used phone sold as new?

[Anonymous]

Yesterday I bought what's meant to be a brand new Sony xperia a1 on pay as you go, paid for it £199.

When I brought it home and unpacked it turned out that the device has the screen protector attached to it. The kind of you can buy on eBay for 1.99. I phoned up the store and told them about but they reassured me that this is brand new phone. But they weren't able to give me the answer where the protector comes from and who put it there. Anybody had something similar happened?
Thanks in advance for your replies.

[MI5]

Was your box still sealed?
If so, the screen protector was fitted by Sony.
If the box had been opened already, you should reject it regardless.

[Anonymous]

It’s not that plastic stuff they put on new phones before they are taken out of a sealed box is it?

[MI5]

Mine were proper good film ones.

[Anonymous]

Yes, the box was sealed. But after I opened it I still managed to put seals back and looked pretty fine.

The protector isn't that that thin plastic film they put sometimes on the screens. Its a proper shape protector with hole for a front camera.

[MI5]

Sounds to me like the same as were fitted to mine.

[Anonymous]

@MI5

So there is no need for concern in your opinion?

My only worry was that maybe someone brought it back as faulty, they fixed it and sold it on.

[MI5 · Accepted solution]

O2 would clearly identify it if it was a pre owned phone.
I can only speak as I find but I've had quite a few Sony phones and my Z1 and Z5 both had screen protectors already fitted and my SP had one in the box.

[Anonymous]

Thank you very much.