Buying a used Note 2, how do I prevent getting scammed?

[Maximus96]

I'm looking to buy a used note2. I read about risks of the seller reporting the phone as lost after the sale to claim insurance money thereby making the phone useless. Is there anything I can do to protect myself, besides meeting at an ATT store?

 

[SAWYER]

Request a receipt with the imei number on it

 

[Maximus96]

how will that prevent the seller from reporting it as stolen after the sale?

 

[onlyCOpunk]

If you have that and written e-mail communication/text messages stating the details of the sale then they can't do that. If you buy it off eBay there's a record right there.

Also wouldn't lying to the police be considered a felony/federal crime? I don't think any sane person would do that when you would easily be able to prove that the guy sold you the phone.

 

[Maximus96]

that all makes sense, but i just read horror stories of people buying used phones and later find it a brick because the carrier blocked it IMEI as stolen...i guess if the carrier can reverse the block then I'm not too worried

 

[Bateluer]

Where are you buying the Note 2 from? Some places, like Swapps, require the IMEI to be clean and its verified before the listing is approved.

 

[tdawg]

You could meet the seller at a carrier store, have the phone activated on your account, then hand the seller the money to complete the transaction.

 

[gorcorps]

You could meet the seller at a carrier store, have the phone activated on your account, then hand the seller the money to complete the transaction.

That's what I did

 

[Eruditass]

Where are you buying the Note 2 from? Some places, like Swapps, require the IMEI to be clean and its verified before the listing is approved.

Just to clarify, this still doesn't guarantee anything. The check itself isn't guaranteed:

http://swappa.com/faq/devices/esn_check_guarantee

And future blacklisting is still a problem:

http://swappa.com/faq/buy/imei_blacklist_future

Does anyone know if swappa also checks if the IMEI is clean at the time of sale?

 

[Eruditass]

You could meet the seller at a carrier store, have the phone activated on your account, then hand the seller the money to complete the transaction.

Pretty nice idea and would at least deter all stolen sales. But out of curiosity, if it was stolen (not yet reported) and the seller did this, what would happen when the original owner tries to report it?