Buying a used cellphone is a tricky business. Not only you are exposing yourself to the risk that you might buy a phone that would turn out to be faulty but also that the phone might be stolen/snatched from someone.
Further, you should consider buying a used cellphone only if you are getting a really good “deal” , so as to say. If the difference in cost (for the same model) between new phone and a used one is minimum, lets say in vicinity of 5-10%, you are better off buying a new one. Here are a few tips to keep in mind, when shopping for a used cellphone:
The Seller
1. Preferably, you should buy a used cellphone from someone you know i.e. friends and family. This helps in averting the risk that someone would rip you off. When you buy stuff from friends and family you can always work out something if the cellphone turns out to be faulty afterwards (If not, then you may start looking for some new friends :)) Avoid buying a used phone from a random shop from a large market, they will rip you off to make a quick buck instead of customer retention.
2. Its helpful to ask the person as to why they are selling the phone? Does it have any issues? The most obvious indication of a problem with a phone is that the person is selling it very quickly after buying (with almost full warranty remaining). Although, it may be the case that the person did not like that particular model and wants to buy another one. But asking this really helps in clarifying matters.
3. If you are buying online from sites like eBay, Olx etc. It’s a good idea to only deal with people with mostly positive feedback. For sites which do not provide the feedback feature, a call to the seller may be needed to verify that its not a scam. In case you decide to meet up with someone to inspect / buy the cellphone, its very important that you meet at a public place and verify the credentials of the person by asking where they work or study etc.
The Phone
1. Always try to buy a cellphone with some warranty. So that even if it develops some problems afterwards, you can claim warranty. Further, never buy a cellphone without its box. This ensures that the cellphone was not stolen from someone. Match the IMEI number of your mobile (see this video to learn how to view IMEI code of your mobile) with the one on the box to ensure that it is the box that came along with the phone.
2. Physically inspect phone thoroughly to make sure that it is in good condition. Don’t buy a “battered” phone just because you are getting a good price for it. You are going to carry around that phone along with you so it should look decent. A phone in good condition should not creak and should be solid. Be wary of used flip and slider phones, they are known to have problems after being used some time (if used roughly by the previous owner).
3. Do a bit of research about the phone that you want to buy. Read reviews on the internet (and watch YouTube reviews) and check if there are some “deal breaker” issues with it. For example, for me a phone should be speedy and should not lag, that’s a deal breaker for me. So I will check out reviews to see if the phone has been reported to be laggy. Although online reviews may give you a good indication, there may be some region specific manufacturing faults which are not mentioned therein. You may want to get feedback from your peers regarding that. Here are some excellent sites to check out cellphones:
www.gsmarena.com
www.phonearena.com
And following three websites are an excellent source of candid and honest reviews of mobile phones by users across the world:
http://www.mobile-phones-uk.org.uk/
http://www.yourmobilephonereviews.co.uk/mobile_phone_reviews_uk.htm
www.mouthshut.com
Here a neat tip, go to www.gsmarena.com and search the phone of your choice. Now go to review section. Here there is a search button at the top, so that you can search for any specific thing in the reviews. For example, if I want to check out the battery performance of a phone, I’ll just search battery and read what people are saying about the battery performance of a phone.
4. Do check out the price of a particular phone by checking out prices for new phones at sites likewww.whatmobile.com.pk (this one is for Pakistan) and for used phones on sites like www.olx.com.pk, in case you want to buy it from the used phones market.
5. Finally, before you make the final decision, check out various features of the phone by operating it. Make a call, take a photo, lock and unlock the screen. If the phone is faulty in some way, it will show up eventually.
There you go, some tips and tricks to help you out if you are buying a used cellphone. Happy “Used”
go get yourself a good used phone
Further, you should consider buying a used cellphone only if you are getting a really good “deal” , so as to say. If the difference in cost (for the same model) between new phone and a used one is minimum, lets say in vicinity of 5-10%, you are better off buying a new one. Here are a few tips to keep in mind, when shopping for a used cellphone:
The Seller
1. Preferably, you should buy a used cellphone from someone you know i.e. friends and family. This helps in averting the risk that someone would rip you off. When you buy stuff from friends and family you can always work out something if the cellphone turns out to be faulty afterwards (If not, then you may start looking for some new friends :)) Avoid buying a used phone from a random shop from a large market, they will rip you off to make a quick buck instead of customer retention.
2. Its helpful to ask the person as to why they are selling the phone? Does it have any issues? The most obvious indication of a problem with a phone is that the person is selling it very quickly after buying (with almost full warranty remaining). Although, it may be the case that the person did not like that particular model and wants to buy another one. But asking this really helps in clarifying matters.
3. If you are buying online from sites like eBay, Olx etc. It’s a good idea to only deal with people with mostly positive feedback. For sites which do not provide the feedback feature, a call to the seller may be needed to verify that its not a scam. In case you decide to meet up with someone to inspect / buy the cellphone, its very important that you meet at a public place and verify the credentials of the person by asking where they work or study etc.
The Phone
1. Always try to buy a cellphone with some warranty. So that even if it develops some problems afterwards, you can claim warranty. Further, never buy a cellphone without its box. This ensures that the cellphone was not stolen from someone. Match the IMEI number of your mobile (see this video to learn how to view IMEI code of your mobile) with the one on the box to ensure that it is the box that came along with the phone.
2. Physically inspect phone thoroughly to make sure that it is in good condition. Don’t buy a “battered” phone just because you are getting a good price for it. You are going to carry around that phone along with you so it should look decent. A phone in good condition should not creak and should be solid. Be wary of used flip and slider phones, they are known to have problems after being used some time (if used roughly by the previous owner).
3. Do a bit of research about the phone that you want to buy. Read reviews on the internet (and watch YouTube reviews) and check if there are some “deal breaker” issues with it. For example, for me a phone should be speedy and should not lag, that’s a deal breaker for me. So I will check out reviews to see if the phone has been reported to be laggy. Although online reviews may give you a good indication, there may be some region specific manufacturing faults which are not mentioned therein. You may want to get feedback from your peers regarding that. Here are some excellent sites to check out cellphones:
www.gsmarena.com
www.phonearena.com
And following three websites are an excellent source of candid and honest reviews of mobile phones by users across the world:
http://www.mobile-phones-uk.org.uk/
http://www.yourmobilephonereviews.co.uk/mobile_phone_reviews_uk.htm
www.mouthshut.com
Here a neat tip, go to www.gsmarena.com and search the phone of your choice. Now go to review section. Here there is a search button at the top, so that you can search for any specific thing in the reviews. For example, if I want to check out the battery performance of a phone, I’ll just search battery and read what people are saying about the battery performance of a phone.
4. Do check out the price of a particular phone by checking out prices for new phones at sites likewww.whatmobile.com.pk (this one is for Pakistan) and for used phones on sites like www.olx.com.pk, in case you want to buy it from the used phones market.
5. Finally, before you make the final decision, check out various features of the phone by operating it. Make a call, take a photo, lock and unlock the screen. If the phone is faulty in some way, it will show up eventually.
There you go, some tips and tricks to help you out if you are buying a used cellphone. Happy “Used”
go get yourself a good used phone
Great insights on buying used cell phones! It's crucial to consider factors like condition, warranty, and seller reputation. For those in Pakistan, looking for mobiles under 50000, this guide is invaluable. Thanks for sharing!
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