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Newbie sells an iPhone

A

aarongwalker

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 25, 2013
7
3
Hey guys!
Hopefully you can help me.
Today the apple store replaced my iPhone 5 because the buttons didn't feel right. Turns out it was bent. But they replaced it! YES!

So here's what I'm thinking....
Would it be terribly difficult to sell this new phone and get the 5s instead? (I find that 16GB is too small for me also, so good chance to upgrade there too.)

Gazelle looks like they'll offer me $262... That's... decent?

Big question mark to me is how then to buy a 5s. Do I need to keep my sim and plug it into the new one? So does that mean I need to get a contract-free phone? Unlocked? I have not a single clue...

THANKS IN ADVANCE! :)
 
I sold my 5 for $350 on eBay but that's including box and charger. I always take the SIM cards out before shipping, and if you're with AT&T, I'm pretty sure you can just put that sim in a 5S if you get one.
 
aarongwalker said:
Hey guys!
Hopefully you can help me.
Today the apple store replaced my iPhone 5 because the buttons didn't feel right. Turns out it was bent. But they replaced it! YES!

So here's what I'm thinking....
Would it be terribly difficult to sell this new phone and get the 5s instead? (I find that 16GB is too small for me also, so good chance to upgrade there too.)

Gazelle looks like they'll offer me $262... That's... decent?

Big question mark to me is how then to buy a 5s. Do I need to keep my sim and plug it into the new one? So does that mean I need to get a contract-free phone? Unlocked? I have not a single clue...

THANKS IN ADVANCE! :)
Click to expand...

I got $400 for mine here on MR, but that was with AC+ with 2 replacements left. But, any of those buyback sites are always lowball offers. That's decent if you don't want to put in any effort into selling. Also, know that on eBay there's always slight, albeit small, risk of being scammed and that your net profit will be ~15% less of your total sell price after PP/eBay fees.

As far as getting a 5S. You can easily get a subsidized one and pay for it with your 5's winning especially since you're selling a "new" one. This is all assuming you're in the US and willing to get into a 2-year contract. If not, it'll put some dent into a contract-free phone.

As far as the SIM, removing the SIM is always good practice when selling the phone. None of your info can be retrieved on there, so you needn't be worried if you forget. However, if you plan on getting a contract-free phone - you simply need to switch over the SIMs (could be wrong on this one) to activate. If you upgrade your phone, you activate the phone and deactivate the old SIM.
 
Depends on your carrier but for a replacement iPhone 5 you can probably get at least $450 on eBay as long as you haven't taken the plastic off yet.
 
Wow. Their prices have really dropped. Only a month ago I got $340 for a used 16 GB iphone 5in good, but not flawless condition. I checked site and they are giving $30 more for the Verizon model.
 
Sold mine on craigslist few days after listing it. Listed for $400, took $370. Was nearly mint with box etc. This was about 10-14 days ago
 
I can't even find one for much under $500 around me or on eBay Canada...
 
Avoid eBay as there are far too many scams on iPhones. Go with Craigslist and buy the 5s off contact if you so desire. I have AT&T so I know that if you take your current SIM card out of your 5 you can put it in your new 5s and be ready to go.

You can buy it unlocked from Apple yes. It will cost you though.
 
Just remember that you'll have to buy the new 5S at full price, as you won't have an upgrade to subsidize. So 16GB will run you up $650 and then you can use your 300-400 from the 5 to help pay for some of that.
 
try craigslist.... be aware it is always better to meet in a public place (starbucks, cafes....) and to bring with you a friend. don't ship or receive money with paypal, obviously :D
 
Sell it on Swappa.com, it's only a $10 charge and PayPal fees, which is a lot lower than the cut eBay takes. If craigslist isn't very active in your area (or the market is saturated), you'll probably get a better deal and don't have to deal with crazy craigslist people. I've bought/sold 3 items on Swappa and it's been a great experience every time.
 
I had to have my factory unlocked 16gb slate 5 swapped because of dust under the camera lens.

This was a few weeks before the 5s came out. Sold it for €420 (roughly $580) I could have held out for more but was after a quick sale.
 
Remove your sim card. Erase/reset the data on your iPhone 5. See what the iPhone 5 auctions are closing at on eBay to get an idea of how much people are willing to pay. Then list it for that much on Craigslist for a quicker transaction for cash. Meet in a public place for the exchange.

Buy a 5s for your wireless service provider on eBay from a reputable seller and use PayPal to protect yourself.
 
I always sell my devices on Craigslist. Typically I'll meet in a coffee shop or book store. I sold my ok condition 64GB 4s about 6 months ago for $375.

If you want an unlocked phone, you'll pay full price. AT&T May offer you "early upgrade pricing if you've gone through at least 6 months of your contract. You just need to swap your SIM card over and that should do it.
 
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