Buying a used / second-hand BB: your tips

Hello awesome community:

I am considering to buy a second-hand blackberry and was hoping you would have some tips for me - what to look for, what to avoid? I have a list of questions to start with, feel free to add ANY tips and warnings you feel necessary ;)

1. Would you recommend that at all or should I opt for a new device from a local operator?
2. Does the warranty follow the device (like Lenovo notebooks) across borders or not? E.g. if I buy from the US a device and use it in Europe?
3. If I can touch/check the device prior to purchase, how do I check for defects (unless there is residual warranty)?
4. How do I know if the BB is not stolen? If no receipt is still there, how can I make sure, especially over distance (online purchase)?

Your input is much appreciated, as I said ANY other tips/warnings are welcome.

Thanks :D

I can't exactly answer any of your warranty questions. I bought a used phone from someone on ebay. You need to make sure that the ESN is legit and that the data on the phone has been wiped clean. Finding a trustworthy seller is a plus, this way you will know whether or not the descriptions are accurate. You can see the ratings from previous buyers and they usually give you an idea of the seller's business.

You should check for obvious damage and things that would effect the phone's capabilities. Cosmetic scratches are likely on used devices, but they aren't anything that a case can't cover.

As for the warranty, you might be able to find some information from the BB website or from a third party/carrier.

Hope at least some of this helps.

Just earlier today I bought a Curve 8330 for my wife off Craigslist. I can't pretend that I am an expert. This was the 1st experience I have had with anything similar. But it went extremely smooth and here is what I did to make sure it happened that way.

Avoid extra cheap prices: It goes hand-in-hand with the old saying, "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is." I'm sure there are exceptions to the rule, but I would imagine that overall, those blackberries that you see, "Like new" and extra cheap have some problem. Either stolen, or their service was turned off and the phone is deactivated (I hear you can get around a deactivated phone on AT&T and T-Mobile, but I'm not going to touch the "un-legit" way) But I have actually replied to a couple of posts offering a 'like new' Blackberry for $50, and after my standard questions (see other points) the only response I got was from 1 person who seemed shifty to say the least.

Get to know your seller: In addition to asking them about the phone, I asked, "Why are you getting rid of the phone?" Cause I want to know if they hate their phone, or work just gave them a new one and having a 2nd is redundant, or the one I bought today, the lady said that she just needed to cut costs, and the 'unlimited' part of her phone service was the 1st to go.

Don't trust them: The person I dealt with was a very trustworthy person. Phone was in great condition. Service was very quick and easy. But I still went in with caution. To make absolutely sure the phone is clear, you should do 2 things. 1 is play with the phone. 2 is check with the service provider. Before we met, I asked if they could please make sure there is a charge in the battery when we met. And I also told them that I would want to call Sprint to activate it at the same time that I bought it. We actually agreed to meet at the Sprint Store and it was ultra smooth. If you can meet at a Sprint Store, I would recommend it. You will need to activate the phone and meet with the person anyway, this takes care of both problems at the same time.

And lastly, to address your specific points, I don't think that the warranty is transferable. Even insurance is probably something you could only get if your carrier happens to have an open enrollment special.

If you are buying this over the internet (ebay, for example) I would only deal with reputable dealers. Look for someone that has a lot of feedback, and good feedback. There are plenty of cell phone sales companies that sell through ebay. Stick with them and there shouldn't be a problem.

Hello awesome community:
And hello back!
I am considering to buy a second-hand blackberry and was hoping you would have some tips for me - what to look for, what to avoid? I have a list of questions to start with, feel free to add ANY tips and warnings you feel necessary ;)

1. Would you recommend that at all or should I opt for a new device from a local operator?
I personally would say to buy new from the carrier. This way, you get warranty, better in-store service, a fresh warranty deal, and overall you truly know the condition of the phone. Though, not everyone is a dollaraire like us folks.

2. Does the warranty follow the device (like Lenovo notebooks) across borders or not? E.g. if I buy from the US a device and use it in Europe?
No clue. My guess? Probably. Guaranteed? Absolutely not.

3. If I can touch/check the device prior to purchase, how do I check for defects (unless there is residual warranty)?
Play with it. If they still have service on it for whatever reason, freaking awesome. Check the OS. Try the buttons. The "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog" since that has every letter of the alphabet in the name, and you can look for a dead button. Play any games. Tell them to come to the mall; enjoy some coffee, then hit the store.

4. How do I know if the BB is not stolen? If no receipt is still there, how can I make sure, especially over distance (online purchase)?
You have to trust your gut, first off. Look to see what the generally accepted going-price is of the device. A Storm for $95 and free shipping? Stolen. A Storm for $600 + USPS shipping? buy new.

Check the ESN. Have the seller send you a picture of the ESN off the phone, from the phone's screen. Then, call your cell provider and make sure they tell you the ESN is clean. ****, find out where the phone's original provider is and verify it with them too. See if they can give you a city the phone's based from. If the seller is located in Honolulu, and the phone's used in NYC, and the seller's in a hurry - walk away.

See if you can get pictures of the phone, which look more home-like. Floor, kitchen, whatever.

Final tip? Make sure the dang phone works on your network. Don't buy a GSM phone for CDMA, and vice versa.

Your input is much appreciated, as I said ANY other tips/warnings are welcome.
No Problem.

Thanks :D
You're Welcome. :)

Buy new and get insurance. If you can't afford to, then get something cheaper.

My only recommendation is that you only buy used if the person has a minimum of 50-100 postitive feedbacks regarding transactions with cellphones specifically. You do need to find out why they are getting rid of the phone. Also if the transaction can be done in store, even better. I purchased a Sprint Mogul off of Ebay two years ago, and everything went fine. So it can be done. If something doesn't feel right about the transaction, then something is probably wrong. To forgo all of this, you could just buy new in the store.

i just got a 8700c off craiglists and my mic does not work i can hear fine but no one can hear me

I bought a curve 8310 on ebay about a week now and the device works great except I can't get my email setup on the device bcoz its saying that an email account is already setup. I contatcted my provider and they said the original owner would have to unlock the pin from their email address. the owner said they did but I still can't setup my email.

I can do everything wit the phone except receuive emails. If u go second hand, jus make sure the pin is cleared from the old users email address so u can add urs.that's my .02 cents

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Oh man, how I enjoy revisiting CrackBerry every day! Isn't the nation supposed to have a passport and citizenship? ****, I wanna be a citizen of a nation like this :cool:

Thank you guys for all the super tips! Reading through your posts makes me confident and gives me a good vibe - I'll start hunting around.

Thanks again :D

Used BlackBerry Bold 9700 is the best , i just get it yester day, i order from blog usedblackberry.blogspot.com