Factors to Check Before Buying Cell Phones in Bulk

Life in the digital age will practically come to a standstill without its most prominent tool: the cell phone. Not having one in your pocket or bag can make you feel stranded on a desert island with severely hampered access to resources and services. 

Technology keeps improving these handheld devices' capabilities, so it has become common practice to go for the latest and greatest to take advantage of all those developments. This leaves plenty of moderately used phones on the second-hand market waiting to be nabbed.

You can buy cell phones in bulk due to the cost advantages they offer. They can be a good bargain while giving access to good enough technology. These also apply if you're going for new pieces as well.

What to Watch Out For

The demand for bulk buying of phones has created a big market for it and attracted a bunch of scammers as well. When you buy cell phones in bulk, you must be cautious of the many ways you could get scammed and cheated. Learning about the methods employed will help to avoid falling for these schemes.

Near-Perfect Fakes

Certain phones like the iPhone have a big following behind them, with people lining up for days to buy the latest model. Such demand creates a great opportunity for scammers to create fakes that can be made to pass off as the original.

As technology improved, scammers got better tools to improve these duplicitous phones' looks, feel, and function, making them practically indistinguishable from the original. And they target the bulk phone market as this is where they get the most margins.

One way to beat these scammers is to tag along or consult an expert who knows how to tell the real ones from the fakes. Pulling out random samples and examining them for details like model number, batch number, manufacturer's information, etc., will help tell them apart.

The other way is to purchase from an authorized reseller. That way, you know you're getting the real deal, with the paperwork to show for it and guard you against any mishaps or failures if they occur.

Stolen Sets

As the value of phones in our lives went up, so did their value as an item to be picked from your pockets. Ironically, the second-hand market is what primarily drives the theft of phones, as good models can fetch good money in the gray zones of the trade. It could very well happen that your bunch of used phones could contain some stolen ones, or the entire bunch could be full of them.

One report found that 1 in 10 Americans are victims of phone theft. That's a whopping ten percent of the phones in use that could potentially end up on your lap. And if that wasn't enough, you could end up facing the wrath of authorities should they come across you with even one such phone.

Prevent this by insisting on the original or copy of the purchase invoice of the phones. Read through it/them thoroughly and ascertain details like time of purchase, cost, the authenticity of the place of purchase, warranty details, IMEI number(s), etc. If the phone is screen-locked or has non-stock content, then it's guaranteed to be a stolen item.

External/Internal Damages

It is considered a given for second-hand phones to have some form of damage. These could be upfront or hidden within the casing. Depending on the severity of the damage, they can compromise the phone's functionality and thus value by a considerable margin.

Keenly examine the product for common damages like scratches and dents. These happen due to falls and by being placed amidst sharp objects in bags and pockets. Minor, superficial ones are not much of a concern, but large and deep ones can indicate significant damage to the innards of the handset. Scratches on the screen and camera lens can be a deal-breaker.

Certain codes are available, which can be entered into the device's dial pad, which will check the internals for their proper functioning. Like a chip, camera, screen, battery, speakers, ports, etc., most components will be evaluated and reported on, so you'll know the phone's actual status.

Cost

The costs of bulk purchases can vary by the make, vendor, time, place, condition, etc. Ask around to get an idea of the average going rate, and zero-in on the cheapest seller who also offers a quality guarantee. Don't hesitate to negotiate to bring down the price further.

Whether to sell or use, you can buy cell phones in bulk with the right precautions for a great bargain and ride the wave of the convenience they have to offer.