Buying a used phone? Beware of this common scam no one wants to talk about

Digital Trends ^ | February 12, 2018 - 3:00AM | By Simon Hill

[Swordmaker]

Thinking about buying a used iPhone or Android phone? There are hidden pitfalls from crooks and scammers waiting to pounce on you to steal your money, leaving you with an unusable phone and no recourse. This article provides advice on how to minimize that risk, if not eliminate it entirely. —PING!

Pinging dayglored, ThunderSleeps, and ShadowAce for their lists.

Used Phone Scamming Ping!

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[fireman15]

The last new phones that my wife and I purchased were HTC Touch Pro IIs in late 2009. Every phone since has been a used phone... most from highly rated sellers on eBay. All of them have been a fraction of the price of an equivalent new phone. They have all looked basically new. We have never had a problem with any of them.

[coloradan]

Seems like there should be a blockchain solution to establish clear title to devices with unique serial numbers.

[Darteaus94025]

Daughter’s boyfriend works at Apple. ‘Nuff said.

[Mark17]

Thanks SM. I was not planning on getting a used phone, but for sure, I am not planning on it now. Next month, I will have an X. 👍

[Mark17]

Rather than buying the X at a Verizon store, I know there is an Apple store at the Arden Way Mall, but I will be in Stockton, so I will probably be closer to the Apple store in Emeryville. I plan to buy it outright, cuz I will use it on Globe Telecom anyway, with a Globe SIM. 😁

[867V309]

Seems like there should be a blockchain solution to establish clear title to devices with unique serial numbers.

cars don't need blockchain, just titles. not rocket science, but phone racketeers and service providers are getting rich(er) off this scam.

[Mark17]

Boy, was I wrong. Stockton is actually closer to Sacramento, than Emeryville. 👎

[conservative98]

Never buy a used phone.

Never sell a used phone.

[Wingy]

Never buy a used phone.

Never sell a used phone.

Nope. I use the HRC method and beat them with hammers.

[Swordmaker]

Rather than buying the X at a Verizon store, I know there is an Apple store at the Arden Way Mall, but I will be in Stockton, so I will probably be closer to the Apple store in Emeryville. I plan to buy it outright, cuz I will use it on Globe Telecom anyway, with a Globe SIM. 😁

You will be closer to the Modesto Apple store I think. . . In Vintage Faire Mall. It’s probably a tossup with Arden Fair Store.

[Mark17]

You are right. Modesto is closer.

[grobdriver]

Someone is selling last year’s flagship iPhone or Samsung Galaxy, barely used, at a drastically lower price

If it's too good to be true, it probably is.

[Darth Gill]

I’ve bought and sold many iPhones on eBay - never had a problem.

[mongrel]

Yup, eBay makes it easy. Clean esn or bad esn in the title treks what you need to know.

If you buy off Craigs list, meet at your local wireless retailer and make sure it’s good and not under contract before giving them any money.

[\/\/ayne]

I bought a used cable modem on Craigslist that they wouldn’t activate as belonging to someone else or something. Well, after I left a message the guy changed his number! Hilarious since he came to the meet in his work truck. After I contacted his main office he decided to return the money.

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

I have a rotary dial phone that is pulled around on a little 2-wheeled cart which also has a hand-crank generator for power. Don’t have to activate anything and hateful teenage hackers in the malls give me dirty looks for the sign on the back of the cart which reads, “Hack this!”.

[MD Expat in PA]

I had an LG phone from Sprint that stopped work a day after the warranty expired. I could make and receive calls and I could hear the other person but they couldn’t hear me. I tried to get them to fix it and we went back and forth a couple of times and they agreed, not once but twice to ship me a refurbished phone for a small fee, but never did. As I had dumped my land line and my cell was and is my only phone, while I was waiting for a replacement that never came, I bought a used phone on eBay from a seller who had a good rating and good reviews.

But when I went to activated it turned up to be lost or stolen and couldn’t be activated.

Fortunately, I contacted the eBay seller and he apologized and returned my money in full a day later.

I wouldn’t do this again. I ended up cancelling my Sprint contract (their customer service was horrible), and went with ATT and got a new Samsung phone, and yes, I ponied up and got the insurance and a one year extended warranty.

[CGASMIA68]

“highly rated sellers on eBay”

Now thats funny, you left out Craigslists