Why do the checks matter?
A phone bought without checks can be reported stolen, blocked by the network or locked to someone else’s account. You lose the money you paid, and you may have to hand it over. A record of the checks you made is also your evidence that you bought in good faith.
Which checks should you make?
- The IMEI. Show it with *#06#, check it matches the phone’s settings, and run it through a lost, stolen and blacklist checking service.
- Finance. A phone still on a contract or finance agreement may be blocked later.
- Accounts. The phone must be signed out of the seller’s Apple ID or Google account, with any activation lock removed, while they’re in front of you.
- The seller. See photo ID, and note the type and part of the reference.
- The phone itself. Test the screen, cameras, buttons, charging, speakers and signal, and note any faults in the price.
- A declaration. The seller signs that the phone is theirs to sell.
What if something doesn’t add up?
Don’t buy it. A seller who won’t sign out of their account, can’t show ID or wants cash quickly for a phone that checks as reported is a reason to say no, however good the price.
How do you price a phone you’ve bought in?
Start from what it will sell for, then take off what it will cost you to get it ready: parts, a battery, a screen protector, your time. What’s left is what you can pay and still make money.
How Fixory records trade-ins
In Fixory, you can buy a customer’s device into your used stock, or take it in part exchange against a sale. You record the seller’s ID type and a partial reference, the IMEI check result and their signed declaration. Devices checked as lost, stolen or blacklisted are refused, and finance-owed devices need a manager. Fixory doesn’t look the IMEI up for you: you run the check and record the result.
Each device is then kept as stock one unit at a time, by IMEI or serial number. You can record the work done to get it ready for sale, with parts taken from stock or a typed cost, and see its total cost and your profit at the price you set.
Questions shop owners ask
How do I check if a phone is stolen?
Run the phone's IMEI through a lost, stolen and blacklist checking service before you pay, and keep the result. Dial *#06# on the phone to show its IMEI, and make sure it matches the IMEI in the phone's settings and on the SIM tray, if it has one.
Does Fixory check the IMEI automatically?
No. You run the check with your own checking service and record the result in Fixory. Devices checked as lost, stolen or blacklisted are refused, and phones with finance owing need a manager.
Should I keep a copy of the seller's ID?
Keep only what you need. Recording the type of ID and a partial reference is usually enough to show you checked, without holding a full copy of someone's passport.