Buying S/H Phone: what do I need to do to make sure I don't get rippedoff?

'evening all,

I've googled for a "guide to buying a secondhand mobile" but haven't
found anything useful.

I want to buy a "brand new in box unwanted upgrade" type phone.
What steps do I need to take to make sure that the phone is legit?

There I am, face to face with the seller, cash in hand, my Simcard
working in his phone, is that good enough to pass the cash over and be
secure in my transaction? Or are there more things I need to be aware of?

I feel very naive, and hope I'm about to be enlightened.

TIA

RP

rupert_pupkin_1960@yahoo.co.uk declared for all the world to hear...
> 'evening all,
>
> I've googled for a "guide to buying a secondhand mobile" but haven't
> found anything useful.
>
> I want to buy a "brand new in box unwanted upgrade" type phone.
> What steps do I need to take to make sure that the phone is legit?

There aren't really any that you can take.

> There I am, face to face with the seller, cash in hand, my Simcard
> working in his phone, is that good enough to pass the cash over and be
> secure in my transaction? Or are there more things I need to be aware of?

Indeed there is. After you have done the deal there's nothing to stop
him reporting it lost to claim an insurance replacement, and your new
pride and joy gets blacklisted and there's nothing you can do to un-
blacklist it.

> I feel very naive, and hope I'm about to be enlightened.

Look on ebay, and buy from sellers who have a very high feedback score
and who have been on ebay for a long while. Thses kind of people do not
want to risk their ratings by ripping you off.
--
Regards
Jon

"Rupert Pupkin" <rupert_pupkin_1960@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
newsukIh.85984$1E3.68045@fe3.news.blueyonder.co. uk...
> 'evening all,
>
> I've googled for a "guide to buying a secondhand mobile" but haven't found
> anything useful.
>
> I want to buy a "brand new in box unwanted upgrade" type phone.
> What steps do I need to take to make sure that the phone is legit?
>
> There I am, face to face with the seller, cash in hand, my Simcard working
> in his phone, is that good enough to pass the cash over and be secure in
> my transaction? Or are there more things I need to be aware of?
>
> I feel very naive, and hope I'm about to be enlightened.
>
> TIA
>
> RP

At the risk of sounding obvious...
1. View phone at sellers house
2. get a receipt off him (maybe take a photo with your new phone including
him in the shot!
3. take a witness with you
4. Ask to see the receipt he got - even a free upgrad will be supplied with
a dispatch note.
5. before you go to buy ask for the serial number IMEI number and what
network it's assigned to, then ring that network and ask if they can tell
you if it is stolen. If it's unlocked, then I guess you could ring them all

I think that would satisfy a court that you did all you could to purchase
honestly

Ron

You might also get some tips here:
http://www.met.police.uk/mobilephone/links.htm

Ron

Ron O'Brien wrote:
> You might also get some tips here:
> http://www.met.police.uk/mobilephone/links.htm
>
> Ron
>
>

Thanks Jon and Ron for your advice.
Very useful stuff.
But I have to say though, that if one bought a phone, get the receipt,
and then the seller reported it lost to claim insurance the seller would
have to be very dim wouldn't he? He couldn't imagine I'd do anything
other than go to the police once I'd found the phone'd been blocked?

Cheers

RP

On Mon, 12 Mar 2007 10:44:05 GMT, Rupert Pupkin
<rupert_pupkin_1960@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

>But I have to say though, that if one bought a phone, get the receipt,
>and then the seller reported it lost to claim insurance the seller would
>have to be very dim wouldn't he? He couldn't imagine I'd do anything
>other than go to the police once I'd found the phone'd been blocked?

Regrettably, the issue is that the police will do very little about
your complaint.

Herman the German wrote:
> On Mon, 12 Mar 2007 10:44:05 GMT, Rupert Pupkin
> <rupert_pupkin_1960@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>
>
>>But I have to say though, that if one bought a phone, get the receipt,
>>and then the seller reported it lost to claim insurance the seller would
>>have to be very dim wouldn't he? He couldn't imagine I'd do anything
>>other than go to the police once I'd found the phone'd been blocked?
>
>
> Regrettably, the issue is that the police will do very little about
> your complaint.
>

Really? But they make such a big fuss about this particular crime on the
met website here:
http://www.met.police.uk/mobilephone/links.htm

And I understand the insurance companies also take a very dim view of
false claims.

RP