purchase of iPhone SE

According to to iPhone - Compare Models - Apple the SE is only available at authorized resellers, not online.

Make sure any phone you purchase from a third party re-seller does not have activation lock set on it.

Also realize it will not have an Apple warranty.

Find My iPhone Activation Lock - This is a security feature, in part to deter re-selling of stolen devices.

http://support.apple.com/HT201365

None are available new. Apple does not make them any longer. For a new phone visit: iPhone - Apple.

I do not recommend buying a phone online as it may be defective, stolen, or activation locked. The online markets are the homes of thieves.

The iPhone SE was discontinued 2 years ago so none are available as “new” other than perhaps some very old left over stock (and I would not buy a lithium battery device that has been sitting static on a warehouse shelf for 2 or more years - it will need a new battery right out of the box).

The only source of Apple OEM refurbished devices is Apple’s own online refurb store (not available in all countries) and they had SE’s there at one time but not now. Any other “refurb” will be a third party refurb, it an Apple OEM refurb. Amazon, for example, sells Amazon refurbished iPhones that come with a warranty from Amazon, not Apple.

To the best of my knowledge in the US at least the only way to get a new iphone SE (and this may have changed in the last few months) would be to buy a prepaid one from an authorized retailer. Depending on the carrier it can be unlocked after meeting certain criteria. Example Verizon prepaid requires 60 days or $150 worth of service used. I think if you bought prepaid for Verizon from Best Buy it was 180 days or $150 in service. We bought one for my autistic son to see how he did with a phone first before using it for a trade-in promo and moving him to a post paid plan.