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Other How to protect myself as a seller on eBay/Swappa?

O

omizzle

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 5, 2009
256
92
Hi all,

I usually sell my phones in person, but I'm looking to sell my iPhone 11 Pro Max online for the first time (I'm in an area where I can't sell in-person). I'm wondering what best practices there are to protect myself against a potential scammer?

I've read all sorts of horror stories about sellers getting scammed on eBay/Swappa and how PayPal pretty much always sides with the buyer no matter what.

A couple things I was thinking/have heard before:
  • Vetting the buyer (not selling to new accounts, making sure they have a lot of good feedback/history, etc.)
  • Making a video of me packing/dropping off package for delivery (?) Not sure how I would prove I didn't swap packages or whatever after my video ended though
  • Leaving iCloud lock on phone until it's received and then once they confirm they are happy with it, I'll give pass to remove it? (is this allowed?). I've heard about scammers getting a refund then sending the phone back with their iCloud lock on
Anything else I should keep in mind? Is there any difference between eBay and Swappa other than fees from a seller's perspective?

Thanks in advance!
 
eBay is a good platform I have had done for the past 20 years.
Never scammed on eBay as a seller.
Make the item sell without warranty and without returns, although a dishonest person can say it was not as described and still get to return.
Contact the buyer before the item ships to make sure you are dealing with a genuine person.
You can always cancel the sale even after it sells.
Make sure you get a signature over 21 release (UPS or FED EX).


Swappa is kind of weird if you sell and the buyer later down the road disputes it. They side with the buyer even after months after the sale.

Remember in all cases, you are the owner of the phone so it would not be a good idea to scam you because you can always report it lost/stolen and blacklist it...
 
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Reactions: Olivia23
You can not protect yourself on eBay. I've recorded video and everything of the iPhone, and they still sided with the buyer, who had 3 positive feedback to my 300+ 100%. The device I got back was in worse shape. Even had to pay for them to ship it back to me. Never again on eBay.
 
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Reactions: compwiz1202 and BigMcGuire
Ive sold a bunch of products on eBay and have had zero problems. Always be upfront on the condition.
 
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Reactions: Olivia23
omizzle said:
Hi all,

I usually sell my phones in person, but I'm looking to sell my iPhone 11 Pro Max online for the first time (I'm in an area where I can't sell in-person). I'm wondering what best practices there are to protect myself against a potential scammer?

I've read all sorts of horror stories about sellers getting scammed on eBay/Swappa and how PayPal pretty much always sides with the buyer no matter what.

A couple things I was thinking/have heard before:
  • Vetting the buyer (not selling to new accounts, making sure they have a lot of good feedback/history, etc.)
  • Making a video of me packing/dropping off package for delivery (?) Not sure how I would prove I didn't swap packages or whatever after my video ended though
  • Leaving iCloud lock on phone until it's received and then once they confirm they are happy with it, I'll give pass to remove it? (is this allowed?). I've heard about scammers getting a refund then sending the phone back with their iCloud lock on
Anything else I should keep in mind? Is there any difference between eBay and Swappa other than fees from a seller's perspective?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
If you sell on eBay, make sure you insure the package and get signature confirmation. That way they cannot say they never got it. The way the mail has been running I'd definitely also add insurance on the package.
 
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Reactions: Ramrod82
I actually like selling mine at work (I work at a big company and just put up a flyer on the board usually), but since we've all been working from home since March, I just decided to trade mine into Apple this year.

I could make $150-$175 more if I sold on Swappa or Facebook Marketplace, but this year with everything else going on, I decided just trading it in was less stress and worth taking the hit.
 
I sell on ebay and gumtree never had a problem, sold my 11 pro last weekend, have been scammed buying though lol.
 
Paco II said:
You can not protect yourself on eBay. I've recorded video and everything of the iPhone, and they still sided with the buyer, who had 3 positive feedback to my 300+ 100%. The device I got back was in worse shape. Even had to pay for them to ship it back to me. Never again on eBay.
Click to expand...
Have you had better luck with Swappa?
 
I’ve been fortunate that when selling phones on eBay that I haven’t been scammed but usually I wind up having to list the phone multiple times due to either people not paying or the winner using a freight forwarder which I definitely don’t trust sending to. This year with T-Mobiles $415 trade in offer for my 2 year old XR(first time holding onto a phone for 2 full years) it was hard to pass that up knowing apple sells them new for $499 so eBay prices will be much lower than the trade in credit on top of all the fees you get hit with.
 
4sallypat said:
eBay is a good platform I have had done for the past 20 years.
Never scammed on eBay as a seller.
Make the item sell without warranty and without returns, although a dishonest person can say it was not as described and still get to return.
Contact the buyer before the item ships to make sure you are dealing with a genuine person.
You can always cancel the sale even after it sells.
Make sure you get a signature over 21 release (UPS or FED EX).


Swappa is kind of weird if you sell and the buyer later down the road disputes it. They side with the buyer even after months after the sale.

Remember in all cases, you are the owner of the phone so it would not be a good idea to scam you because you can always report it lost/stolen and blacklist it...
Click to expand...
I see. I thought PayPal was the one who decided on disputes (on both eBay and Swappa)?
 
blacksurfer said:
Avoid eBay like the corona! Swappa is more secure.
Click to expand...
I have sold probably 20 plus phones iPhones and androids over the yrs and no issues. I’m not sure where you live but if you are in the US do not sell overseas!! That was the one and only time I made that mistake! Worked out in my favor but otherwise watch their user rating and don’t let buyers push you into giving out info your not comfortable with.
 
I have never done swappa how much of a percentage do they take compared to eBay? That’s where eBay is horrible! Also wait two days prior to shipping if you feel something is off. Wait for the money clear. PayPal at least IMO is good on checking right away if someone hacked someone’s account. I had that a couple of times and received the email within 48 hours that’s why in all my listenings there is a 1 to 3 day holding period. Just CYA!!
 
I personally have never used eBay. But I have used Swappa to sell 9 things, 5 of them being cell phones. I’ve never had an issue. I just always take a significant amount of pictures showcasing every angle of the phone. I am also extremely honest about damage and take photo evidence of it and include it in my description.

That way I know that if there are any issues, it would have happened during shipping.
 
4sallypat said:
Yes, Paypal used to be the ones who mediated disputes on eBay, but now with eBay's Managed Payments, eBay will be handling the disputes.
Click to expand...
I've never heard of the Managed Payments thing...how is it different than PayPal's seller protection? I'm assuming it's not better for sellers lol

edit: it looks like the Managed Payments is invite-only for now. I'm not eligible :/ But based on the description, there are some protections in there for sellers against abusive buyers
 
I sell on eBay. It's a good platform. However, selling Apple stuff on there can be risky. It's a hassle. Could I make more if all goes well? Sure. If the transaction goes bad, it's not worth my effort time and aggravation. Apple's trade in is crap compared to other buyers. So, I go to this website (https://www.sellcell.com) to see what the most money I can get for my iPhone and just send it in. For me, it's all about peace of mind, aggravation, and my time.
 
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