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Is $270 to cheap for the 3GS?

T

tom2847

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 25, 2007
119
0
I have been trying since June 1st to sell my iPhone 3GS 16GB White. It's two months old with no marks or scratches on it at all and I have been pushing for $300-$350.

I have been texting soo many people from craigslist for the past two weeks and they all offer $250-$280. When I tell them I want $315 or something, they said nope and stop texting.

I put my iPhone on ebay for the SECOND time two days ago and I still have 0 bids.

I have someone telling me to put a "Buy it Now' feature on my ebay for $300 and they will buy. I figure ebay takes out 9% which would make my balance, $273.00. Does this sound like a okay price or should I just wait for an unlock or something?

I figure if I sell it for $270, I just got my new iPhone 4 for like $40 which is awesome. What should I do!?

EDIT: Here is my ebay page so you can check the pictures and let me know if it's worth it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Apple-iPhone-3G...goryZ3312QQcmdZViewItem?rvr_id=#ht_500wt_1154
 
iTravis said:
Think about it this way. . . why would people pay $300 for a used 3GS when they can get a new iP4 for $199.

$270 is good for the 16GB! Take it and run ;)
Click to expand...

:confused: because many people dont want to be on contract or they want to go to tmobile, where they dont sell iphones
 
I've gotten ONE bite for my one day old 3GS 32GB for 300 bucks w/ box and new accessories lol no thanks.
 
iTravis said:
Think about it this way. . . why would people pay $300 for a used 3GS when they can get a new iP4 for $199.

$270 is good for the 16GB! Take it and run ;)
Click to expand...

Exactly what I was thinking.

Ima wait and see what others think but you and I are thinking the same thing hahaha!
 
I listed a 32GB white and it was getting almost no views. People on ebay aren't interested right now. Take the 270 in cash from a CL'er and save the hassle.
 
But my iPhone isn't unlocked, should I wait until I can unlock it and put it back onto eBay and put like UNLOCKED and you think I will get more bidders?

How much more money can I get over the $270. If it's not that much more, is it even worth it?
 
tom2847 said:
But my iPhone isn't unlocked, should I wait until I can unlock it and put it back onto eBay and put like UNLOCKED and you think I will get more bidders?

How much more money can I get over the $270. If it's not that much more, is it even worth it?
Click to expand...

Yes... unlocked phones on ebay always fetch more $$$. Why don't you look on ebay yourself to see what the average winning bid is? :confused:
 
You waited WAY too long to put your iPhone up for sale. Lol. You don't suppose to do it a week before the new one comes out.
 
PoitNarf said:
Yes... unlocked phones on ebay always fetch more $$$. Why don't you look on ebay yourself to see what the average winning bid is? :confused:
Click to expand...

I mean, is it worth the extra hassle? Are people really still bidding on Iphone 3gs now or is it going to take awhile for someone to even bid. I wonder if I should just take the $270 and be done with it.
 
$270 sounds WAAAAY to cheap. I was planning on selling my iPhone 3G, 6 months old (replacement) in absolutely pristine condition (its amazing) for $300, starting at $350 and negotiating. This is based on what I saw--most 3G's were listed for around $250-300, all scratched up and over a year old. And it will be jailbroken and unlocked.

This thread is making me nervous...
 
iTravis said:
Think about it this way. . . why would people pay $300 for a used 3GS when they can get a new iP4 for $199.

$270 is good for the 16GB! Take it and run ;)
Click to expand...

Because the $199 price for the iPhone4 requires you to have
1. 2 year contract with the new $325 ETF fee
2. $199 price means AT&T is subsidizing you $400. It says it right on my pre order att Corp store receipt yesterday.


just remember unless you are a new AT&T customer or at least have been under contract for a min of 12 months (regardless of voice/data) plans you won't be able to get that $199 subsidize price.

But getting back to the OP. The reasons your 3GS isn't selling is cause of two factors.
1. You are probably running 3.13 software that is currently unlockable so you lose nit only potential tmobile USA budders but also international bidders.
2. Supply and demand. The market right now simply flooded with used 3GS devices. Bidders have plenty to choose from.

You shoykd have unloaded the 3GS two weeks ago. And you could have gotten at least $350 for it. Once AT&T let some people move their upgrade dates up to 6 months this created more selling pressure since a lot more people are trying to dump their old 3GS devices cause they are moving on to the new iPhone 4.
 
Bids often won't come until the last minute.
Be careful of scammers on eBay. Its almost unusable.

I posted my 8GB iPhone 3G on eBay the other day. Immediately sold at my buy it now price for $349. But the buyer then forged some emails, making believe he was from Paypal. He wanted me to send the phone to Nigeria (seriously!) and THEN he'd pay me.
You could see in the email headers that the email came from Yahoo or Google. Was scary talking with someone who was trying to steal from me. They had zero history.

So I reported them. eBay wanted to wait 14 days or so. I immediately relisted for another 3 days.

3 days later, last minute winning bid was for $399. Different buyer but similar scam. Again I received a forged email supposedly from Paypal or eBay telling me to send the phone first then they'd send it. This time it even showed their email address as the source. Real amateurs. But meanwhile I couldn't sell my phone.

3rd try. I immediately relisted the phone for 24 hour sale. I had all the protection options you can pick. I clearly stated in the listing that I would only ship to the confirmed Paypal address after payment.

Still, 5 minutes before the auction ended, someone put in the high bid with 0 feedback. I quickly asked if they were going to ask for my Paypal id. When they said yes (thats the hallmark of this scam), I banned them from bidding on the item.

Sold for $330. This was just a couple of weeks ago. Tried to sell before the rush for the iPhone 4. Bought an HTC Incredible on Verizon with actual coverage.
 
I sold mine for 16gb 3gs unlocked on criagslists for 350 yesterday and the buyer was t-mobile user. So if your phone isn't unlockable currently, which looks to be that way, then I suggest waiting for the 5.12/5.13 baseband unlock to sell it for a good price. Off course you also run the risk that you will have an even smaller chance at selling it for a good price with the flooding of unlocked phones that will turn up.
 
nfl46 said:
You waited WAY too long to put your iPhone up for sale. Lol. You don't suppose to do it a week before the new one comes out.
Click to expand...

I sold my iPhone 3G after the iPhone 3GS was released, and got a very good price. I was able to get the new one for a $50 difference as a result.

I'm going to do the same -- WAIT for the iPhone 4, THEN sell my 3GS. No worries.

As someone stated, not everyone's eligible for the 2-yr. contract discount.
 
tom2847 said:
But my iPhone isn't unlocked, should I wait until I can unlock it and put it back onto eBay and put like UNLOCKED and you think I will get more bidders?

How much more money can I get over the $270. If it's not that much more, is it even worth it?
Click to expand...

Yea, I'd unlock it, that would probably help. And yea, it's worth the hassle if you really want the most money out of it.

About having 1 feedback, is your account verified? I only had 3 feedback but had never sold anything and my iPhone and MacBook sold pretty easily at a good price.
 
coasterswim said:
And this is why eBay is the 8th most visited site in the US? Because everyone is staying away?
Click to expand...

I don't like eBay, but hey, good for those who know how to use it well. I consider myself a Craigslist specialist with 9/10 successful transactions.

But I do like that on eBay, people bid UP vs. Craigslist where people try to talk you down.
 
Sold my White 32GB iPhone 3gs (and all accessories) on Craigslist for $450 yesterday. It was Jailbroken and Unlocked on i0S4 GM. It was only online for one day, and it sold for asking price.

I would unlock it it you can, before selling it.
 
Just use Craigslist...I put up one of my 16 GB 3gs and got 350 easily for it. I heard they're going for higher on eBay but i dont really deal with PayPal like that. Couldve got a lot more if it was unlocked and jailbroken but the guy wanted everything default.
 
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