Don't Get Burned Trying to Sell iPhone 3Gs

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When you're selling anything used, it's easy to end up scammed. When you're selling electronics, there are all sorts of other dangers you need to be on the lookout for. Here are some of the most common ways people put their safety at risk, and how to avoid them:

-        Accepting checks or money orders from strangers. When you take a check or money order from a business, it's a little safer than taking it from a person. A company generally has the funds to back up the checks they write, but that might not be true for someone you just tried to sell iPhone 3Gs to. Checks and money orders can also be counterfeited more easily than actual cash. The best way to circumvent this problem is to only take cash if you're trying to sell old cell phones to a person, or skip it entirely by only selling your phones through a used electronics website.

-        Having to meet strangers. Craigslist and classified ads are a great way to sell things to people in your area, but for every handful of success stories, there are other stories of criminals who use these ads to find new victims. If you're selling something through a personal ad, it most likely means having to meet a stranger to exchange money and goods. It's a bit safer if you take a friend or two with you to do it, but the best way to avoid trouble is to not use classified ads. Use a used electronics dealer to sell iPhone 3Gs instead, and you'll never have to worry about meeting a sketchy stranger.

-        Not paying for tracking or postal insurance. Shipping things is expensive. If you sell iPhone 3Gs through eBay, you're probably going to have to mail it out to the buyer. If you don't also pay for additional tracking and insurance, your buyer can receive your package, and then claim that they didn't. If they never received what you claim you sent, the onus is on you to prove that you sent it. A lot of first-time sellers don't bother paying extra for tracking or insurance, which sets them up to get scammed when their buyers demand their money back for the phone that they allegedly never received, then walk off with both money and phone anyway. Always, always pay for tracking and insurance. If you don't want to, sell old cell phones through a used electronics website, where shipping and tracking will be paid for for you.

-        Not deleting their information from their phones. If you have an iPhone, chances are you've got dozens of numbers saved on it, and use it to take pictures. That means that you have the names and faces of several people saved on your phone, in addition to some of your own personal information. If you sell iPhone 3Gs yourself, you'd better make sure that you delete absolutely everything. After all, who knows whose hands your phone could end up in? On the flip side, you could also sell old cell phones for cash to a used electronics dealer, who will delete all of the information off of your phone before selling it. This is a good option if your phone doesn't work well enough for you to delete things yourself, since they'll be able to do it for you regardless.

-        Not reading the fine print. It's tricky to sell and ship phones in some areas. Depending on your country's postal regulations, you might not be able to ship a phone's battery at all, because it may be classified as hazardous material. If you use an auction site to sell your phone, you might run into another problem- being nickel and dimed to death with fees. Sell your phone through a middleman, and you won't have to worry about either of these problems.

Selling your phone should be a rewarding, profitable experience, not a source of anxiety. If you choose to sell your phone by yourself, you can inadvertently end up putting yourself in harm's way. If you sell it through a used electronics dealer instead, the dealer will act as a middleman during the selling process, effectively protecting you from things like check fraud, shady buyers, and identity theft. Selling your phone this way will make your life ten times easier, and end up saving you money, to boot. 

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Sell iPhone 3G the Fast Way

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If you have an iPhone 3G that you don't want anymore, it's a good idea to try to sell it. In general, there are two ways to go about selling second-hand goods. You can do it yourself, or you can use a middleman to help you out. If you haven't any experience in selling things by yourself, it's usually good to enlist the help of a middleman to work as a broker for you. However, a middleman usually takes a cut in order to cover their expenses and earn some money. So, if you want to sell iPhone 3G, you can go one of two routes.

If you want to sell iPhone 3G by yourself, you'll most likely have to:

-        Get your phone in reselling condition. That means replacing any missing or broken pieces, and correcting any cosmetic damage to the phone itself. You'll also have to delete all of your personal information from your phone, including your photographs, phone numbers, and other info. This is true any time you try to sell old cell phones, but is especially true for iPhones due to the large number of apps and files they can hold.

-        Advertise your phone. You can do that on an auction website like eBay, your local paper, a classified site like Craigslist, or anywhere else that lets you put up used goods for sale. Alternatively, you can price your iPhone and put it out as part of a yard sale.

-        When an interested buyer contacts you (which could take several weeks), it's up to you to sell your phone. That means talking up its features, and honestly discussing any damage or repairs it has received. You might have to go through two or three interested people before you find an actual buyer.

-        When you sell your phone, you have to take payment. The easiest and safest way is to just take cash, but not everyone walks around with a lot of cash in their pocket. Otherwise, you can take checks or money orders, but these can be counterfeited. Unless you go through a site like eBay, you probably won't have a way to take credit cards.

-        Deliver or mail your phone to the buyer. If you have to mail it, that means packaging your phone so it isn't damaged in transit, paying for shipping to get it there, paying for insurance so you don't lose any money if something happens to it in transit, and paying for tracking so you can prove the phone was delivered.

-        If all goes well, you're done. If all doesn't go well, you may have to deal with things like customer complaints, and shipping problems. This is why things like insurance and tracking are usually well worth the money.

If you choose to sell iPhone 3G with a middleman, your process will go more like this:

-        You find someone who sells used electronics. These companies usually have websites where they offer to help you sell old cell phones for cash, and may even offer to take broken or damaged cell phones.

-        You contact them for a price quote. Some people may not like the fact that they can't set their own price point for their iPhone, but when you factor in what you save in not having to pay for advertising, shipping, insurance, or tracking, using a used phone company usually means you come out ahead.

-        If you like your price quote, you contact them for a free mailer. This mailer will have postage, packaging, and tracking included, so all you have to pay for is the gas it'll take you to get to the post office.

-        Once your phone is mailed in and received, you'll get paid the price you were quoted. If your phone doesn't actually match the description you gave when you requested your quote, your quote may need to be amended first.

Trying to sell old cell phones is tricky, and it can end up being way more expensive than it's worth. Don't make the same mistake that a lot of new sellers make. Rely on the help of an experienced middleman to help you sell your phone, so you can maximize your earning potential and minimize the number of headaches you'll have to deal with.