Insider tips for buying used phones safely

It’s been years since the last time I purchased a new phone. I buy mine second-hand, and I haven’t had any bad luck yet. Here’s what I look for to make sure each purchase is legit.

Stick to reputable sites

I purchased my last phone from Swappa. Before that? I got two off eBay. And before that, I purchased an open-box device from Best Buy. All three of these have a reputation to uphold and processes in place to deal with scams. While you are exposed to more risk shopping on eBay than from Best Buy, either is better than sharing your address in someone’s DMs on Reddit.

While these three sites aren’t the only options out there, they are the only ones I personally consider. I generally can find the phones I want there, and when I’m ready to shop, I keep tabs on the model I have in mind until prices drop to the number I’m willing to pay. I’m writing these words on a 512GB Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 that I purchased on Swappa when the price dropped below $1000. That was significantly less than the $2000 this phone cost when it was brand new only a few months prior. In general, if you’re patient and look for deals, you’ll find foldable phones are not as pricey as you might think.

Only buy phones in mint or excellent condition

Personally speaking, I’m not going to even consider old phones with aging batteries or scratched screens. The more a phone has been used, the more risk you take on by placing the order. You never know who took steps to preserve their phone’s battery life and who just charged theirs to 100% overnight, every night. There’s no way of knowing ahead of time what that device has been through and what condition the internals are in.

An open box device on eBay is typically brand new or only barely used. In Best Buy’s case, open box simply means used and can be in any condition. There, you’re looking for phones described as “excellent.” On Swappa, the best condition is “mint.”

A phone can be in great condition for various reasons. Maybe it was a floor model or a phone that someone returned after quickly changing their mind. Or someone may have used a device for half a year but kept it protected in a case. I personally prefer to shop for open-box deals where I know a device hasn’t yet been used, but I’ll consider “like new” or “mint” for devices that haven’t been out for long.

This isn’t a hard and fast rule. I see a refurbished model in excellent condition, I’ll give it a look if the price is right. My primary point is that second-hand shopping does not mean walking away with someone’s beat-up old phone. It’s easy to find something that looks as good as new.

Look for photos and a description that confirm the condition

Since my latest phone wasn’t an open-box deal, I paid even more attention to the photos than I otherwise would. I wanted to be sure there weren’t any scratches or scuffs that would irk me down the line. Sellers on Swappa, I find, tend to do a decent job of supplying photos.

On both Swappa and eBay, I make sure to check the description. How did I know my phone had only been used for a few months? Well, the description said as much. The prior owner had only used this phone for a month or two and decided a book-style foldable just wasn’t for them. Based on the accessories they offered alongside the phone, I believed them. The included third-party MagSafe case also helped explain the phone’s condition. In general, if a seller takes the time to provide context that matches the photo, chances are you can take them seriously.

Pick a phone that has many years of updates ahead

I love reviewing quirky Android phones like the Minimal Phone and the Unihertz Titan 2. In the past, niche phones were the ones I was the most excited for. But now, I primarily look for a phone I know will have many years of software support.

This has been the issue plaguing Moto phones, which used to be my go-to recommendation based on their price and build quality. But as other companies started to offer many more years of software updates, Moto lagged behind. Likewise, as much as I might like the idea of a gaming phone like the ASUS ROG Phone 9, I’m not investing that much money on a device that might only get a couple years of updates.

This is why I say your best bet is to buy a phone from Apple, Samsung, or Google if you want to use a phone for as long as possible. Each of these companies offers seven years of updates or more. Since my Galaxy Z Fold 6 came out in 2024, I can continue using this phone until 2031 (assuming the hardware holds up that long—so far so good).

Make sure it’s an unlocked phone

If you’re accustomed to buying your phone directly from a carrier, here’s something you might not have had to think about before. If you’re buying a phone outright, you’ll be able to bring it to whichever carrier you want, but you’ll want to make sure the phone’s not locked to any one carrier before you buy. I prefer to buy phones that were unlocked when brand new rather than phones that were previously carrier-locked. In general, just make sure the listing says unlocked in the title, and you’re likely fine.

I use a foldable phone, and so does my wife. We didn’t pay anywhere near MSRP for either phone. I’m so comfortable shopping for phones used that I almost entirely disregard a new phone’s sales price when reading reviews. If you wait a few months, they’ll be available for much less on the second-hand market. And if you’re concerned with how well they’ll hold up, there’s nothing stopping you from buying phone insurance after the fact. With all the money you’ve saved, you’ll still come out ahead.