Sorry if this has been discussed, I tried to search.... We upgrade our iphones every two years. I have always sold our previous iphones on Craigslist very quickly. This time, however, I am not getting any responses. Is it because there are payment plans on Apple so that people don't buy previous versions? Thanks for any insight.
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Has the resale market changed?
- Thread starter beachmommy
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Yeah I think it really has changed. I used to be able to get retail-$200 for the previous year's iPhone. This year I struggled to get 55% of the retail price for my 6S+ in very good condition. The resale value has really dropped. I think the installment plans are part of the reason. Also, as the chips in the iPhone have gotten faster and faster, most people don't notice a huge speed difference in day to day tasks with each new model. The A8 chip was fast enough for most people and any subsequent chips are just icing on the cake. As a result, I think some people are waiting longer than 2 years to upgrade, meaning less demand for used phones.
Agree with the above. Plus with all the issues of getting locked phones from buyers, just not worth it. The 5s will run anything so why trade? I had to upgrade my phones or I would still have the 6s for many years to come. Plan on keeping the 7 for 3-4 years or until they die.
IMO, there is no upside in buying a used phone with all the potential risks.
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IMO, there is no upside in buying a used phone with all the potential risks.
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Others have posted issues selling the larger models too.
Yea I had no decent bites for my iPhone 6s 128gb. Had it selling privately for £450 however nobody was offering anything close to that. Ended up selling it on mazuma mobile recycling website for £400.
First time I have ever struggled to sell an iPhone.
First time I have ever struggled to sell an iPhone.
I'm not understanding the sarcasm but no, all of our phones are at least 64gb. Thanks for the reply though.
I don't think there was any sarcasm, just that there is no market for a 16GB iPhone nowadays.
Part of the reason with Craigslist is because the amount of fraud with phones today. Buyers are getting burned with stolen devices, locked devices to contracts, faulty devices or where the device is later reported stolen and the carrier locks it from the buyer using it. Word spreads and more buyers are putting there trust in Swappa/EBay with Pay Pal Six month buyer protection.
Nice summary of the issues with buying off Craigslist. There's really no simple way for the buyer to know for sure if the seller is going to rip them off. For me I just wouldn't feel safe nowadays paying someone $450+ cash knowing the device has no warranty and I have no guarantee the buyer won't report it stolen right after our transaction or default on his installment plan payments that he lied about saying he had already paid off the full balance.
While PayPals 6-month buyer protection is great for buyers, it presents a host of issues for sellers. Very easy to be scammed as a seller on eBay or Swappa because the person can simply get the device and immediately put in a claim to PayPal that there was something wrong with it and want to return it. Once that happens they are in complete control and can send back a different product (keeping the phone), send back the phone to you damaged if you didn't lower the price like they wanted, or send back the phone with their activation lock on it. Google searches on the issue make it clear that PayPal almost always sides with the buyer, even if they are committing fraud against the seller.
At a certain point it just gets easier for both sides to not risk it and simply go through Apple or the carriers for less profit than they're used to getting but a guarantee of not being ripped off. The iPhone 7 promo the 'Big 4' carriers did recently where you got $650 in credit for trading in your 6 (or 6s) was not only much safer for sellers but also gave them way more $$$ than they would normally get selling it on their own.
Personally I plan on keeping my 6s around five years if I can, but if I was upgrading every 2-3 years or so I would keep it simple and subscribe to the @eyoungren method: Buy the phone I want from Apple full price and pass down the one I had to a family member as a gift
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Check what the current prices are for it on swappa and also compared to similar iphones in your local area at CL.
You might need to lower your asking price if you're not getting any interest.
Even a $10-20 difference can make the difference of whether you can sell it within days or weeks.
Why would they buy yours where they can get the same cheaper.
You might need to lower your asking price if you're not getting any interest.
Even a $10-20 difference can make the difference of whether you can sell it within days or weeks.
Why would they buy yours where they can get the same cheaper.
Its getting harder compare to previous year, but still better than other brand. The resale value of Galaxy S7 is very low nowadays in my country and I just picked one on very good condition for $500 (S7 Edge).
I sold two iPhone 6 64gb phones in the metro Boston area last month for $300 each via Craigslist. Both sold very quickly.
The market is still feeling the effects of the recent release of the 7/7+. Sale prices of the 6S/6S+ have remained consistent but I've noticed they sell pretty slowly unless you discount it heavily. The market is still flooded with used ones from people upgrading. They'll probably start back selling quickly after Thanksgiving.
Not necessarily. Everyone has different needs for storage. I had 16GB for years and it was never an issue. Again, it depends on your usage.
No sarcasm. Just personal experience. I recently had a tough time selling my 6S plus 16GB. I already listed at the low end of the asking prices on Craigslist for same model and conditions. But most people generally avoid 16GB like a plague. Those that were "interested" would make low-ball offers ($100-300 below).
I realize that price of iPhones in the used market has generally gone down compared to last year. But there is a lack of buyer interest particularly for 16GB ones.
It's a result of the cell phone market as a whole becoming saturated. A few years ago there was still a wide swath of people who had never had an iPhone, and a used one was an appealing way to get one. Now virtually everyone who wants an iPhone has one, upgrading is made easier through the carriers, buying used has serious risks due to activation lock, etc.
I live in a college town with a large foreign population and so selling them is still pretty easy here, but even still, it's often not worth my time. I listed my 6s 128GB and could have gotten about $400 for it. AT&T was willing to give me $650 in bill credits. No brainer.
I live in a college town with a large foreign population and so selling them is still pretty easy here, but even still, it's often not worth my time. I listed my 6s 128GB and could have gotten about $400 for it. AT&T was willing to give me $650 in bill credits. No brainer.
The various upgrade programs have changed the re sale market. Unless you need an unlocked phone, there is no benefit to buying a phone cash up front.
You're wrong.
Potential savings is still a big one. Good deals have happened with ip7, much less the 6s and 6. Guy posted getting a 7 256gb for under 700...a great deal.
If that did happen it would be a rare event. Sounds like someone sold a phone they are financing to make a quick buck.
There is too much risk buying a used phone.