Is buying iPhones from Swappa safe?

[MsRandall]

Ive only bought an Apple Watch 3 from Swappa but I have sold over 15 phones.....They were all just as described and the buyers were happy

I babied my phones- I order cases and screen protectors before I even get the phone, I do the wipe down daily, so when I say they are mint they normally are. If I find a defect - I list it as good condition

 

[smirking]

That happened to me once, where someone sold me a pristine item and it was _not_ pristine, fortunately the seller was very reputable and decided to accept the item back and refunded me in full. That’s why when I anything I sold in the past, I include detailed photos showing all angles, and if somebody lists something in pristine condition, it better be. And even if you’re not sure, I usually always request extra photos, which a reputable seller should acknowledge.

I think this sort of thing happens a lot whenever you engage in a marketplace with a lot of amateur sellers. I personally think most of them either simply don't understand what "Mint" and "Pristine" is supposed to mean or they're demonstrating a version of the endowment effect where people overvalue something once they own it.

Whenever I look for a used item on eBay, I have the urge to write to half of the sellers I run into and tell them that they really should lookup the definition of "Mint" before they use the term.

Because of this, I do the same thing you do. I go overboard with photos and I tell people they should take a look at the very detailed photos and judge the condition for themselves in addition to itemizing every little imperfection I can think of.

 

[IdentityCrisis]

I think this sort of thing happens a lot whenever you engage in a marketplace with a lot of amateur sellers. I personally think most of them either simply don't understand what "Mint" and "Pristine" is supposed to mean or they're demonstrating a version of the endowment effect where people overvalue something once they own it.

Whenever I look for a used item on eBay, I have the urge to write to half of the sellers I run into and tell them that they really should lookup the definition of "Mint" before they use the term.

Because of this, I do the same thing you do. I go overboard with photos and I tell people they should take a look at the very detailed photos and judge the condition for themselves in addition to itemizing every little imperfection I can think of.

Yeah, I've reported sellers on Swappa before for saying it's Mint and it had damage on it or marks in the pictures of their ads. Same with them marking it as new and the seal is broken.

 

[smirking]

Yeah, I've reported sellers on Swappa before for saying it's Mint and it had damage on it or marks. Same with them marking it as new and the seal is broken.

I ordered a shoulder brace from a seller on eBay that listed the item as New (Open Box).

Oh, it was an open box alright... very open.

The brace reeked of cologne, was rippled with sweat stains, and came adorably decorated with armpit hair.

I did get a refund for that and for the most part I don't think incidents like this are intentional, especially on low dollar amount items. Some people who sell stuff acquire their inventory through auctions of items lumped together into mystery boxes. Someone making only a few bucks on an item probably isn't going to inspect it very carefully and they might have ten of them with most of them being in the condition they list it as.

 

[IdentityCrisis]

I ordered a shoulder brace from a seller on eBay that listed the item as New (Open Box).

Oh, it was an open box alright... very open.

The brace reeked of cologne, was rippled with sweat stains, and came adorably decorated with armpit hair.

I did get a refund for that and for the most part I don't think incidents like this are intentional, especially on low dollar amount items. Some people who sell stuff acquire their inventory through auctions of items lumped together into mystery boxes. Someone making only a few bucks on an item probably isn't going to inspect it very carefully and they might have ten of them with most of them being in the condition they list it as.

Haha, yep. Ebay is the worst. I opened a Rain MStand in Space Grey from a reputable seller that had tons of good feedback. I received a open box, with scotch tape on it, the item inside wasn't wrapped, and it was dirty. The item itself was silver and not space grey either. He got negative feedback and it took him 3 days to accept a return.

 

[blairh]

Bought a used “good” condition iPhone from Swappa two years ago from a seller with only 5 star reviews. The iPhone had water damage and did not work with a SIM installed. I had to go to Apple to get this diagnosis. The seller did not cooperate post-sale and I had to get my money back via PayPal which took a ton of steps and about 3 weeks to be resolved. I personally would not buy a used device from Swappa moving forward. I also had an issue with a buyer of my last MBA omitting an apartment number with their address which was a huge headache for me to divert the package once I shipped it.

 

[44267547]

Some really unfortunate situations with eBay and Swappa above for other Members.

So my story is years back, I bought a authentic Apple OEM stainless steel link bracelet for the Apple Watch, (Which at the time, retailed for $450.00). The seller had decent feedback, and communicated with me, he sent it via Fed ex, and when it arrived, it literally wasn’t even wrapped properly, It was laying in the box in an open envelope, and then upon inspection, it actually needed to be cleaned, because it was dirty from the previous owner wearing it. Fortunately, it wasn’t scratched and it was authentic, but horrible packaging.

 

[BigG94]

I've bought 4 Androids and 2 iPhones from Swappa with no issues whatsoever.

IMO, the key is (a.) do your homework; (b.) ask questions; (c.) do not buy unless you are completely convinced, in your gut, that the deal feels right. If it doesn't feel right in any shape, form or fashion, even if it's the most microscopic way, move on even if it's tempting and a "good buy." Something else will come along.

 

[44267547]

I've bought 4 Androids and 2 iPhones from Swappa with no issues whatsoever.

IMO, the key is (a.) do your homework; (b.) ask questions; (c.) do not buy unless you are completely convinced, in your gut, that the deal feels right. If it doesn't feel right in any shape, form or fashion, even if it's the most microscopic way, move on even if it's tempting and a "good buy." Something else will come along.

I would say the majority ‘Do their homework’, the problem is, as you can read in examples above, you can’t avoid The fact that some sellers simply are negligent with their listings and photo’s, it’s The risk of buying anything from a digital stranger online.

 

[BigG94]

I would say the majority ‘Do their homework’, the problem is, as you can read in examples above, you can’t avoid The fact that some sellers simply are negligent with their listings and photo’s, it’s The risk of buying anything from a digital stranger online.

True. As noted, I ask pointed, specific questions of sellers and am not afraid to ask for more and more specific photos. I probably spent a month looking before pulling the trigger on each of those six phones until I was absolutely sure that I was buying the right thing. But there certainly is a risk of getting screwed.

 

[BugeyeSTI]

When I’ve sold on Swappa I provide a detailed description of any faults no matter how minor, tons of good photos of the phone and accessories, photos of packing the phone for shipment as well as photos from the post office with the agent closing the package.. Although I’ve never had an issue, waiting for 6 months until Paypal dispute/return has expired can be a long wait. As other have stated, you never know when someone will try and rip you off so no matter how careful you are, it can happen.

 

[1rottenapple]

I would say the majority ‘Do their homework’, the problem is, as you can read in examples above, you can’t avoid The fact that some sellers simply are negligent with their listings and photo’s, it’s The risk of buying anything from a digital stranger online.

If a person has bad intentions, note that these people spend a significant amount of their time defrauding people. They’re experts at it. And while you can do your there is always a chance. They know there stuff similar to what how we know our jobs or careers that we are skilled in.

 

[alaaA]

No it is not. Don't trust them unless you check the IMEI number yourself. They cannot verify anything. I got scammed from a seller who gave me a stolen/ blacklisted iphone. He refused to refund me. I contacted my bank and they said they will take long time for investigation. Swappa staff are horrible/ They don't help at all. All they said that they cannot refund me because they are not a perfect system so it is normal to have thieves and scammers on their website.

 

[noobinator]

No it is not. Don't trust them unless you check the IMEI number yourself. They cannot verify anything. I got scammed from a seller who gave me a stolen/ blacklisted iphone. He refused to refund me. I contacted my bank and they said they will take long time for investigation. Swappa staff are horrible/ They don't help at all. All they said that they cannot refund me because they are not a perfect system so it is normal to have thieves and scammers on their website.

You are supposed to contact PayPal.

 

[44267547]

No it is not. Don't trust them unless you check the IMEI number yourself. They cannot verify anything. I got scammed from a seller who gave me a stolen/ blacklisted iphone. He refused to refund me. I contacted my bank and they said they will take long time for investigation. Swappa staff are horrible/ They don't help at all. All they said that they cannot refund me because they are not a perfect system so it is normal to have thieves and scammers on their website.

Take into consideration how many reports Swappa deals with on a daily basis, probably thousands. Your best option, is to gather as much information as you can about the transaction, make sure you file a claim with PayPal and any recorded conversations you had with the seller, document that and forward that to PayPal’s dispute team as well.

 

[valinda]

I have bought 3 phones from Swappa with no problems. I’m with Verizon, and on their website you can check the ESN number of the phone. The last phone I bought was a Pixel 2xl for my niece.

 

[AustinIllini]

I had someone report a phone I bought on Swappa stolen. Not a problem.

Selling can be a little tough, though.

 

[tep392]

Swappas IMEI check isn't foolproof, so check the number on cell carriers sites if possible. I bought an iPhone 8 on ebay last December, which got reported stolen and blocked 4 months later. After it was blocked, I check for blacklisting on various sites, including Swappa, and they all said it was clean. ATT's IMEI check was the only one showing it as blocked. I was lucky to get a refund from paypal, which give's 180 days to make a claim. The phone was new in box when I bought it. Lesson is to do a THOROUGH IMEI check any prospective purchase.

 

[44267547]

Swappas IMEI check isn't foolproof, so check the number on cell carriers sites if possible. I bought an iPhone 8 on ebay last December, which got reported stolen and blocked 4 months later. After it was blocked, I check for blacklisting on various sites, including Swappa, and they all said it was clean. ATT's IMEI check was the only one showing it as blocked. I was lucky to get a refund from paypal, which give's 180 days to make a claim. The phone was new in box when I bought it. Lesson is to do a THOROUGH IMEI check any prospective purchase.

That’s correct, Swappa’s IMEI background check is _not_ always accurate, that’s why you need to go direct to the source, which is the carrier itself. That’s the most thorough and accurate way I would use versus any third-party privately owned website.