There is a category of people who do not buy anything new. First of all, this applies to cars and technology, especially smartphones. Their reasoning is simple and in some ways even logical. They think that in this way they do not overpay the amount that is lost when the goods are handed over to the buyer. Indeed, a smartphone cannot be sold in a day even for 90 percent of its original cost. Even 75 percent of the cost cannot be saved for a car. All this leads to the fact that the secondary market is actively developing. It has pros and cons. But I have my own story of why I don't buy anything handheld. This is the story I want to share, and at the same time to hear your opinion.
When buying a smartphone from your hands, you need to be very careful.
What are the advantages of used smartphones
If we discard the minuses and assume that there are no pitfalls, then there are some pluses in buying used smartphones. Looking at them, it becomes clear such a love of the public for technology from the secondary market.
The main advantage is the price. While we're on the subject of smartphones, the difference can be as high as 30 percent for a device in good condition. If you find a smartphone with minor defects, you can easily bargain and get another 10 percent discount.
As it usually happens, the more offers, the lower the price. There are a lot of ads now and sellers simply have to reduce the price so that buyers do not bypass them.
As a plus, many people also call “proven technology”. Like, if it has worked for six months, it means that nothing will break in it and it will serve the owner faithfully for at least a couple of years.
You can buy a used smartphone, but you have to be careful.
These are probably all the main advantages of buying used smartphones. You can “pull by the ears” one more plus, namely, the purchase of a rare smartphone. Some devices are either produced in small quantities or are no longer on sale. If you like this device, this is probably the only way to buy it relatively quickly.
Of course, there are more honest sellers than scammers. They sell a smartphone for one of the following reasons:
- I wanted to buy something new
- Gave it, but no smartphone needed
- Used two, but one was no longer needed
- I bought it, but didn’t like it, but it’s impossible to return to the store
- Brought from abroad for sale
- I didn’t sell before, now I started to get rid of my “collection”
Sometimes you can find a case of selling a completely new smartphone. For example, if you run into the same customer, who almost starts to sweep everything off the store shelves, “so that the money does not go to waste.” Then, when everything settles down, he starts selling everything very cheaply, since there are many of them and they impose competition on themselves. Our Ivan Kuznetsov has already told why you shouldn't buy a smartphone now.
Why you can't buy used smartphones
There are still more disadvantages when buying a used smartphone. Even though they hardly scare anyone away, one cannot but talk about them.
The main one will be buying a “pig in a poke”. You may not know how the previous owner used the device. Even if the case looks like new, it could have been replaced, and inside is a very old and well-worn apparatus. It could even get water, which has not yet had an effect on the insides, but the salts that remain after that gradually “eat away” it. If the smartphone is protected from water, this is still not a guarantee of safety. Manufacturers do not even take smartphones into which water has got into warranty repairs (despite the fact that it has protection against water). If dropped or bent, the gasket of the case may be broken and the smartphone will not be protected. By the way, this is why you should not once again trust the water protection of a used smartphone. And you shouldn't swim with your own, and even more so with a “stranger”.
In addition to a sloppy seller, you can stumble upon a scammer. It can be anything you want. He can sell you a refurbished smartphone, stolen or even fake. Quite often there are cases when people sell a Frankenstein device. It may contain insides from something very cheap with a body from an expensive one. What you end up with is something that doesn't perform well at best. And then it won't work at all. Sometimes even experienced users fall for this trick. These sellers know how to lull the victim's vigilance.
When choosing a smartphone, focus on your needs.
If this doesn't scare you and you still want to buy a smartphone from your hands, you should be very vigilant. Here are some examples of what you need to pay attention to. But you need to understand that this is not a panacea, and besides that, check everything else.
How to check a smartphone before buying
At the very beginning, dubious sellers can be cut off not yet at the offer selection stage. It should be understood that too low a price (20-25 percent below market) is a very alarming call. Of course, this may be the case when a person urgently needs money, but it is the likelihood of such cases that scammers use. As a rule, if a person really needs money, for “minus 25 percent of the market” he will be able to sell a smartphone among friends.
The absence of photos in the ad (or a couple of poor quality photos) should also put you on a skeptical basis. Of course, it may just be a gimmick, but this means that he used the smartphone in the same way and it is better to avoid buying from him. It may refer to those users who do not even know how they kill their smartphone. There is another option that resellers sell this way, who have a lot of things and have no time to take high-quality photos. They are also best avoided. Typically, their price includes a commission and gets higher.
Be sure to check the appearance when meeting with the seller. It should be good, but not virgin new. This is also a reason to wonder if its heavily damaged case has changed.
Be sure to check the IMEI and check it against the number on the box, if any. Whenever possible, choose a meeting point with an outlet. This way you can check the operation of the complete charging. Regardless of this, take headphones, a SIM card, a memory card, an external battery and a cable with you to the meeting. This way you can check all the functions of your smartphone. In this case, it is better to take wireless headphones with you to check the operation of the Bluetooth – module. Choose a place with a public Wi-Fi network or “distribute” the Internet via modem mode. So you will protect yourself from damage to the wireless module.
Phone IMEI is very important. It can be found on the box and in the phone settings. Section 'about the phone'.
All other functions of the device must also be checked. Take multiple shots with both cameras. For the main multi-module camera, you must use all modes to check the operation of each peephole. Tilt your smartphone to test the accelerometer, and turn on maps to see if GPS finds you. Check the sound at different volumes so that there is no crackling or wheezing. In general, the more you check, the better.
You will not be able to check the battery if it is not removable. All testers work so-so, so you just have to take the seller's word. This is okay, as the battery is not the most expensive part of a smartphone and can be easily replaced.
In general, check whatever comes to mind. I have given the very minimum of what you need to pay attention to. But there is nothing superfluous in this matter. And each additional check will help protect yourself from trouble. Do not hesitate to take the seller's time. If he does not rush you, then he has nothing to fear and he is not hiding anything. This is also a good test. Personally, I plan at least 20-30 minutes in advance for the meeting, as I understand that the buyer will want to check everything.
Why I don't buy used smartphones
Now I'll tell you why I don't buy used smartphones. My reason is familiar to many and pulls on a life position, as well as the opinion of those who buy only “secondary housing”.
First of all, I don't want to run into a smartphone that doesn't work the way I want it to. I am picky about technology and will definitely write off its incorrect work on the jambs of the old owner. It is for this reason that I have never bought used cars, preferring to choose a simpler option, but a new one. So I know everything about him. Once I bought a used motorcycle and could not help thinking what happened to it and why it works like this, and then like this.
The second reason is that it is also caused by a love of technology. I want to feel it at the new level. I'm not as interested in a used flagship as in a new but more affordable device. And so with everything.
Getting a new smartphone out of the box yourself is a separate thrill.
I can buy a more advanced used laptop, but I got a new one, albeit a simpler one. I can buy a business class car, but a five-year-old, instead bought something that when ordering a taxi arrives as “Comfort +” and is completely satisfied that no one has sat in this car before me, except for those who made it.
In no way do I condemn those who have chosen a different path. But this is another proof that people are divided into two types and each is closer to his own. In this case, there is no one who is right or wrong. There is only taste.
Returning to the topic of the article, according to which I bought a non-new phone only once, I can say that it was a device in the collection. About 15 years ago, I used the Siemens M55. I really liked him, but once he was stolen from me in a transport. After many years I wanted to restore those feelings and I found it on Avito. It was a collectible story and does not count as a hand held device. This applies to any rarity that is no longer in production.
A couple more times I bought shooting accessories on Avito, but it was something that was just being resold, pre-ordered on AliExpress. I didn't have time to wait and I went this way. From my position, I can say that I am ready to buy something from hands only in this way.