I need some advice on selling my old iPhone 3GS. I actually listed it last night and sold it to a guy...in the Ukraine. I have restored the iPhone to factory settings via iTunes and I have removed the SIM card. Is there anything else I should do to make sure it is wiped clean before shipping it off?
Advice on selling an iPhone on eBay
- Thread starter Sluggo
- Start date
How are you shipping it? If you do not use a true tracking service, then you will get a chargeback on the item and be out the phone and the money. .
i've sold about 7 phones on ebay as well as a couple iphones. the restore via itunes i've always done and keeping the sim card as well. what i always did just to be on the safe side is change my itunes account password as well. tracking is a good idea as well as insurance. especially making that long of a journey. hope you enjoy your iPhone 5! 
- Thread starter
- #4
Thanks for the advice; I am actually shipping it to a US based address which I am assuming is a forwarding company. That makes me feel a bit better since I don't have to worry about it making it to Eastern Europe.
Don't ship until the funds are confirmed cleared and in your account!
It's a common scam to send an e-check which is deposited immediately but taken back in a week or so when the bank discovers the originating account is empty.
It's a common scam to send an e-check which is deposited immediately but taken back in a week or so when the bank discovers the originating account is empty.
iPhone? Ukraine? Intermediary address?
I wouldn't spend the funds for while. Cleared and in your account isn't good enough with some scams.
Good luck.
I wouldn't spend the funds for while. Cleared and in your account isn't good enough with some scams.
Good luck.
Do a google search on the address you have been told to forward it to and see if any suspicious tales arise.
- Thread starter
- #8
Hmmmm, the parcel forwarding company is BBB rated F.
Do I HAVE to sell this to the winner or can I relist the phone?
Do I HAVE to sell this to the winner or can I relist the phone?
Report it to eBay and Paypal. They'll let you know the correct way to proceed while minimizing your personal liability.
If the auction is over, you likely will have to honor it, unless you can make some sort of deal out of the fact that they want it sent to a different address.
I would back out. The worst that could happen is that the buyer will leave you negative feedback. Sounds sketchy.
If the address is not confirmed by paypal you have no coverage. Just return his money and say no thank you.
I would try to back out. I had a dispute where the person said they never received the item but it was signed for. The buyer never said another word before or after the dispute was initiated. It took a month for paypal to resolve the dispute in my favor.
- Thread starter
- #15
Thanks guys, I reached out to some of the other sellers who have provided feedback who looked legit. This guy seems to have a history of buying iPhones and having them unlocked...based on his history. We will see what they have to say; I am hesitant to back out unilaterally given my feedback on eBay is currently 0.0%.
Even more the reason to back out. Just cancel the account and set up a new one with a new name.
However, it is entirely possible that he buys these phones are resells them in his home country. Cell phones are considerably more expensive in almost every other country because they are sold at full retail. Most countries don't have contract plans which provide phones at discounted prices.
Perhaps they do, I have not sold in quite a while.
- Thread starter
- #19
I got some not so hot feedback from several ebay folks; then general consensus was to not do business with the buyer. I have contacted the buyer and asked that we walk away from this transaction, and I have asked to cancel the sale with eBay.
Good call.
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