Things To Know When Buying Android Phones & Where To Buy?
“Where’s The Best Place to Buy Android Phones?” A question I’ve been faced with many times this past year. The answer varies with some people, but there are certain factors we all agree upon.
Things You Should be Asking when buying a NEW or Contracted phone:
What’s My Return Policy? every carrier, every ‘Authorized dealer’ may have different return policies, It’s your responsibility to know this answer. I personally buy a LOT of phones and I can tell you from experience, most reps like to very quickly skim past this part. Some offer 15 minutes talk time, where others offer up to a 15 day return policy. 15 minutes goes by really fast, you call a couple friends to brag about your new phone, and your return window is gone before you even get home. It’s crucial you know this when buying your next phone.
What’s My Warranty On a Defective Phone? You’ll want to know what the procedure is if your phone goes all haywire. How long will it take, will you get a loaner phone and are you still responsible for data fees? The data fee question may sound funny, but there is a real side to this. My friend sent her HTC Desire in for repair and got some cheap LG dumb phone with only a POP browser, which isn’t the same as the data we use today. Not being able to access her mail and data network from this loaner phone, she asked if they would credit her account the days she’s not able to use it, clearly their answer was “No”. She could not cancel her data temporarily either because she was on a 3-year contract, and cancelling data early resulted in a $100 penalty. Know these facts.
(Optional) What Accessories Are Available For My Phone? This may not apply to everyone, but I like a lot of options when I get a new phone. I love a large selection of cases, docks, TV-out accessories, external batteries, etc.
Things you should know before buying a USED phone
Check the IMEI number. The IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) is a unique 17 or 15 digit code used to identify an individual mobile station. This number is found on the box of the device, as well as under the battery of the phone.
When buying a used phone, you can take this IMEI number and call the carrier the phone belongs to. Providing this number to the right rep, they will be able to tell you if they phone has been reported stolen, how old it is since purchased and if it’s still under warranty through the carrier. Ensuring the IMEI number under the phones battery matches the IMEI number on the box is also a good indictor of a safe phone(Not stolen)
Be aware of fakes. Not too common, but it does happen. A fake, less expansive phone will be presented to you for your purchase. The seller hopes to take advantage of inexperienced buyers who don’t know their hardware. Research online to see what accessories your phone comes with. For example, a of older HTC phones all come with MicroSD cards, if so ensure your used phone purchase also comes with one.
Sellers that include just the phone and charger only are the ones you really want to check the IMEI number with. Without the box to confirm the number matches, you’ll have no idea if he snatched this phone out a little girls hands and bought charger from Walmart for $19.99.
If the phone is reported Stolen and recovered from your possession, you’re NOT entitled to your money back as you are in possession of stolen property. Without proof to show you bought it online from a private dealer, you could also face minor chargers of possession of stolen property. Property over $500 (which most high end phones are) could result in to some pretty serious charges.
Be aware of BNIB deals. BNIB stands for ‘Brand new in box’. A lot of sellers will try to sell you a phone that is still factory sealed with the plastic over the box at a premium price. Most of the time they are legit, but there are tools available that will allow you to rewrap boxes that’s almost undetectable at a quick glance. A personal friend of mine got tagged with one of these scams. He bought a BNIB BlackBerry Torch. When he got home to unwrap his ‘New’ box, the phone inside was scratched up and scuff marks from being dropped a few times. The seller had bought a new phone and swapped his old phone in the new box and re-sealed the box. This can easily be done with a heat gun, which are widely available in hardware stores.
I recommend if you’re a serious buyer, request to open the box before handing over your cash or leaving the deal spot. If the seller refuses to open the box for your inspection, you should reconsider your deal.
Where’s The Best Place To Buy A NEW Phone?
I personally have always been a fan of BestBuy. They have their own BestBuy Mobile section that has a wide range of accessories, also if you watch my posts, they almost always offer phones cheaper than the carriers shortly after release.
Not to mention BestBuy and Futureshop both offer a 14 day return policy on undamaged full price buyout phones. If you bought the new Galaxy Nexus at full price and just didn’t like it or, or it was defective, it doesn’t matter how long you used it for, you’re entitled to a full refund without any penalty before 14 days. Buying a phone on contract are subject to the specific carriers return policy, on which you should be asking about. Don’t rely on the rep to tell you, you NEED to ask about this.
Not everyone will agree that BestBuy is the best place to buy phone, but we all have our ways of doing things.
Buying phones online is also a great way to get deals, also a great way to find unlocked phones as well. Of course this also comes with some risk. Online sales are often a real hassle to return or exchange unwanted or defected hardware.
Where’s The Best Place Buy/Sell USED phones?
I personally use Craigslist. Craigslist probably has the highest amount of scammers, but also probably the highest amount of viewers, but a little common sense will prevent you from being tagged.
Just follow the simple rules I posted here and above:
- Only deal locally, Face to Face deals.
- Do not accept PayPal. They are great at faking PayPal Pages of fake a transaction even though no money has been sent to you.
- Deal with Cash Only.
- Sellers: Include the box if all posible, this really helps authenticating the phone and makes the buyers feel more confident in your product.
- Buyers: Check those IMEI number if you sense something isn’t right.
- BNIB items should be checked before leaving the deal area or any Cash is exchanged.
- If something doesn’t feel right, don’t be afraid to walk away. Comfort is the foundation of a good deal.
Pretty simple all in all, but not rushing things and making sure you as all the right questions will ensure you’re on the path to safety and success.
If you feel I missed a few topics or issues, feel free to contribute within the comments below. I’m sure our fellow readers will greatly appreciate it.