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iPhone 7/Plus Where to buy used iPhones?

A

AMSOS

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 21, 2010
363
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I am looking to buy a reliable iPhone 7 from one of the used seller websites.

Do you recommend this or would you strongly suggest I stay away from used phones? Budget is an issue and I am gifting this to someone who wants to use an iPhone but doesn't have much heavy use for a phone.

Which sites will you recommend? Have you bought from them?

Are there specific sellers I should stay away from? Or, are there ones I should buy from?

Thanks!
 
AMSOS said:
I am looking to buy a reliable iPhone 7 from one of the used seller websites.

Do you recommend this or would you strongly suggest I stay away from used phones? Budget is an issue and I am gifting this to someone who wants to use an iPhone but doesn't have much heavy use for a phone.

Which sites will you recommend? Have you bought from them?

Are there specific sellers I should stay away from? Or, are there ones I should buy from?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I have sold and bought phones from SWAPPA and have had good results.
 
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AMSOS said:
I am looking to buy a reliable iPhone 7 from one of the used seller websites.

Do you recommend this or would you strongly suggest I stay away from used phones? Budget is an issue and I am gifting this to someone who wants to use an iPhone but doesn't have much heavy use for a phone.

Which sites will you recommend? Have you bought from them?

Are there specific sellers I should stay away from? Or, are there ones I should buy from?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I know you mentioned you want to purchase from a ‘used seller website’, but have you not considered Apple refurbished iPhone 7‘s from their website? [That include a one year warranty and our guaranteed to almost be ‘like new’]. You also didn’t really mention a number as far as budget is concerned, but it’s something to consider given their customer service _and_ reliability.
 
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nouveau_redneck said:
I bought a used iPad and MacPro from these guys and could not be happier with the service and the units shipped to me.

http://www.ebaystores.com/iSelliMac
Click to expand...
Thanks. Do you recommend I get any phone (7 or 8) or is there a minimum price/quality that I should aim for?
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shamelin73 said:
I have sold and bought phones from SWAPPA and have had good results.
Click to expand...
Thanks. Anything specific I should look out for while deciding on a phone (7 or 8)?
Is there any way to know the battery health before purchasing?
[doublepost=1553020078][/doublepost]
Relentless Power said:
I know you mentioned you want to purchase from a ‘used seller website’, but have you not considered Apple refurbished iPhone 7‘s from their website? [That include a one year warranty and our guaranteed to almost be ‘like new’]. You also didn’t really mention a number as far as budget is concerned, but it’s something to consider given their customer service _and_ reliability.
Click to expand...
That's the first site I looked at. Of late, I've become convinced that for my kind of use scenario it makes most sense to get an older but new iPhone for around as cheap as possible.
On refurbished iPhone 8 is the 128 GB version and $630. For that money I'd rather get a brand new 32 GB.
Also, the 7 is still around $460, so that too doesn't make sense.
The more I think about this, the more I feel I should just upgrade my phone through the offer Cricket has going on now. That way a 7 will cost me just $299.
Thing is I would like to get the 8 so it can last several years, but even on Cricket that is still at full price.
 
An Apple refurbished phone in my opinion is better than a new phone. The refurbished phones get carefully checked and tested instead of stamped out by the millions with poor quality control over at Foxconn. You will -never- get a problematic refurbished phone from Apple.

When buying a used phone, count on adding a battery replacement in the price of the phone if you care about battery life.
 
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hardax said:
I've had very good luck on Swappa.
Click to expand...
Do you have any tips and tricks for buying on used sites such as Swappa? Should one just go for the New or Mint condition phones, which will of course be fairly expensive?
Or the cheaper ones that may well have worn out batteries?
 
AMSOS said:
Do you have any tips and tricks for buying on used sites such as Swappa?
Click to expand...

Do your research on the seller, recent feedback, look for photos, (Plenty of them), ask questions. A good seller should always respond in a timely manner if they want to sell you the product.

AMSOS said:
Should one just go for the New or Mint condition phones, which will of course be fairly expensive?
Click to expand...

Mint condition is still technically a ‘used’ Phone, and there are plenty of phones that you can pay different prices for depending on the condition. The considerations you want to look for, is if the (display is scratched, was the phone used in a case, screen protector, etc, how old is the phone, ect ).
 
now i see it said:
An Apple refurbished phone in my opinion is better than a new phone. The refurbished phones get carefully checked and tested instead of stamped out by the millions with poor quality control over at Foxconn. You will -never- get a problematic refurbished phone from Apple.

When buying a used phone, count on adding a battery replacement in the price of the phone if you care about battery life.
Click to expand...


That is what I do and the refurbished phone has never failed me.
 
I also have had great result from swappa. You do see a picture and discription beforehand. If the unit when shipped to you is not what was advertised, swappa makes the return easy and your money is returned.
 
Swappa prices are good, but from what I have seen a very high number of the phones are from the same few resellers. I'd rather buy from an individual than someone who buys used phones in bulk in order to flip them.
 
tonybarnaby said:
Swappa prices are good, but from what I have seen a very high number of the phones are from the same few resellers. I'd rather buy from an individual than someone who buys used phones in bulk in order to flip them.
Click to expand...

You typically won't have any issue on Swappa finding individuals that are selling their phones on Swappa. I too go with the individuals because more often than not that include random stuff with the phones, like cases, screen protectors and extra chargers or things like that.
 
now i see it said:
An Apple refurbished phone in my opinion is better than a new phone. The refurbished phones get carefully checked and tested instead of stamped out by the millions with poor quality control over at Foxconn. You will -never- get a problematic refurbished phone from Apple.

When buying a used phone, count on adding a battery replacement in the price of the phone if you care about battery life.
Click to expand...
This. I would never buy non certified. Many of those phones are trade-ins with hidden issues along with bad batteries. You always get a new battery with apple. If you factor in a battery replacement, you can subtract $50-75 from the total. And a lot of them have third party replacement screens which are terrible. Apple certified also includes warranty guarantees. Absolutely worth the extra premium.
 
I have a like new MINT replacement iPhone 7 128GB matte black directly from Apple, and it is unlocked. It has 100% battery health remaining. It is not a refurbished device.
 
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