buying iphone on ebay???

[Josiecat22222]

Hello Mustachians-

My teenage son desperately wants a fancy expensive new iphone.  Being a mustachian, I think it is a stupid status symbol and the new ones are in excess of 1000 dollars which is just insane.  He has proposed finding a less expensive unlocked version on the internet (ebay, facebook, etc), saving up for it and then using that.  I am generally in favor of finding a cheaper alternative and 100% in favor of him taking the responsibility to find it, save up for it, etc, but I have am a little worried about the security aspect.  A phone from the factory seems safer from digital theft, but one bought from a stranger on the internet seems risky to me.  Is this a real risk? Does anyone have experience buying (used) phones on the internet and does it have a risk of identity theft?

Thank you all!

[GilesMM]

My elderly father bought a "brand new iPhone 12" on eBay for $199 but couldn't get it working. He asked me to look at it.   All I could determine was that it was running Android.  We drove to the Apple Store the next day and fixed him up with legit stuff.

[hdatontodo]

I opted to get my son a new phone, but not the newest flagship model. Security is paramount.

I have even read about used phones that get set up but then lock since they were locked to a service provider. I don't know how they even got set up.

Sent from my SM-G991U1 using Tapatalk

[Metalcat]

I've bought multiple unlocked phones from Amazon or Best Buy with no issues, I've bought some that turned out to be lemons, but I buy suuuuper cheap phones, so I suspect it's more a product of buying an ultra cheap phone that's over a year old.

There are TONS of professional resellers out there, you don't have to buy from some random online individual with no business reputation to protect.

[Psychstache]

I've bought multiple unlocked phones from Amazon or Best Buy with no issues, I've bought some that turned out to be lemons, but I buy suuuuper cheap phones, so I suspect it's more a product of buying an ultra cheap phone that's over a year old.

There are TONS of professional resellers out there, you don't have to buy from some random online individual with no business reputation to protect.

+1. Check out Swappa or Back Market for examples.

[wcschenk]

Myself and my wife (we are 40) have EXCLUSIVELY bought used phones from Ebay and Facebook marketplace for over a decade. I 100% recommend it.

On that note here is my playbook....

1.) Buy flagship phones ONLY....so Samsung Galaxy, Galaxy plus or Galaxy Ultra, Galaxy FE is ok too IF you just need a basic smart phone (not recommended for a teen), Iphone, Iphone Pro, Iphone Max, iphone SE is ok (not recommended for a teen/young person), Pixel or Pixel Pro. DO NOT buy most other phones because they are made out of cheaper components and the operating systems will not be supported as long as flagship phones because they didn't produce as many. Flagship phones are like the toyota's/hondas of the phone world. They will get the most miles and have the least issues. When an issue arises, someone 100% had that issue before you and you can easily find a solution on google.

2.)While I did say you can buy the Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel or Iphone.....opt for the higher end models (Galaxy plus/ultra, iphone pro or max, pixel pro). WHY...because as phones age, their batteries wear out. I have tried several times to replace a battery and it is VERY easy to mess up a phone doing it. Thus, this higher end models tend to have batteries that are 20%+ larger and will not require as frequent charging when they are 3-7 years old. 20% doesnt seem like a big bump, but when the battery is 20-30% worn (holds 20-30% less), you really notice the bigger battery.

 Also this top model or two often has more system RAM, larger screens, and may have a slightly better camera

Also...because I recommend buying older phones (see below) the large price difference between the base model and the 1 or 2 higher end models is not so big because the expensive phones are 70% depreciated.

*if buying iphone...do the battery research on battery life in hours...the difference is a little less drastic than the battery difference with galaxy/pixels.

3.) Pricing sweet spot....I found buy the 3rd or 4th generation back (with a strong emphasis on the 4th gen) to be the sweet spot. Example...the Galaxy S24 just came out (current generation), used Galaxy S23's are getting cheaper but I still don't want to spend $400-$600 on used entry level flagship phone.

But the Galaxy S22 PLUS (3rd generation back), I can buy "excellent condition" refurbished for under $400. The S22 Ultra is $500 (id lean to the plus, the battery ISNT THAT much bigger and the camera isn't THAT much better.

WHAT if I really wanted the trumped up best of the best camera.....go back 1 more year. Galaxy s21 Ultra (4th generation back) is $350 (new S24 Ultra $1300...so that is 74% off)! A Galaxy S21 Plus - $270 (new those are $1000, so 73% off)! The galaxy s21 base model can be picked up used on Amazon for $240ish (new they are 800, so 70% less). AGAIN...maybe the $110 extra bucks to go from the base model to the Ultra isn't worth it unless you REALLY take a lot of photos BUT ....THE EXTRA $30 bucks to go from the base to the galaxy plus is 100% WORTH IT. 

If you are looking at iphones, shop for an older used Iphone Pro. About 4300 on amazon

4. Where to buy - if you dont know what you are doing and want the least risk ... go Amazon. Prices are fair and youll get the best customer service if you have an issue.

If you are good at reading fine print...you may save an extra 15-25% buying on Ebay. HOWEVER be careful as the listing can be a little more confusing and you really have to dig around. Youll see a phone for $100 less...open the listing only to find to get 100 bucks off you need to buy a heavily work or parts only model and the excellent condition was the same as Amazon. There ARE deals on ebay though, you HAVE to shop around. Dont buy ANYTHING from anyone with under 500 ratings and 98%+ positive feedback.  4/5 times I buy from ebay. I could find a galaxy s21 plus for about $225

Last there is Facebook marketplace....you CAN get a deal but you have the highest risk here. You HAVE to haggle a fair price. For marketplace I want to pay 30% less than I would pay on Amazon (only slightly less than I would pay on ebay....but you don't pay tax..so that's where the savings are). I would message 10 phones....offer them $20 under what you want to pay and 1 or 2 might bite. So I wold offer $170 (for a phone I could get on amazon for $270) and settle at $190. There is likely no return policy here or store to report. I have done it a couple times...been lucky enough to have 0 issues so far but I need to get a good deal to be worth the hassel. 30% off amazon is my threshold.

5.) condition -  buy excellent or "minor" or "a condition" wear. A few very light scratches on the screen or a couple dings on the side is NO big deal. Plus you will likely put on a case / screen protector anyway. I MIGHT consider "b" condition for a great price. Hard no on c or d condition / major wear / heavy wear.

6.) Buy a phone with 5g...I think the iphone 11 are not all equipped with 5g...so in that case I would lean to the iphone 12.

7.) Cameras - honestly...NOT that much difference from a camera 4 years old and today. Also...not THAT much difference between photos on a top model and a base. top model cameras have better zoom and newer cameras have better image processing....but if you look back in a decade....you wont notice a ton of difference in the photos of an iphone 11 base vs iphone 15 pro max as your are scrolling through. If you are a photographer, influencer or have small kids and take 2000 pictures a year....splurge $100 more on the top model from 4 generations back.

8.) Pro tip - save an extra 10% by picking out the least desirable color. My last phone was hot pink...but the cover covered 99.4% of the pink and youd never know. Purple or pink phones sell for less and I rarely if ever take of fthe case.

[SmashYourSmartPhone]

Is this a real risk? Does anyone have experience buying (used) phones on the internet and does it have a risk of identity theft?

Apple's hardware boot security is solid.  Unless he's legitimately concerned about being targeted by governments, I wouldn't worry about a used or new old stock iPhone from eBay/etc.  Just be sure the seller has properly configured it for sales before selling it, as otherwise the activation lock (designed as an anti-theft feature and seemingly accomplishing something on that front) prevents you from using it.  Any phone listed as "parts only" is likely to be activation locked (probably stolen from somewhere), but it's a well known issue so any decent seller should have it deactivated.

1.) Buy flagship phones ONLY...

In the Apple space, there are also the iPhone SEs (I think the last one was 2022?).  They're an older style with the home button instead of gesture, but have flagship performance.

iphone SE is ok (not recommended for a teen/young person)

Why not?  They're perfectly good iPhones.  Just cheaper, without creepy spider camera clusters, and smaller screens.  You don't need a phablet.

*if buying iphone...do the battery research on battery life in hours...the difference is a little less drastic than the battery difference with galaxy/pixels.

They all suck horribly. ;)  I usually charge somewhere between 240 and 280 hours.

WHAT if I really wanted the trumped up best of the best camera

Buy a used camera on B&H Photo. ;)  Hard to beat sensor size.

4. Where to buy - if you dont know what you are doing and want the least risk ... go Amazon. Prices are fair and youll get the best customer service if you have an issue.

If you don't mind evil companies who've gone out of their way to make sure they destroy retail and support scammers as much as humanly possible, sure!  They're certainly convenient, with their legions of poorly paid "they're not our employees, we just tell them exactly what to do and how!" delivery drivers.

6.) Buy a phone with 5g...I think the iphone 11 are not all equipped with 5g...so in that case I would lean to the iphone 12.

Why?  It's a power hungry cell modem tech that delivers marginal benefits unless you're standing under the antennas (on the high frequency modes, the low frequency 5G improvements are a 10-15% spectral density improvement on the low frequency bands).  Carriers have only recently gone to VoLTE from 3G, so I don't expect 5G to be required for a very, very long time.

[catccc]

I used to buy phones on ebay, but once had issues and it was a hassle.  I wasn't out anything in the end, but it was a process.  I have purchased a couple from backmarket and they've been great.  The prices are set by the resellers, so they can vary, but back market backs things up with a 30 day return window and a one year warranty.

[Trying2bFrugal]

Unless they absolutely need iphone 15 series, I would suggest you to buy it from a Verizon prepaid like below
https://www.totalbyverizon.com/smartphones/apple-iphone-11-64gb-prepaid.black?pdp=NoShippingpopupmodalv2

You need to pay for a month and they get auto unlocked. above iphone 11, new would cost you 150 for phone and 50 for a month plan.

other options arent worth the hassle. But if you want to buy from Marketplace or ebay, you are gambling. Most people are honest, but i have seen worse, so I dont do electronics used anymore.


I ordered a S24 series from Spectrum. A friend got Spectrum internet and wireless. Added a line, traded in a phone which my kid was using and will be getting the phone. S24 would cost 100 and two month mobile costs $60. With tax, its lessthan 250 dollars. These might be too much for some, but it all depends on the timing. If you go used route, minimum - make sure the icloud is unlocked, phone is factory reset and buy a case right away. If you could, get someone restore OS, just incase if it was hacked.

It isnt about getting basic or used. Its about how much the money get in mileage.

[markbike528CBX]

All my* phones*have been ebay buys, refurbished/used.

iphone 3GS, I finally had to give it up due to 3G sunset in ATT.
iphone 5s - loved the phone, it was small, it had a 3.5mm audio jack, it didn't do VoLTE, then I lost it.
iPhone SE (2020) great phone, put a cheap, thin, clear PVC skin on it.   It doesn't have a 3.5mm jack.  I don't do Bluetooth.
The camera is 12MP, and for most purposes is just as good as my 12MP  $2K Nikon D700.

Yes, you have to pay attention to unlocked status and the condition details.
A fully reset (apple logo appears) iPhone is good to go for security.

*I only had company flip phones prior to 2016.   
I had to beg the vendor to send me a phone WITHOUT a camera, as I worked in nuclear power plants, which were iffy about even 4MP cameras.
In Germany, I was required to lock up my phone on the outside of the guard shack.
If you are worried about security, don't buy a Furby®.
Skippy's list 174. Furby ® is not allowed into classified areas. (I swear to the gods, I did not make that up, it’s actually DOD policy).
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/55136/did-pentagon-really-ban-furbys

[SmashYourSmartPhone]

I had to beg the vendor to send me a phone WITHOUT a camera, as I worked in nuclear power plants, which were iffy about even 4MP cameras.

You can still get camera free flip phones.  The Sonim XP3+ has a non-camera version you can find.

[markbike528CBX]

I had to beg the vendor to send me a phone WITHOUT a camera, as I worked in nuclear power plants, which were iffy about even 4MP cameras.

You can still get camera free flip phones.  The Sonim XP3+ has a non-camera version you can find.

Yes, but we had to use that company-approved vendor, 2013 or so..

Anyway, cell phones are less than useful in a nuclear power plant.
They are rebar and concrete boxes, so pretty crappy, if any reception.
There are cell phone and radio forbidden areas scattered about inside.
Cell phone service at plants is often limited, as plants are never sited in cool, trendy and high cell tower density places.
I once nearly got hypothermia while standing in the only spot on site with service.
In Germany, I had to put my cell phone in a lock box outside the main entrance guard shack.

[Hadilly]

I’ve bought all recent phones on Swappa. Highly recommend