How to Buy a Used Phone Safely
The phone checks are the same everywhere: test the hardware, check the IMEI, make sure the seller’s account is removed and look at the battery. What changes from country to country is where people sell, whether there is a free official stolen-phone check, how carrier locks work, what rights you have and which scams are common. Pick your country.
- United StatesSwappa · eBay · Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, Craigslist
- United KingdomeBay · Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree · Vinted
- CanadaKijiji and Facebook Marketplace · eBay.ca · Refurbished
- AustraliaFacebook Marketplace and Gumtree · eBay Australia · Refurbished
- New ZealandTrade Me · Facebook Marketplace · Refurbished
- IrelandDoneDeal and Adverts.ie · Facebook Marketplace · Refurbished
- SingaporeCarousell · Facebook Marketplace · Phone shops
The five checks that matter in every country
- Test the hardware on the phone itself. Open mxmob.com/check and run every test: screen, touch, speakers, microphone, cameras, sensors, buttons and charging.
- Check the IMEI. Dial *#06#, compare it with the box and Settings, and run your country’s official check from the IMEI checker.
- Make sure it isn’t locked to an account. The seller signs out of iCloud or Google and resets the phone in front of you.
- Look at the battery. Under about 80% health means a replacement soon.
- Pay safely. Cash after testing in person, or a payment method you can dispute. Never a bank transfer to a stranger.
Buying from someone you can’t meet? A live remote inspection lets you watch the tests on the seller’s phone before you pay.