Quick Tip On Buying a Used (Second Hand) iPhone

Getting a used phone usually is cost effective and you derive satisfaction more when the phone you bought still works great, but when you want to buy a used iPhone (for example, on JiJi.ng), there are a couple of factors you usually should consider before making a deal.

As iPhones are pretty expensive to buy, it should be your top priority to check out all basic functions of the used iPhone before throwing your money into any deal as buying a smartphone with faults not only makes you end up spending your money trying to get it fixed, you might also end up throwing the device away as a result of frustration.

• Must Read: 4 Reasons You Shouldn’t Buy A Cheap Android Smartphone

You can buy used iPhones online or by meeting in person with a seller, but there are many pros and cons to both ways, however, sometimes you might be limited in choices.

Pros & Cons of Buying a Used iPhone Online

• Online stores have a return policy which allows you to get your money back in case you are not satisfied with your purchase.
• You are not able to check the phone’s IMEI and Activation lock before you get the phone.
• You will get a full description of the phones specification on the site you are buying from.
• The seller on the site might not be telling the truth about the phone’s status.

Pros & Cons of Buying a Used iPhone in Person (Offline)

Here are a couple to things to consider before going to get a second hand iPhone offline. The pros and cons are considered below.

• No return policy.
• You can check the IMEI on the body of the phone and in the phone’s settings – Settings -> General -> About (as the body might have been changed).
• You can check the Activation lock and ask the seller to turn Find my phone off before you make a deal.
• You can ask the previous owner to unlink his Apple ID from Settings ->iCloud.
• You can check whether the phone screen is ok, whether it had suffered any water damage (the headphones jack and dock connector have white sensor spots near them that turn pink once the water touched them.
• You can check the warranty of the phone.
• You can check whether the charger, headphones work properly.
• You can insert your SIM to make a test call and send a message to make sure the phone is working right.
• In case you have doubts, bring a friend or set up a meeting at an app store to ask the staff to help you check the phone.
• If you meet at a place with no people around you might get mugged and end up without any money let alone an iPhone.

As you might have noticed, buying a used iPhone either offline or online both come with their pros and cons. This choice is left for you to pick which method best satisfies you.

• Must Read: Guide To Buying Used Smartphones

However, there is one point that if not checked may break the entire deal for you – if the phone is on Activation lock, you will not be able to do anything with it. So make sure you do a thorough check before you hand your money to the seller.

Now tell me, have you ever bought a used phone offline? I’ll love to hear your story.