Used/Resale Phone Market

[PedroDaGr8]

So blueboss's thread made me realize that I had never mentioned this site on here. If you are looking to purchase a new phone, I suggest checking out this site: www.swappa.com It is a private sale website where you can buy used and resale phones. It originally started over at the website XDA Developers as a reliable trustworthy site to purchase and exchange phones, something the developers needed after getting burned a lot on eBay. They have VERY strict criteria for grading quality.


New(resale) - either means sealed in package or the package can be opened but the plastic can't have been removed from the phone. Can't have a single sign of use.
Mint - Basically like New Resale but can have been used. Must be literally in perfect condition, without a single scratch or scuff anywhere on the device.
Good - What most sites would call excellent. Can have a few very faint and minor scratches but overall must be in really really good condition. No major scratches allowed.
Fair - This is where the quality goes down a bit. Screen still can't have any major scratches but the body might.


They refuse to sell any with worse conditions than this. They also keep your money in Escrow until the transaction goes through and you accept the quality, which means that you are guaranteed to get the quality listed.

[catmanjack]

So you highly recommend?
Have you purchased a phone from the site?

[catmanjack]

I guess my other question is if you purchase a phone from this site who programs and sets up the service?

[PedroDaGr8]

I guess my other question is if you purchase a phone from this site who programs and sets up the service?

I have purchased three phones from there. All were either good or mint and have been way better than used phones acquired elsewhere.

As for setting up service, it is usually pretty easy, but the process depends on Apple or Android as well as your service provider. Transferring images and stuff from one phone to another on Android is really easy. Most have the direct ability to transfer wirelessly from one phone to the other.

[catmanjack]

Thanks

[blueboss]

I posted in the last post wins thread about the glass separating... anyway Apple is replacing my phone, but I have to back up my data on my laptop then load it back on the new phone. The Apple genius told me to bring my laptop with me when I do the swap and they'd help.

Last time I switched phones ATT my provider did it for me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[PedroDaGr8]

I posted in the last post wins thread about the glass separating... anyway Apple is replacing my phone, but I have to back up my data on my laptop then load it back on the new phone. The Apple genius told me to bring my laptop with me when I do the swap and they'd help.

Last time I switched phones ATT my provider did it for me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am really surprised that Apple doesn't have a better way. With my most recent phone, it used Android Tap & Go to transfer everything. I basically turned on NFC and held the phones up to each other. Android took it from there. All of my contacts, sms, accounts, etc. were migrated over via an established wifi or bluetooth connection (I forget which). My memory is a bit hazy but I seem to remember it took roughly five minutes to complete and was honestly very painless.

[Darrell KSR]

Recommend for Tablets, too?

My wife is extremely low tech. Bought her a Nexus 7 tablet in 2013. She used it daily, but only to play Candy Crush and finally, to occasionally check email.

It stopped taking a charge, my son tried to fix it, and still not working.

I saw where that site had the Nexus 7 2012 version. Is that much different from the 2013 version? (I bought it late in 2013 new).

There are several in the $55-60 range...

[Darrell KSR]

Also...since I'm still looking for that backup phone for my new phone line, I was thinking about getting a very basic old iPhone that would work with Tmobile. Recommendations for a small, reliable one on that site?

[PedroDaGr8]

Recommend for Tablets, too?

My wife is extremely low tech. Bought her a Nexus 7 tablet in 2013. She used it daily, but only to play Candy Crush and finally, to occasionally check email.

It stopped taking a charge, my son tried to fix it, and still not working.

I saw where that site had the Nexus 7 2012 version. Is that much different from the 2013 version? (I bought it late in 2013 new).

There are several in the $55-60 range...

The 2013 Nexus 7 is a significant upgrade over the 2012 version. It has an upgraded processor, much higher resolution screen, more recent version of Android (Android 6 versus 5); you get the idea.

A different option would be the Asus ZenPad S 8.0. It has much better spec's than the Nexus 7 2013 but at a similar price (see this one here in mint condition for $115 (https://swappa.com/listing/EQD847/view)). It would be a nice upgrade to a bit more modern device. The only downside is it isn't a Nexus, but since the Nexus 7 line is no longer supported this isn't a big deal unless she plans on installing custom ROMs.


Also...since I'm still looking for that backup phone for my new phone line, I was thinking about getting a very basic old iPhone that would work with Tmobile. Recommendations for a small, reliable one on that site?

The unfortunately thing (for a budget minded person like you) is that iPhones hold their value much better than Android phones. I think the sweet spot would be this iPhone 5S for $110 (https://swappa.com/buy/stock/8992/view). Old enough to be moderately affordable but new enough that so far it still runs the most recent versions of iOS

[Darrell KSR]

Thanks, Pedro. Good info on the Nexus 7. I'll refrain from her going back a model with it, and do something else. I may just buy her an iPad and be done with it, but she would get mad at me. The candy crush game requires nothing significant display-wise, and literally, she uses it for nothing else other than occasional check of email.

On the iPhone, I may even go back to an iPhone 4. As long as it makes telephone calls, and can check email, and that's about it. I probably should go back to my original plan of getting a non-smartphone for the backup phone, but I kept thinking--the iPhone is small, which is good, and the one thing that even the detractors say about iPhones time and time again is, "they work." So for a backup phone--it wouldn't need much. I was in the $35 range for the non-smartphone, so I don't even think I want to go over $100 for something I will rarely use, even though that looked like a really good price for a mint condition phone.

[PedroDaGr8]

On the iPhone, I may even go back to an iPhone 4. As long as it makes telephone calls, and can check email, and that's about it. I probably should go back to my original plan of getting a non-smartphone for the backup phone, but I kept thinking--the iPhone is small, which is good, and the one thing that even the detractors say about iPhones time and time again is, "they work." So for a backup phone--it wouldn't need much. I was in the $35 range for the non-smartphone, so I don't even think I want to go over $100 for something I will rarely use, even though that looked like a really good price for a mint condition phone.

Honestly, there might be a lot of things that are plain not going to work on a phone that old because it is no longer supported in iOS. You might be better off just getting a dumb phone.

[blueboss]

I bought a used iPhone 5s for $179 over 3 years ago and the Apple Store just replaced it last night at no charge.

Turns out the battery was swelling causing the glass to separate from the frame. The phone had no warranty left in it but they replaced it at no charge because I'm a loyal customer... it's only the second Apple product I've owned. Plus they told me to backup all my data from my phone on to a laptop and bring the laptop in with me when I swapped phones. Being the loyal Apple customer that I am I showed up with my Dell.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Darrell KSR]

Honestly, there might be a lot of things that are plain not going to work on a phone that old because it is no longer supported in iOS. You might be better off just getting a dumb phone.

Yeah, but I don't want a lot of things to work. Just the telephone. Email. MAYBE surfing (but not necessary)?

The email backup is the only thing I was thinking of why I might get something other than a dumb phone. If my main phone crashed and burned, and was useless/broken/out of commission, I could operate with a phone that got email.

[KeithKSR]

When I upgraded from my iPhone 4 to my iPhone 6s Plus all I needed to do was sign into my iCloud account and everything else was automated. I still have my iPhone 4, I use it for an alarm clock.

An iPhone 4 locally sells for $50 to $75.