Best way to purchase a used AT&T phone?

[davidg4781]

I'm currently with Sprint and wanting to move to AT&T.

We have 4 lines, 2 want iPhones and 2 Android things. I want a 32GB iPhone Silver.

I was planning on moving 4 over and 3 of them getting new phones while I wait until the one I want is available. However, I recently learned that AT&T phones can be blocked or black listed if they're reported lost or stolen, even after I've verified it's a good phone and have paid for it.

Is there a best way to ensure I don't end up losing money when I'm buying a used phone? I'm even willing to purchase a cheaper phone but don't want this risk. Is buying a very inexpensive GoPhone my only option?

 

[StockDC2]

I would purchase the phone off of eBay, even if you do end up paying a little more. Reasons being that you can file a chargeback if the phone gets blacklisted. Purchasing a higher end cell phone off of Craigslist carries a very large risk.

If you decide to go the Craigslist route, have some due diligence. Don't purchase from sketchy people and always ask if they're willing to meet at the AT&T/T-Mobile/Verizon store to do the transaction. By asking such a simple question, you'll quickly filter out majority of the scammers.

 

[KeegM480]

I have bought so many things off of Craigslist all 5 of the different iPhones I have had, 3 MacBook Pro's, some monitors, a desk, all kinds of stuff. If you are comfortable meeting a random person & can tell right away if something is wrong craigslist is fine. Just make sure you check everything out, look for signs of water damage, bad battery, bad ESN, ect.