The online phone market, Today, it is increasingly sought after and there are more and more consumers who prefer to choose and buy a smartphone on the internet; but how can you be sure not to run into a scam?
Buying Phones Online: Types of Scams
When purchasing a phone online you may encounter different types of fraud, some of which may even have legal implications for the buyer. Let's see what they are:
- Selling carrier-locked phones for failure to pay installments;
- Sale of lost or stolen phones;
- Online sale of phones that will not be shipped by the seller upon payment;
- Sale of broken or defective phones;
- Telephony clones or imitations sold as originals.
These are the most frequent scams regarding the sale of phones online. Let's see in detail how they happen, so that we can recognize them.
Selling carrier-locked phones
It is a very common scam: the scammer sells a branded phone, for example Team, Vodafone or another operator, previously purchased with payment by installments.
Nowadays, in fact, various operators give the possibility to purchase a phone in installments and make the payment over time, with fixed monthly installments, for a pre-established number of months.
With this method, you only need a simple down payment, open a finance company and, with a minimal sum, have in your hands a latest-generation smartphone, original and with all its features, worth several hundred euros.
The scammer, after having done these steps, resells the phone on the internet at full price immediately after purchase, so the buyer may receive it still working. Meanwhile, as the weeks or months pass, the seller's unpaid installments will cause the operator to block the phone.
Sale of lost or stolen phones
In this case, the scammer has found or even stolen a phone and, instead of returning it, finding a way to contact the owner, or reporting it to the authorities, decides to keep it and then put it back on sale, pretending to be the rightful owner.
In the case of buying and selling stolen telephones, the crime of stolen and, in this case, the buyer is subject to criminal consequences, since the law does not admit ignorance and establishes that an incautious purchase is a fault on the part of the buyer.
Selling phones online with the item not being shipped
This is the most common shopping scam on Ebay or on other online trading platforms and provides that the item is paid for in advance.
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The scammer offers the latest generation phones and, after reaching an agreement with the buyer, requests an advance payment, which must usually be made on a prepaid card, the most common of which is Postepay.
Once the payment has been made, all traces are lost, the item is obviously not shipped and any attempt to contacting the scammer again is useless. For this typology, it is necessary to keep in mind that Postepay in online sales is synonymous with fraud. Are to be preferred payments that provide some guarantee, such as PayPal.
Sale of broken or defective phones
In this case, the scammer has probably purchased the phone regularly and is selling it as new or purchased very recently; this is probably true, but what is wrong is the phone operation itself, which may have some defects or even not work at all.
To avoid this type of scam, it is always a good idea learn about the history of the phone, for example by asking about the date of purchase or whether the product has ever been serviced, even if it is difficult to verify online the veracity of this information.
Clones or imitations of phones sold as originals
In this case, it could be a regular sale and you will receive a new and perfectly working phone: however, the product does not match the description in the sales phase.
The purchase is made for a latest generation phone from a prestigious brand, but what you receive is only an imitation or a cloneTo avoid this type of scam, just pay a little attention when selling, especially if the price is much lower compared to the one on the market and it is always possible to make a IMEI code check.
Trading platforms and circuits
The main platforms on which buying and selling of any item takes place are Ebay, Subito.it, Amazon and even Facebook and, to protect yourself, you just need to take some precautions.
In the case of Ebay and Amazon you don't have to do it never purchase outside of the platforms. In some cases, the seller may request external contact with the excuse of not wanting to pay the commissions imposed by these sites. This is a alarm bell And, in any case, it's best not to complete the purchase. Also be wary of new sellers, as they may be new profiles of repeat scammers.
For other platforms, such as Subito.it and Facebook, there are some basic rules that are always best to follow, so as not to get caught in one of the usual scams. Remember that this can be applied not only to smartphones, but to any other item that can be purchased on the internet:
- Always be wary of prices that are too low, a scam could be hidden behind the discount;
- Try to have the product shipped to you in its original box, to verify that the codes match those on the phone;
- In case of used phones, always ask for a proof of purchase, even if it is a phone that is a few months old, not only to verify that the product has not been stolen or found, but because you will thus be able to take advantage of the warranty;
- If you have the possibility, complete the purchase in person and, before closing the deal, try the phone and check its functioning;
- Avoid to pay by top-up on Postepay or other prepaid cards, especially if the tax code does not match the seller. The PayPal method is safe and guarantees the possibility of having a refund;
- Se Seller Feedback they are the result of thousands of users, it is a certified seller, as https://www.mr-cartridge.it;
- For hand sales, especially for girls, go to the meeting accompanied and in public places.
