iPhones on eBay
November 25, 2008
iPhones, Smartphones, PDA phones, and iPhones on eBay.
You
definitely can buy an Apple iPhone on eBay. However, if you really
want to buy a phone on eBay or any other e-commerce sites out there,
there are important things that you need to be wary of. Generally,
with eBay, it is always caveat emptor-buyer beware. This is even more
true when you are looking to purchase iPhones on eBay. You can get a
great deal buying an iPhone on eBay if and only if you take measures
to see if you are buying from a reliable seller. Because if you
don’t, you will be disappointed on how you lose your money BIGTIME!
The
first thing that you need to do is to know what exactly you are
buying. You can do so, by simply asking the seller. Do not instantly
fall for what the title and description say the product is, because
some of these are made to mislead you. Look out for any conflicting
information between the title and the extended description. Say,
there was a listing for an ?unlocked 16 GB iPhone?. The quoted
part is the title. Then the description says that the phone is locked
but then went on to say that they are using it with T-Mobile, so it
is clearly unlocked. The best way to resolve issues like this is to
send the seller an email and ask for clarification. Save the exchange
of emails so that if you are the winning bidder you have a recourse
if the iPhone is not as described.
Before
putting a bid on an iPhone on ebay, it is very important for you to
know first the difference between an unlocked and locked iPhone.
Unlocked means that the firmware has been hacked and you can insert
any chip that will work on networks other than AT&T. The visual
voicemail is an AT&T exclusive feature so this feature will not
be available if you use another network, like T-Mobile. Now, keep
this in mind, the terms “unlocked” and “new, unopened
box” are incompatible. The logic is that the Apple company does
not ship unlocked iPhones, so in order for someone to unlock the
iPhone, he/she must open the box and hook the iPhone up to a
computer. This is hardly ?unopened?. Locked means that the
firmware that Apple shipped the phone with is intact and untouched.
These phones will only activate and work on the AT&T network. A
locked iPhone has no issues or troubles with any firmware upgrades
but an unlocked iPhone must be careful when updating to be sure they
do not re-lock the iPhone.
Know if
the iPhone is refurbished, new, or used before buying an iPhone on
eBay. Refurbished means that an iPhone has been repaired or has taken
from not working properly to a like new state, hopefully by Apple.
Usually refurbished iPhones are inexpensive. An ethical seller will
clearly state that the iPhone is a refurbished item. Less scrupulous
sellers may not disclose this. To be sure, ask.
On
eBay, you will see phones called A88, iPhone, PDA, cell phone…
These are not Apple iPhones, they are just iPhone look alike. Make
sure that the manufacturer of any iPhone you purchase is Apple and
not CECT. Be always alerted to the fact that there are phones that
may look like the iPhone but they are not from Apple.
Lastly,
make sure that you are aware of the sellers return policies and only
pay through PayPal using a credit card or pay directly with a credit
card. It’s a no no to pay in cash, checks, through Western Union or
other wire transfers and money orders. This is to protect you from
paying for a fraudulent item and let’s you have recourse through your
credit card company or PayPal. Buyers/sellers who do not take credit
cards or PayPal are questionable so once again remember caveat
emptor, buyer beware.
An
educated consumer stands the best chance of getting a good deal.
Before you buy iPhones on eBay do a little research to be sure you
are getting exactly what you are looking for. As an eBayer
, try to
not forget all the points that I’ve made here while eBay tries to
make their venue a safe place to purchase items.
Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com
about the author
David
Chan, a mobile technology enthusiast, shares his first hand
experience on the iPhone. He also share his tips on buying iPhones
on eBay. Find out more about the iPhone at
http://everypathnbeyond.com/.
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