Buying phones on EBay

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hardtimes
hardtimes Posts: 345 Forumite
in Praise, vent & warnings
just a warning to anyone thinking of buying a new phone on EBay/Gumtree.

I thought I was safe by buying a brand new sealed IPhone. The phone was advertised as "unwanted upgrade".
I paid by credit card via PayPal and the phone arrived sealed in a box. Phone worked for about a week, then no service.

I had an idea something was up so I went into my local Vodafone shop.
The assistant put another sim in and no joy. She then input the IMEI number in the system. There it was reported stolen and blacklisted.

The assistant told me I was the third person that week with the same problem.

Luckily I got refunded by PayPal but people have paid cash on Gumtree and have lost out.
Nothing would make me buy a phone other than from Currys etc.
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  • bluenoseam
    bluenoseam Posts: 4,612 Forumite
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    Always safer to request IMEI & serial numbers and use a service which will check those against police & insurance databases, Check Mend for example. Granted that's not "perfect" but ultimately you're taking a chance by buying on ebay/gumtree as opposed from a reputable business.
    Retired member - fed up with the general tone of the place.
  • dacouch
    dacouch Posts: 21,637 Forumite
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    There's a roaring trade in iphone boxes as well as other designer brands on ebay and gum tree.

    Scammers often buy them to make their fake / stolen products look bona fide
  • hardtimes
    hardtimes Posts: 345 Forumite
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    bluenoseam wrote: »
    Always safer to request IMEI & serial numbers and use a service which will check those against police & insurance databases, Check Mend for example. Granted that's not "perfect" but ultimately you're taking a chance by buying on ebay/gumtree as opposed from a reputable business.

    The scammer gets the upgrade sells it on then after a couple of weeks reports it stolen. So checking the IMEI number before you buy will not help,as at this stage the phone is "clean".
  • eyelinerprincess
    eyelinerprincess Posts: 4,679 Forumite
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    Yes, someone doing this would sell it on first, then report it stolen. Part of my old job was buying, pawning and selling old phones, and we would use Checkmend on higher value phones. Sometimes (although rarely) we would buy a phone in, get the all clear from Checkmend, put it in the stockroom (or safe depending on value), the person wouldn't come back for it after the 4 weeks were up, we would take it out, reset it, and then find that it didn't work as it had been blocked since we had gained posession of it.
    "Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, But beautiful old people are works of art."
    -- Eleanor Roosevelt
  • hollydays
    hollydays Posts: 19,812 Forumite
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    Last time I tried to sell a phone on ebay was approached from someone from Lagos who proceeded to send fake emails to be in order to try to get us to send the phone to them before payment had been received. It was for their nephew blah blah. After that I will only sell phones face to face for cash, they are too much hassle and a high risk item to buy too.
  • hardtimes
    hardtimes Posts: 345 Forumite
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    Apple make things so easy to get scammed as they print the IMEI number on the OUTSIDE of the box so anyone can note it down.
  • jaydeeuk1
    jaydeeuk1 Posts: 7,714 Forumite
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    Phones stolen in UK will still work in Asia even if blacklisted, and vice versa. Usually gangs will just swap phones over then sell in local country. Some phones like mine the imei number can be changed (illegally) just by dialing some numbers on a keypad, so while they might make a good burner, it means its simple for someone to steal and sell on.

    You still got the stolen phone?
  • hardtimes
    hardtimes Posts: 345 Forumite
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    jaydeeuk1 wrote: »
    Phones stolen in UK will still work in Asia even if blacklisted, and vice versa. Usually gangs will just swap phones over then sell in local country. Some phones like mine the imei number can be changed (illegally) just by dialing some numbers on a keypad, so while they might make a good burner, it means its simple for someone to steal and sell on.

    You still got the stolen phone?

    PayPal stated that I had to return the phone to the seller and provide proof of delivery so I could receive a refund. I followed their instructions and got my refund.
  • AJXX
    AJXX Posts: 847 Forumite
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    hardtimes wrote: »
    Apple make things so easy to get scammed as they print the IMEI number on the OUTSIDE of the box so anyone can note it down.

    Hardly fair saying Apple... Most phones have the IMEI number printed on the box these days.

    I've just checked my Samsung Note 4 box and the IMEI number is printed clear as day on the outside of the box.
  • hardtimes
    hardtimes Posts: 345 Forumite
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    Apple was the one in question I have no idea about what other manufacturers do
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