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What's to stop some buyer on Swappa claiming the box was empty when it arrives? (common ebay scam).

Good question. I have not had that happen yet. Pay Pal offers six month buyer protection too. I would have to read further into Swappa's policy procedures.
 
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I don't understand how Swappa prevents all of the usual bait and switch scams that affect Ebay.

Let's say you're Swappa. Who is lying:
  • Buyer complains that seller sent a box of rocks instead of iPad Wi-Fi. Shows a picture of a box of rocks he received.
  • Seller says he sent an iPad Wi-Fi. Shows photos of iPad Wi-Fi and valid shipping receipt.
Buyer could have received iPad Wi-Fi, taken picture of a box of rocks, and is trying to scam seller.

Seller could have kept the iPad Wi-Fi and sent a box of rocks, generating a shipping receipt, and is trying to scam buyer.

So based on Swappa's policies, who "wins"?
 
Swappa is no different from eBay, but is relatively under the radar and seems to attract more legitimate folks in general. But scams can and do happen. In the scenario above or any scenario involving a dispute, Swappa would recommend a) that the buyer and seller resolve it themselves and/or b) involve PayPal. PayPal typically sides with the buyer:

https://swappa.com/faq/buy/not_as_advertised
https://swappa.com/faq/payments/file_dispute_paypal

All Swappa can do is blacklist or publish a negative rating against the guilty party on their site, nothing more
 
I don't understand how Swappa prevents all of the usual bait and switch scams that affect Ebay.

Let's say you're Swappa. Who is lying:
  • Buyer complains that seller sent a box of rocks instead of iPad Wi-Fi. Shows a picture of a box of rocks he received.
  • Seller says he sent an iPad Wi-Fi. Shows photos of iPad Wi-Fi and valid shipping receipt.
Buyer could have received iPad Wi-Fi, taken picture of a box of rocks, and is trying to scam seller.

Seller could have kept the iPad Wi-Fi and sent a box of rocks, generating a shipping receipt, and is trying to scam buyer.

So based on Swappa's policies, who "wins"?

I agree. They use PayPal, so that's who you would be dealing with and they usually side with the buyer.
 
Couple reason why Swappa has less fraud:
  1. Not as big as eBay
  2. Buyer PAYS the listing fee
  3. Geared toward geeks selling to other geeks (started by XDA)
I have bought and sold many, many, many phones on Swappa.
 
Swappa is no different from eBay, but is relatively under the radar and seems to attract more legitimate folks in general. But scams can and do happen. In the scenario above or any scenario involving a dispute, Swappa would recommend a) that the buyer and seller resolve it themselves and/or b) involve PayPal. PayPal typically sides with the buyer:

https://swappa.com/faq/buy/not_as_advertised
https://swappa.com/faq/payments/file_dispute_paypal

All Swappa can do is blacklist or publish a negative rating against the guilty party on their site, nothing more

For the moment it is a lot safer than ebay and with less fraud and scamsters.
If that changes down the road and Swappa does nothing to prevent it like ebay just makes the seller eat the loss then consumers will switch to selling using another method.
 
I vote Swappa. As others have said, it just seems to attract a more genuine crowd. While I used to be a big proponent of eBay (and still use the service often), I would not bother selling a phone on eBay ever again. With the amount of fraud, the huge portion they take out of your payday, and the hassle of dealing with difficult buyers, it's really not worth it anymore. Swappa is easy, friendly, and straightforward.

I try my hardest to not sell high-value items ($500+) on eBay any longer given the inherent risks for the sellers. I do know that Paypal has bulked-up their seller protections but it still doesn't give me confidence. While I will inevitably have to sell some things on eBay (most likely my rMBP when the new one launches), I really am hesitant to sell anything of value there anymore.
 
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If you try gazelle, also try Nextworth to see what they offer. For the last two years, I've gotten and received much better offers on Nextworth than on Gazelle.
 
Also side note, can't believe people are recommending Gazelle, BestBuy, and similar programs. I guess you all just enjoy selling your phones for several hundred less than the true market value.
 
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Lock a fake iCloud account onto phone before sending it out, provide password when they ask you through messages what it is. Confirming they received the device.
 
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I also second Swappa. Sold an iPad Mini 4 on there with accessories. Fees were cheaper than 10% of the sale price. Also the site facilitates easy communication between buyers and sellers.

For those asking about security, Swappa requires that you register the IMEI/ESN when you list. This is to ensure that the phone is not flagged lost or stolen. Also, they request that you place pictures of the device your selling with a handwritten sign that has the listing number on it, so that you see what you are actually paying for.
 
I also second Swappa. Sold an iPad Mini 4 on there with accessories. Fees were cheaper than 10% of the sale price. Also the site facilitates easy communication between buyers and sellers.

For those asking about security, Swappa requires that you register the IMEI/ESN when you list. This is to ensure that the phone is not flagged lost or stolen. Also, they request that you place pictures of the device your selling with a handwritten sign that has the listing number on it, so that you see what you are actually paying for.

Right but in actuality there is nothing to oversee what actually gets shipped. If there's a way to scam people find it.
 
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what about touch disease?

I would have traded it in with the carrier promotion for the $650 credit towards a 7 and not mentioned it since you bring your phone in reset to factory specs to the Hello screen. They only care if it powers on and doesn't have a cracked screen. I think some carriers extended the promotion. You should check it out.
 
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It's not what you want to hear, but Craigslist. As long as Swappa keeps using Paypal, they are no different than eBay. While their staff members will do their best to mediate any conflicts between seller and buyer, they have zero influence over Paypal if a buyer decides to screw you.
 
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My carrier didn't enter the order correctly, so I missed out on a trade-in deal and need to sell my 6s plus. The on button works but isn't popping back out when I let go of it, so I don't know that it's a good fit for Swappa. Gazelle's offer is about half of the going price on Swappa. Still debating what to do. :confused:
 
My carrier didn't enter the order correctly, so I missed out on a trade-in deal and need to sell my 6s plus. The on button works but isn't popping back out when I let go of it, so I don't know that it's a good fit for Swappa. Gazelle's offer is about half of the going price on Swappa. Still debating what to do. :confused:

If you ordered it before 9/25/16 on a Next Installment plan, you should be able to trade it in still.
 
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If you ordered it before 9/25/16 on a Next Installment plan, you should be able to trade it in still.
Tmobile is my carrier, but either way you make a great point. I should try again to have the carrier honor the promo. That's the simplest way. Thanks!
 
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Craigslist is my preferred option. I get the cash instantly without risk of a buyer filing a chargeback, and more importantly, it brings the highest return due to there being no fees. I've generally sold my phones within a day or two of listing, hassle-free.

I've also sold several iPhones on eBay without any issues, and wouldn't hesitate to use Swappa either, but craigslist brings the better return.
 
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It's not what you want to hear, but Craigslist. As long as Swappa keeps using Paypal, they are no different than eBay. While their staff members will do their best to mediate any conflicts between seller and buyer, they have zero influence over Paypal if a buyer decides to screw you.

CL is a great option too. Just make sure you do it at a safe place like various police departments have eCommerce places in their building for such transactions.
You will get a bunch of people wasting your time, not showing up, low balling you and other nonsense but you walk away with cash and end of story.
 
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I've sold a handful of iPhones on eBay. The only time i had an issue is when i decided to sell international. Sell only to USA if choosing eBay.
 
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