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I've been looking at used phones on ebay and wondering if anyone has bought one there and been satisfied with their purchase. Is it hard to get them activated with att or verizon?
Is buying an older version, like say a samsung G4 instead of a G5, a good deal for someone not looking for the latest and greatest? If they come without a sim card, do you buy one of those on ebay too or does the carrier give that out free? I need another phone and I'm not sure about which way to go. Thanks for any help.
I've bough a few phones on eBay but I've had better luck buying from Craigslist/Facebook Sale Groups and meeting locally at the mobile store to get the phone activated on the spot.
There are ways to check if the IMEI is clear and if you are able to activate it with your preferred carrier.
AT&T's unlock tool is pretty much hassle-free as long as the phone isn't reported stolen or the previous owner doesn't owe a balance on it.
I've bough a few phones on eBay but I've had better luck buying from Craigslist/Facebook Sale Groups and meeting locally at the mobile store to get the phone activated on the spot.
There are ways to check if the IMEI is clear and if you are able to activate it with your preferred carrier.
AT&T's unlock tool is pretty much hassle-free as long as the phone isn't reported stolen or the previous owner doesn't owe a balance on it.
+1 here
if there is a balance owed it will not activate
you have 2 choices
1 - pay off the previous balance
2 - throw the phone away, charger & accessories are still good
This is why Ebay has Feedback. If it worries you that much do NOT buy from anyone with less then 99% positive feedback.
Exactly.
I have bought a phone on EBay and Craigslist and have sold several on Craigslist.
The one I bought on EBay was from a vendor with thousands of positive phone feedbacks and a return policy. I was satisfied with the purchases and the price.
Both are higher risk marketplaces than going down to the ATT store and laying out retail money.
Risk/Reward is the dynamic.
Shopping for the absolute lowest price is an easy way to greatly increase the risk.
For many phones you can purchase a brand new prepaid version, take out the supplied sim card, put in your activated sim card, and the phone will work. You'll have to research the particular phone and network though, to see if it will work. I did this with an LG Transpyre and a Motorla Moto E on Verizon last year.
Thanks for all the replies guys. I went ahead and bought one on ebay. It was cheap enough so that if there's a problem with it I won't have lost much. I've bought on ebay for many years, but never bought a phone before. I always check the feedback. I am afraid to buy from craigslist because my town is kind of a dicey area. I don't want to meet up with anyone I don't know around here. It's good to know that others have had good experiences with their ebay phones. Thanks again.
^^^ There is no risk and if something is not quite right you can return the phone. The product you buy is irrelevant. Ebay purchases are fully covered. If the seller will not honor return/refund in the case of something going wrong, Ebay will step in and correct the situation. It has happened to me several times, not with phones but with other purchases. I have several friends and relatives who have bought phones on ebay with no problems. As stated above always check out the seller ratings..
I've bought two phones on eBay. One had a bad ESN so it couldn't be activated. Civil forfeiture seizure, so I guess the drug lords phone I got reported it stolen. Made a claim and got the money back after 30 days. Seller never responded. Negative feedback would affect me much more than him so I didn't leave negative feedback, which is a big problem with feedback with eBay. It hugely favors sellers versus occasional buyers as one negative feedback really doesn't impact someone with thousands of positives the way it does someone like me with a few dozen reviews. The other phone bought shortly after the phone with the bad ESN was fine.
I'd lean towards Craigslist. I've bought two. In both cases I show up, activate the phone and give them the money. If there's any obvious issues with the phone you don't buy it. Obviously follow normal precautions. Meet at a public place (inside a Starbucks works well) and not some parking lot. I mean, it's not a huge amount of money but there's always the possibility of someone robbing you for a few hundred bucks. People hold up 7/11s for less.
I've bought all of my phones so far off (6) eBay except one which I bought new. I buy only from sellers with > 99% feedback and > 100 total feedbacks. I read the neutrals and negatives to check for issues. I pay with a credit card so that I can do a chargeback if necessary (hasn't happened yet). I feel much more comfortable buying off eBay than buying off some place with no feedback system like Craigslist.
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