Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Ebay sell - who's to blame?

Lammercy

Lammercy

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 4, 2012
233
1
I recently sold an extra iPhone 5C that I had after switching to the 5S. The phone was deactivated on my line, find my iPhone turned off and restored to its original settings etc. Now the seller is upset with me because I didn't mention to them that a SIM card would be needed to activate the iPhone and has to wait until Wednesday to receive one from Sprint. I guess I could have and probably should have mentioned it but I didn't think about it being that the buyer basically seemed to know all his stuff regarding activating the phone except apparently that a SIM card is needed. Any other way that he can activate it without a SIM card? I've got new problem trying to help him find a solution but I do not appreciate my integrity as a seller being insulted especially when at this point the activation process is out of my hands.
 
AJAAY

AJAAY

macrumors 6502
Sep 29, 2012
438
292
It's all about what is put into the description. If a sim card was not mentioned, then you are off the hook. A buyer needs to ask the appropriate questions first before bidding on an item, especially ones with vague or brief descriptions.
 
LostSoul80

LostSoul80

macrumors 68020
Jan 25, 2009
2,136
7
He's whining because he can't wait some few days, seriously?
He has the phone, and presumably you didn't mention that no sim card was required.
Just tell him to gather information before buying any product.
 
dictoresno

dictoresno

macrumors 601
Apr 30, 2012
4,495
631
NJ
there is nothing you are at fault for here.

figure it in this sense.....you sell a car to a buyer. its exactly as described, and the buyer is perfectly happy with the sale. its friday and he cant register the car until monday so hes upset and blaming you. dumb isnt it?

tell him to chill out and beat feet.
 
L

Lucille Carter

Suspended
Jul 3, 2013
1,266
4
Why can't he go his carrier and get a SIM card?

Even if you left the SIM in the phone it would have be deactivated and could never be used again. It is a lack of understanding on the buyers side that is the problem but that will not prevent him from posting negative feedback.

A 100% description likely would still not have helped as the buyer does not know what he is doing. BUT, posting in your description that a new SIM card will be required might have helped.

eBay is still the best place to go to sell stuff and after over 700 sales and purchases, I have not had a major problem.
 
K

*~Kim~*

macrumors 65816
May 6, 2013
1,050
377
UK
Tell the buyer to cut his sim card down to size and use that. Find a nano sim template from the internet and send him it.
 
Small White Car

Small White Car

macrumors G4
Aug 29, 2006
10,966
1,463
Washington DC
Tell him you went to Sprint and tried to get a SIM card with his account on it but that Sprint was being anal and wouldn't give you access to a complete stranger's phone number.

Who would have thought?
 
Lammercy

Lammercy

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 4, 2012
233
1
Small White Car said:
Tell him you went to Sprint and tried to get a SIM card with his account on it but that Sprint was being anal and wouldn't give you access to a complete stranger's phone number.

Who would have thought?
Click to expand...

I should actually try this just to see what he has to say about it lol.

When I posted the item on eBay I followed guidelines for exactly what I was selling and never mentioned anything about a SIM card or quality that he may or May have with the Sprint network simply because those things are out of my control. Thanks for the responses!
 
Solitude1984

Solitude1984

macrumors 6502
Oct 10, 2013
270
0
Applejuiced said:
All iPhones always needed a sim in order to activate and get into the homescreen after a restore.
Tell him to get over it.
Click to expand...

Correction: all iPhones on iOS 7 do. :)

----------
*~Kim~* said:
Tell the buyer to cut his sim card down to size and use that. Find a nano sim template from the internet and send him it.
Click to expand...

I would not do this ... if he screws it up he might blame you. Most people wouldn't, but this guy doesn't sound too bright.
 
D

davidg4781

macrumors 68030
Oct 28, 2006
2,799
400
Alice, TX
I never even thought about the SIM in my Sprint iPhone.

So when you port your number and cancel that line the SIM card gets deactivated? The new buyer would need to get a new one?

Glad I saw this.
 
dictoresno

dictoresno

macrumors 601
Apr 30, 2012
4,495
631
NJ
davidg4781 said:
I never even thought about the SIM in my Sprint iPhone.

So when you port your number and cancel that line the SIM card gets deactivated? The new buyer would need to get a new one?

Glad I saw this.
Click to expand...

Yes, it gets deactivated and they will either need a new SIM card use their current one. Rule of thumb is usually for the seller to remove it, since it's useless to the buyer anyways. As a courtesy, you could leave it in there if you don't need it so they can activate the phone without their own card. Once deactivated, there's nothing sensitive on it that would harm you in any way. So it's ip to the seller in the end.
 
D

davidg4781

macrumors 68030
Oct 28, 2006
2,799
400
Alice, TX
dictoresno said:
Yes, it gets deactivated and they will either need a new SIM card use their current one. Rule of thumb is usually for the seller to remove it, since it's useless to the buyer anyways. As a courtesy, you could leave it in there if you don't need it so they can activate the phone without their own card. Once deactivated, there's nothing sensitive on it that would harm you in any way. So it's ip to the seller in the end.
Click to expand...

Thanks, and sorry to hijack. I figure it's still on topic especially if others are looking for this information.

So they can leave my old one in there if they're just using it in the US? If they're able to activate it that's what I'm assuming.
 
iceterminal

iceterminal

macrumors 68000
May 25, 2008
1,870
27
Dallas Tx.
Who's to blame? Really? Why are we so quick to want to point the finger at someone else and say "Its your fault"?

When did we stop standing up for ourselves and try to fix a problem that exists instead of trying to find someone to blame?

Do this. Ask the buyer
"Before you spent this amount of money, how much research did you do on this product? Because during your research you would of found out that you need the SIM card to activate. I'm sorry you failed to notice this requirement during your searches. However I went to a Sprint store and they said that you have to get the SIM yourself."
 
R

Radiating

macrumors 65816
Dec 29, 2011
1,018
7
So basically this guy is mad because he doesn't know how an expensive device that he purchased works.

What exactly does he expect to happen?

1. You sell the phone with an active sim card under your account, and then pay for his phone bill.

2. You impersonate the him and purchase a sim card for him at your local Sprint store.

This guy doesn't understand how phones work, and is trying to blame you for his lack of knowledge, ridiculous.
 
Last edited:
L

Lucille Carter

Suspended
Jul 3, 2013
1,266
4
iceterminal said:
Who's to blame? Really? Why are we so quick to want to point the finger at someone else and say "Its your fault"?

When did we stop standing up for ourselves and try to fix a problem that exists instead of trying to find someone to blame?

Do this. Ask the buyer
"Before you spent this amount of money, how much research did you do on this product? Because during your research you would of found out that you need the SIM card to activate. I'm sorry you failed to notice this requirement during your searches. However I went to a Sprint store and they said that you have to get the SIM yourself."
Click to expand...

Yep, nothing like making the buyer look like a fool so he give you negative feedback and you can do nothing about it. Great idea!:p

]I would be nice to the buyer and help him though this. Do not piss him off!
 
dictoresno

dictoresno

macrumors 601
Apr 30, 2012
4,495
631
NJ
davidg4781 said:
Thanks, and sorry to hijack. I figure it's still on topic especially if others are looking for this information.

So they can leave my old one in there if they're just using it in the US? If they're able to activate it that's what I'm assuming.
Click to expand...

if you leave an activated sim card in the phone when you sell it, thats an issue. but if you leave a deactivated sim in the phone and sell it, it will just allow the buyer to activate it and basically make it an ipod. they will have no cellular capabilities. just remove it when selling since they will have their own most likely.
 
J

JayLenochiniMac

macrumors G5
Nov 7, 2007
12,819
2,389
New Sanfrakota
It's just an inexperienced buyer who didn't know any better. It's a given that a new SIM card is required and sellers make it a habit of always removing the SIM card before the sale.
 
Applejuiced

Applejuiced

macrumors Westmere
Apr 16, 2008
40,672
6,533
At the iPhone hacks section.
Before I usually sell an iPhone I activate it with a sim and then take the sim out and mail it or sell it locally.
This way they can at least play with it even if they don't have a sim available.
But the buyer is making a big deal out of it. He should know what he needs to do to get it to work on his carrier.
It's not the sellers job to educate him on how and what he needs to do.
 
iceterminal

iceterminal

macrumors 68000
May 25, 2008
1,870
27
Dallas Tx.
Lucille Carter said:
Yep, nothing like making the buyer look like a fool so he give you negative feedback and you can do nothing about it. Great idea!:p

]I would be nice to the buyer and help him though this. Do not piss him off!
Click to expand...

Buyer beware. Of course, I'm not a slave to what someone on ebay has to say about me. I could care less.
So you're saying, if you sell on ebay you have to kiss the rump of the buy? Why bother?
 
P

Partridge

macrumors 6502
Jul 28, 2007
355
81
iceterminal said:
Buyer beware. Of course, I'm not a slave to what someone on ebay has to say about me. I could care less.
So you're saying, if you sell on ebay you have to kiss the rump of the buy? Why bother?
Click to expand...

Because they can negatively impact your feedback score, and the difference between a 99.8% positive and 100% positive feedback score when you're selling items is a pretty big deal. A lot of people (rightly or not) won't buy from somebody who has less than 100% feedback.
 
Applejuiced

Applejuiced

macrumors Westmere
Apr 16, 2008
40,672
6,533
At the iPhone hacks section.
Partridge said:
Because they can negatively impact your feedback score, and the difference between a 99.8% positive and 100% positive feedback score when you're selling items is a pretty big deal. A lot of people (rightly or not) won't buy from somebody who has less than 100% feedback.
Click to expand...

I don't know about that.
99.9% or 99.8% doesn't mean anything to most.
When you sell lots of stuff you will have complains or negative feedback from people. In life it's not possible to make everyone happy.
If you have hundreds or thousands of positives and only 1 or 2 negative then that's nothing that would hold back anyone from purchasing from you.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom