent consumer protection standards.
• Offices in UK & France: The mention of offices in both the UK and France indicates international expansion and a broader operational footprint, suggesting a larger, more established company.
• Physical Presence: Having physical offices in these locations adds to their credibility, providing a tangible base of operations.

Regulatory and Corporate Details

While the website provides some high-level information, for complete transparency and independent verification, consumers would typically look for specific regulatory registration numbers. These are usually found in the footer, on an ‘About Us’ page, or within the detailed Terms & Conditions.

• Companies House Registration: A legitimate UK company would be registered with Companies House. While not explicitly stated on the homepage, a search for “Grade Mobile Ltd.” (which is the likely registered name given the domain and trading name) would confirm their legal entity status, director details, and financial filings.
• FCA Register Entry: For an “FCA approved firm,” there will be a specific firm reference number (FRN) on the FCA register. Providing this number directly on the website would allow users to verify their regulatory status independently.
• WHOIS Information: The WHOIS data confirms the domain is registered to “GoDaddy.com, LLC.” as the registrar and that Nominet successfully validated the registrant’s name and address. This indicates a properly registered domain under a legitimate entity.
• Contact Information: The availability of a “Get in touch” section, potentially leading to contact forms or direct email/phone details, is standard for legitimate businesses.
• Long-Term Strategy: The company’s focus on “leading the charge as a specialist provider of refurbished devices since its inception in 2014” and their mission to “reduce electronic waste” suggests a long-term business strategy beyond short-term gains.