Buying a second hand mobile phone is not something that is treated as great. Nowadays, any one can have a pretty good phone with decent basic features at a very low price. But, if you are wise enough, you can bag a second hand phone, the original of which would have made a big hole in your pocket, at a very affordable price and make your friends envy of you.
There are so many good phones available in the market, the features of which are mesmerising. The only thing that really matters is the capacity of your pocket. When we have the option of “used” mobiles, that problem is also solved.
But, buying used mobile phones can cause you grave loss and even dangers, if you are not alert. Here are some tips, with which you can excel the field.
1. The very first step in this procedure is to decide which brand and which model phone do you want. From basic mobile phones to smartphones and phablets are available now. Popular brands as well as clones are also available. If you are a brand conscious, feature conscious customer, you should not hesitate to buy such a phone. You should ignore the sub quality handsets offered by cheap manufacturers.
2. The second important step is to study about your dream phone, which you are gonna buy. Read as much reviews as possible and be thorough with the pros and cons of the phone. Also read the users' comments about the phones. Memorise the price offered by the company. Take down the list of accessories that come along with the phone.
3. Now, you have finalised your phone and you know anything and everything about the product. Well and good. The next step is to find out a seller. The main focus is to be given here. The sellers you meet in the sites might not be virtues personified. You don't want to be put behind the iron bars due to your recently bought second hand cell phone, do you? If not, you should be very very careful in this point. Most of the stealers might be trying to sell the stolen phone as second hand phones. You can easily differentiate between a real seller and a fraud. There are some tips you can bye-heart to escape from being a victim. They are:
• Ask for the original bill and warranty card of the phone. You should insist on them even if the warranty period is over.
• Ask for all the accessories that the seller got when he bought the phone. Demand for it, even if he says that the accessories are damaged. If he presents a brand new accessory, inquire about the old one until you are convinced. Thieves won't steal accessories along with the phone, do they? They will be presenting new, cheap accessories.
• Ask for the charger. Check whether it is company made. Also confirm whether it is as old as the phone. If not, that means the seller had bought another charger. In that case, ask for the original charger.
No genuine seller is gonna sell you the mobile at a very low price. So, if the rate fixed by the seller is too cheap, beware.
4. Don't blindly trust everyone for what they say. Take the mobile in your hand and inspect it thoroughly. Never bother about what impression it might create in them. You are the one who is spending the money. You have the privilege to analyse it.
• Check for visible scratches on the body
• Check for scratches on the display screen
• Check the Headphone jack, Charging port and also USB port, if the phone has any. Check whether these have coverings flaps.
• Check all the buttons.
• Check the rear side of the phone for camera lens scratches. Open the rear panel and examine the battery. The White label on it would have turned Red, if it has been damaged by water.
• Check the IMEI number that is written under the battery. Cross check it by simply typing *#06# on the screen.
• Check out the SIM slot and Memory card slot.
5. Insert your SIM card right in front of the seller. Check whether the phone gives you enough signal in the locale.
6. Try asking for a 2-4 days return policy, so that you can cancel the deal if the phone has more damages than the seller said. It will be an added advantage if he agrees it. But not all sellers are likely to agree as it will be risky for them to trust you, who is a total stranger for them.
7. Make sure it is an unlocked phone. A locked phone means, it will be locked by a particular service provider in a way that only their sim could be used in it for a particular period of time.
8. Ask the seller the reason of selling the phone. If the answer is not a genuine one, there could be something wrong with the phone. Check whether the problem pointed out by the seller is the only one.
9. Check the year of launch of the phone. Check if the phone looks over used. If so, it might not give you the performance as expected.
10. Check the camera by taking pictures and Videos. Try zooming, different settings, flash light and also editing.
11. Check the speakers by playing some songs. Examine the clarity, volume controls, head sets etc.
12. Make a test call, check the voice clarity and loud speakers.
13. Send test SMS and check the graphics, fonts, colours and smilies supported by the phone.
14. Check the brightness of the screen, try out all the options of display settings.
15. Check Bluetooth and Infrared. Check if those are good in the prescribed circle.
16.Do not forget to check the vibration of the phone.
17. If the seller agrees for a return policy, check the battery life. Check its talk time both with and without multi tasking.
Once convinced in all these aspects, You can buy the phone. Of course, a little bit of negotiation will not harm you. Take a friend of yours with you. He might find out more details of the phone, whether positive or negative. Take with you some one, who is good at decent negotiation.
18. Once you have bought the phone, delete all the data of the previous owner from the phone. Format the memory card (if any). Delete the pictures, contacts and all data, saved by the previous owner.
There are numerous sites online, which makes you able to buy second hand phones. It is always good to try somewhere, where you can actually take the mobile in your hand and check by yourself before buying it. Like we offer in Mobiles4Sale, where the company takes no commission from the customers and the customers can deal directly with the sellers and examine the phone by hand. Once bought, you alone will be responsible for the performance of the phone. So, make sure the phone has all the features that you are looking for.
Good Luck!
