Where can I get a cheap/second hand phone?

noisla

I have read the apparent "mobile phone" guide on this site but it is all geared up to finding mobile phone tariffs and PAYG deals, not actual handsets. (Please post a link if I am missing something!)

Any suggestions on places to look for a cheap mobile (<£50)? New, reconditioned or second hand. I am personally looking to get a Motorola Defy, but I'm sure others will be in the same boat.

I've tried gumtree (mainly people selling expensive iPhones), Amazon (little second hand stuff, and all pricey), Ebay (lots of second hand things, but I just want to BUY, not an auction).

ZhugeEX

noisla wrote: »

I have read the apparent "mobile phone" guide on this site but it is all geared up to finding mobile phone tariffs and PAYG deals, not actual handsets. (Please post a link if I am missing something!)

Any suggestions on places to look for a cheap mobile (<£50)? New, reconditioned or second hand. I am personally looking to get a Motorola Defy, but I'm sure others will be in the same boat.

I've tried gumtree (mainly people selling expensive iPhones), Amazon (little second hand stuff, and all pricey), Ebay (lots of second hand things, but I just want to BUY, not an auction).

This is 100% worth the extra £20 as a brand new smartphone.
http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/mobiles/mobile-phones/HUAWEI_Y300

gjchester

noisla wrote: »

I've tried gumtree (mainly people selling expensive iPhones), Amazon (little second hand stuff, and all pricey), Ebay (lots of second hand things, but I just want to BUY, not an auction).

You may want to buy cheaply but seller want to sell for the highest price. That's why people use Ebay, it's big takes a bit in fee's but is where the most people are.

The only advice I'd give you is use a reputable seller, preferable a shop, you may pay more but you don't have the risk it will be blocked months later when someone claims on their insurance.

noisla

Thanks for the advice.

I'm not necessarily looking for an underpriced bargain, just a cheap phone from a reliable source, so I can see how I get on with a smartphone. My current Nokia 100 is fantastic - €20 new and unlocked from Amazon.de, fits in my pocket, goes weeks without recharging and I can drop it down the stairs. I thought maybe there would also be a market for cheap/basic/hardy smartphones - there is otherwise a bewildering choice online and shops tend to only stock the snazzy new models.

sshnuke

Amazon is still your best bet for a cheap smartphone. You can buy used smartphones on Amazon. I'll also second buying from ebay. I've bought 20-30 used phones from ebay or even more and if, as has been stated before, you buy from a highly rated seller you can't really go wrong.

- To avoid auctions select Buy-It-Now purchases
- Check completed listings to get a guide price of what people are willing to pay. (Once you have this information auctions can actually be fun as you know what limit to place on a bid. You'll also realise how high prices are on the high street for second hand phones!)
- In the search field use the word "excellent" or "mint" and ask questions if you're not sure of the condition.
- Look for sellers with 99.5% or more rating and you can pretty much guarantee you won't have to return the phone. I've never had to return anything bought from a highly rates seller.

Looking for a well-priced second-hand phone these days can sometimes be a bit of a pointless exercise. Phones do not go down in price as quickly as you might think and there are newer phones with better features that you can buy for the same price as suggested in an earlier post.

Kite2010

Used smartphones, have a look in a branch of CEX/Cash Convertors etc. They should be tested and you can always have a quick look and feel before deciding to buy.

mikegahan

I find CEX expensive for smartphones, although reasonable forstandard ones. Also there is a good range of basic smartphones in Carphone warehouse and Phones 4u, at the moment the price of low end smartphones is static and the specs are increasing. For example my Huawei g330 was £140 a year ago now it is £85 new in some shops

TerryMI5

noisla wrote: »

Ebay (lots of second hand things, but I just want to BUY, not an auction).

There is a lot of buy-it-now auctions for cheap phones?

duchy

Most areas have facebook buying and selling sites -ours even has a seperate one for media (TVs laptops consoles and phones) where smart phones go for the kind of price you are looking for -no bidding just straightforward purchase.