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How I Sold My iPhone in 24 Hours For More Than I Paid
Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 12:00 AM on June 4, 2008
With the possible announcement of the 3G iPhone only a week away, many current iPhone owners are itching to upgrade, which takes money. Other people, finally bitten by the iPhone bug, are eager to buy one, only they are harder to find in stores. This creates a nice, natural supply-and-demand formula that we managed to exploit not once but twice on eBay. Not only did I sell my iPhone in 24 hours, but I sold it for more than I paid.
A week ago, Benny and I both made the decision to sell our 8GB iPhones. Even though the iPhone is now a year old, there is still huge demand for it. On a weekly basis, lines form inside and even outside Apple stores, specifically for the iPhone. This dwindling stock of iPhones on the web and in stores makes it a perfect item to sell on eBay, new or used.
Having sold items before on eBay, I knew to check how many iPhones were currently for sale. My search brought back 1,800 auctions. At first I thought, no way would I fetch decent money for my six-month-old phone. But after studying the eBay iPhone market, I noticed something strange. Of the 1,800 iPhones on eBay, a whopping 1,200 are unlocked. And of those 1,200 unlocked, 800 are basically brand new. These new unlocked iPhones will easily reach over $500 for 8GB models and $600 for 16GB models.
But current iPhone owners have, by definition, used iPhones. Turns out, that's OK. In my research, used 8GB iPhone auctions usually ended around US$350, which is good money. But by following a few strategies, a used iPhone can easily sell for more than that.
What to Include
Since most of the auctions are for new iPhones, it's best to have the original box and accessories, This will allow the auction to compete with the new ones, and buyers pay much more for a complete set.
Unlocked = $$$
Even if it might be unauthorised, having an unlocked iPhone will bring much more attention. Used unlocked iPhone auctions usually end above US$400 for 8GB models and above US$500 for 16GB models. And these figures are on the low end of the results, and it's not uncommon for 8GB iphones to sell above US$500, like these two, here and here, that sold for US$560. So by simply selling a Pwned and unlocked iPhone, a much higher selling price can be expected.
Listing Duration
A week ago when I sold my iPhone, I had originally listed it with a 7-day auction. This was a mistake. 24-hours after my listing was posted, not a single person had looked at it. With over 33 pages of iPhones on eBay, it made sense that no one was going to search all the way to page 33 to see new listings.
So the shorter the listing time the better, and the 1-day listing option was the best. Not only did it put the auction on the 9th page of the search, as opposed to the 33rd, it also provided instant gratification, since it only took 24 hours for the iPhone to sell.
Starting Price/No Reserve
Even if the listing has only 1 day, starting it off at a low amount is smart. By having an auction that starts at $1 with a no-reserve price, it attracts more watchers, and usually brings a higher selling price. Yes, having no reserve could mean that your precious auction item sells for 3 bucks, but it hasn't happened to any of the 8,000 completed iPhone sales on eBay, so why would it happen to yours?
Shipping
It's also smart to say you'll ship worldwide, especially for unlocked iPhones. Most of the unlocked iPhones that advertise worldwide shipping not only attracted more watchers and brought more money but, surprisingly or not, they also usually ended up selling within the US.
Title & Keywords
The most important part of selling an iPhone on eBay is the title, since it basically attracts the buyer. A good title it will bring more watchers, and using popular keywords is the way to go. Stuff like "No Reserve," "NR," "Unlocked," "Jailbroken," "Any GSM SIM," "Original Box" and "Accessories" are just a few. If the auction ships worldwide, then make sure the title advertises this. In this auction, simply stating "Ship Worldwide" brought in $610 for a used 8GB. The more keywords the better, so it's best to add a subtitle for an extra 50 cents. This allows for a whole extra line which will fit much more of the important keywords. Here's a solid, winning title and subtite:
UNLOCKED Apple iPhone 8GB Jailbroken Any GSM SIMBy using these techniques I was able to sell my used iPhone for $425 ($410 after fees), and it has made me even more excited for Steve Jobs' keynote on June 9th. Bathtub-lovin' Benny did a little worse, or a little better depending on how you look at it: He didn't advertise worldwide shipping, he had an aftermarket charger instead of the original one and his iPhone had a big scratch on it, and he still cleared $380. After expenses!
Original Box and Accessories SHIPS WORLDWIDE
For current iPhone owners who have been contemplating selling in anticipation for the new iPhone, you might want to act quickly while it's still a seller's market. Then again, the market may already be flooded.
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
Buy Roomba
Posted June 4, 2008 11:48 PM
The iPhone comes out in Australia very soon. I don't think they will have the locked to x network like in other countries.
What they should have done is just put all the iPhones on eBay and none in stores. Just list them, one after the other, you could even number them. Could you imagine how much a fan boy would pay for iPhone #0000001!
They could sell 1 every second for the first few weeks I think, start them at 1c each with 7 day eBay auctions and I bet the first one off the blocks would sell for thousands (even if it wasn't individually numbered / serialized).
MastaFalse
Posted 12:50 AM 4/6/08
Hmm ... should I buy an iPhone, or do I STILL not give a shit? I'll buy the iPhone only if there's a diminished chance of me getting brain cancer from using it when compared to a normal phone. Srsly. >:|
7G ftw :D
MastaFalse
Gizmo
Posted 12:47 AM 4/6/08
And let's not forget that not every country in the world has iPhones just yet. That may change after next week though.
Gizmo
Sunatic
Posted 12:43 AM 4/6/08
Are the AT&T Stores still selling refurbished iphones at 250?
Sunatic
discounteggroll
Posted 12:43 AM 4/6/08
err, I'll sell my used 8gb iPhone for $400 if anyone wants. it'll come with discounteggroll's seal of approval.
discounteggroll gmail com
discounteggroll
DeLarge
Posted 12:43 AM 4/6/08
Sounds great, the only issue is to post "Shipping Worldwide", that opens a wide door to con artists (Nigerians are known to be the more active). There are terror histories about that.
DeLarge
KingHater
Posted 12:39 AM 4/6/08
Are people planning to do this every time Apple upgrades the product? How exhausting.
What's wrong with sitting on your current iPhone until, I don't know, 4th gen or something, when they've really ironed their shit out? I just can't justify stressing over the privilege of paying expensive 3G data rates, a GPS system I will frankly never use, and videoconferencing I don't need (I'd rather be able to talk on the phone and pick my nose in private), just to tell people I have it.
KingHater
krisve
Posted 12:36 AM 4/6/08
The dollar is weak, AND electronics is cheap in the US anyways. For me the US dollar has gotten almost 30% cheaper, so Now I can buy stuff in the US, pay toll, VAT, shipping, and everything and still it will be alot cheaper than here. If only laptops could be sold with other keyboards than the english one I would order one today!
krisve
Joseph
Posted 12:36 AM 4/6/08
My current iPhone is being quarantined for development and I'll probably buy two iPhone 2's.
Joseph
jsonin
Posted 12:35 AM 4/6/08
Too bad your personal data is still easily recoverable even after a restore. Wipe your data using: [www.zdziarski.com]
jsonin
f0rge
Posted 12:29 AM 4/6/08
that's a good plan...i should sell mine too.
f0rge
Mikael
Posted 12:26 AM 4/6/08
Couldn't it also be because of the weak dollar? A _lot_ of the iPhones on american eBay are exported to Europe and other parts of the world. Over the past year the USD has gone down by ~15% vs the Euro, which means that in theory Europeans would be willing to spend 15% more (in USD) for their phone. That would be the equivalent of $460 now vs $400 a year ago. Great for sellers in America :)
Mikael
P3nnst8r
Posted 12:25 AM 4/6/08
DEAR Christopher Mascari,
I HOPE YOU ARE WELL. I NOTICED THAT YOU WERE SELLING A Used 8GB iPhone ON eBay. MY AUNT RECENTLY PASSED AWAY, GOD REST HER SOUL, AND ALL SHE EVER WANTED WAS FOR HER SON TO GET A Used 8GB iPhone FROM eBay. I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR ONE, AND CAME ACROSS YOURS. I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY RIGHT NOW, UBT IF YOU CAN PLEASE SEND THE Used 8GB iPhone TO ME, I WILL PAY YOU DOUBLE IN 2 WEEKS UPON RECEIVING IT.
YOU CAN EMAIL ME WITH YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION AND WE WILL START COMMUNICATION.
REMAIN BLESSED.
Mr. Dave Winfield
P3nnst8r
GeekyNerdGuy
Posted 12:25 AM 4/6/08
Are they worth more or less with pics on my yangus on there?
GeekyNerdGuy
phi
Posted 12:25 AM 4/6/08
@f00fighter: someone posted a fix to that, not sure how well it works though
phi
f00fighter
Posted 12:23 AM 4/6/08
How'd you deal with the issue of wiping your sensitive\private data from it?? [www.tuaw.com]
f00fighter
mricpx
Posted 12:19 AM 4/6/08
One of my friends was planning on buying a iphone last week, but I convinced him to hold off until the new one comes out. I tried to get him to look at something other than the iphone, but he's set on it because "it's an iphone".
mricpx
thistle.john
Posted 12:16 AM 4/6/08
@MadColombian:
thats 200$ after subsidies, so they may well charge 500$ and you get 300$ back after signing up for the contract, to make sure that there is a Tax on unlockers!
thistle.john
MadColombian
Posted 12:15 AM 4/6/08
@Ftp1423: Yeah. Very true. If people would of researched just a tad bit they would of known that the next-gen iPhone might just come out for 200-300 (unconfirmed though) but just that idea, would make me wait.
Their going to be pissed off come monday...
MadColombian
stoleriko
Posted 12:15 AM 4/6/08
I can tell you that allot of stupid people here in Israel will pay allot for your old iPhone
stoleriko
Ftp1423
Posted 12:12 AM 4/6/08
Unbelievable that there are people willing to spend this much money on a used iPhone when a new model is just over the horizon. I guess making the assumption that if you are going to buy something, you are going to do alittle reasearch and quickly realize another iPhone is coming out. Absolutely amazing
Ftp1423
thistle.john
Posted 12:11 AM 4/6/08
Imported from the US, sorry!
(for 400$)
thistle.john
thistle.john
Posted 12:10 AM 4/6/08
Did the same here in the UK,
7 months ago, i imported an iPhone from the uk...
...then sold it as used for £240
making a fantastic £41.90 profit
(thats about $80)
Not bad, get paid to use the worlds best phone!!)
thistle.john
MadColombian
Posted 12:10 AM 4/6/08
i wish i would of bought one of those refurbished ones to sell on ebay now... lol
MadColombian
jekyoo_style
Posted 1:13 AM 4/6/08
I easily sold my 16gb iPhone for $500 on craigslist. I had about 6 calls/voicemails about people who wanted to buy it off me. I'm pretty sure I could of gotten more for it but $500 was good for me.
jekyoo_style
spincast
Posted 1:11 AM 4/6/08
Sold mine for $450 while on a trip to South America. There are craigslist pages for a number of international cities.
spincast
William Hook
Posted 1:06 AM 4/6/08
@P3nnst8r: Haha, almost. £100 is about $195 USD.
William Hook
sorensilk
Posted 1:06 AM 4/6/08
I've done this for years. If you buy a high end phone when it's released, there is always someone willing to pay a decent price for it 6 months to a year later. Usually what I get on ebay covers most of the cost of my next phone. So I may be paying $500 every year for a new phone but I get most of it back. It's a great system if you're an early adopter.
sorensilk
TVGenius
Posted 1:03 AM 4/6/08
@stoleriko: There's plenty of stupid people here in the States, too, apparently.
TVGenius
redrabbit
Posted 1:01 AM 4/6/08
This really is exhausting work, selling the current iphone just in time for the new one? Like what the hell? Can't you just sit with it for a while, or do you have to be like kids and get next expensive truck on the toy shelf, jeez.
redrabbit
P3nnst8r
Posted 1:00 AM 4/6/08
@Wiliam Hook: £100, that's like $5000 in American Dollars / Monopoly Money, isn't it?
/joke, although not too far off
P3nnst8r
kadtech
Posted 1:00 AM 4/6/08
I would do it, but I can't be without a phone for a week. And what if I sold mine, and then the new one is back ordered? I'd have to buy a cheap phone and negate all profits!
kadtech
William Hook
Posted 12:59 AM 4/6/08
I have my own story to tell about this - I purchased an iPhone for my own use a couple of months ago when O2 had their special £169 offer on.
So, a few days later, I thought, what the hell, I'll get another one and see if I can sell it on eBay, unlocked, for £179. Sure it's only a £10 profit, but it's still a profit for me walking into town and getting another one!
eBay UK actually limit your auction to a minimum of 5 days, so I listed it for that long and, lo and behold, I sold it. But not for £179. Not even for £199. I sold it for a whopping £269 (plus another £10 shipping), which is a fantastic £100 profit!
And all I did was buy one, bring it home, open it, unlock it, seal it up again, and post it off 5 days later.
I would have done it again but the local stores have all sold out of iPhones so...I can't. :(
William Hook
literato
Posted 12:58 AM 4/6/08
Anybody can explain the reason to buy an old iPhone, when the new one will be released the next week? Even if the 2nd gen iPhone is not a the stores until July, I can´t understand that business.
Personally, I will wait for the new one. Meanwhile, good luck with those profitable trades with your 1st gen iPhones.
literato
Pixelantes Anonymous
Posted 12:55 AM 4/6/08
You really going to ship to Nigeria or Romania?
Pixelantes Anonymous
Monty
Posted 1:41 AM 4/6/08
Kudos to Giz to take a standard 'how to sell an item on eBay' story and make it into an iPhone story. (I am kidding. But, you guys are Apple fanboys.)
My experience on selling items on eBay is that they usually go for more money then I generally thought possible. It is amazing what people will pay for old cra - er, I mean 'valuable pre-owned products'.
Monty
B1663R
Posted 1:40 AM 4/6/08
Nice picture, the reflection doesn't line up just quite right.
that is all, resume normal operations....
B1663R
TonyRockyHorror
Posted 1:39 AM 4/6/08
if the 3G iPhone is indeed subsidized in some way, then my wife and i will both get new ones, instead of my giving her my original iPhone. i'll either keep it as an emergency backup or gift it to a friend.
TonyRockyHorror
Sunatic
Posted 1:38 AM 4/6/08
nobody knows if the 8gb refurbished iphones are still being sold in AT&T stores??
Sunatic
Evangelion
Posted 1:31 AM 4/6/08
I went to the apple store just last week thats, and I told one of the "geniuses" at the genius bar that my 8GB phone had a speaker that was blown out. It wasn't blown out, I just wanted to see if I could grab a new iPhone. The guy didnt even check the speaker, and just gave me a new one, so I got the new iPhone and put it up on ebay. I thought that the guys at the store would have checked the phone more thoroughly, but I guess I was wrong. :)
And I made a good $70 profit. :)
Evangelion
ViperBorg
Posted 1:30 AM 4/6/08
@P3nnst8r: LOL!
ViperBorg
justinpe
Posted 1:26 AM 4/6/08
Awesome idea. Not sure if I am willing to take some of the risks involved though. I got a refurbished one from Apple last October, so I could potentially make a profit, but...
What if the new iPhone is only announced next week, and not available for a month or more (I'll be stuck using my crappy motorola with a data plan I cant use)? What if the data plan is more expensive and beyond my budget? What if some of the features I really want aren't included on the new version? What if I don;t get what I want for it?
There are also some potential advantages....
What if the new iPhone is subsidized and sells for $200? That would make my current iPhone virtually worthless. What if the new iPhone has all of the features I really want?
Anyway, I think I will wait till next week and see what happens. I may just buy the new one if it is only $200 or so and give my current one to my girlfriend, idk.
justinpe
vinchbr
Posted 1:54 AM 4/6/08
i bet that if you put gizmodo employee owned, signed by gizmodo staff it would go for much higher =D
vinchbr
googcs
Posted 1:52 AM 4/6/08
Thought I share how I made more money then chris did in less time selling my iPhone.
[minddetergent.blogspot.com]
googcs
mangamonster
Posted 1:52 AM 4/6/08
@mangamonster:
And of course, I don't support anything I stated...it's just random info....but it's there
mangamonster
mangamonster
Posted 1:50 AM 4/6/08
@Kevin Doyle:
In regards to your contract...I dunno, sorry :(
mangamonster
mangamonster
Posted 1:50 AM 4/6/08
@Kevin Doyle:
reset the phone (wipe it), then jailbreak/unlock...it's really easy to do with Z*****e
Now you've increased it's value.
:)
mangamonster
Kevin Doyle
Posted 1:43 AM 4/6/08
What do you do about your two year AT&T contract? If you signed the contract you also have to pay the early termination fee right?
Kevin Doyle
Pender
Posted 1:42 AM 4/6/08
@Evangelion: Wow, so you committed fraud and cheated a company out of an expensive bit of electronics. No doubt you've come up with someway to rationalize why this is better than just shoplifting the electronics outright. Congratulations, I guess.
Pender
wolfenstein-3d
Posted 2:25 AM 4/6/08
well... i think it's about that time that i put my iphone up on ebay. I could totally live without this thing until i get a new phone! ... hopefully i can anyways.
wolfenstein-3d
adam
Posted 2:24 AM 4/6/08
So I assume you take the SIM card out before you sell/ship it? The buyers assume they need to use their own SIM ? Is that how it works?
adam
MikeSWelch
Posted 2:19 AM 4/6/08
@KingHater: @redrabbit: @Kevin Doyle: The reason this is important to do now, is the rumors that the new phone may be subsidized. If you can sell the current model for $400 today, and a week from today, the new model is selling for $200, it would be stupid not to upgrade. As for the people who are buying them... Shhhhh!
Also the 2 year contract only forces you to keep the line open with ATT, it doesn't force you to use the iPhone that you bought. You can switch to any phone you like, or not use it at all!
MikeSWelch
LindsayJoy's has an 8" 2nd degree burn from MacBookPro
Posted 2:10 AM 4/6/08
The best part of this article were the Benny-in-the-bath links!
Please please please I beg you to more Benny!
Wait. Why doesn't everyone from Giz do this???
LindsayJoy's has an 8" 2nd degree burn from MacBookPro
Wireless Joe
Posted 2:10 AM 4/6/08
A fool and his money,...etc.
Wireless Joe
justinpe
Posted 2:49 AM 4/6/08
@Sunatic:
No, they are not, haven't been for a long time now. Not too hard to find this out by going to ATTs site.
justinpe
Kaiser-Machead
Posted 2:42 AM 4/6/08
@KingHater: From a practical standpoint, I agree wholeheartedly. I don't intend to sell my 5.5G iPod 80GB until it's only good for spare parts, but from a buyer's point of view, people who play the expensive game of techno-curve surfing are a great way to get cheap stuff, especially if you don't really care if it's the latest and greatest.
Kaiser-Machead
Semper_mac
Posted 2:28 AM 4/6/08
I put up my used 16GB iPhone on eBay last week. I did a software unlock and it sold for $570 with shipping charges. After all the fee's I got about $40 more than what I paid for it . It has been a rough week without the iPhone.
Plus when I signed up for ATT I got 2 Blackjack II phones for free which I sold for a total of $500...So I basically got an iPhone for free, and now got a free upgrade to 3G.
Semper_mac
Igor1080
Posted 2:10 AM 4/6/08
I can pretty much burst your bubble right now. I bought my 8GB iPhone for $350 from a private AT&T store in Brooklyn and about a year later I went to the Apple store, had it replaced, sold it on eBay unlocked and brand new with used accessories for $530. Thats a profit of.... $180. Also you missed a couple of pointers, Free shipping attracts buyers and a very detailed colorful listing with good pictures does too, as well as offering paypal support.
Igor1080
KingHater
Posted 3:10 AM 4/6/08
@Kaiser-Machead:
Well, another factor for me, living as I do in Toronto -- is that Canada, amazingly, doesn't even "officially" have the iPhone available yet for retail, and our local carriers' available 3G data rates are ridiculously expensive.
So it becomes a whole process of buying the phone from the U.S., getting it cracked, and then waiting to see whether you get sodomized on your bill. If I were a 3G iPhone buyer in Canada, I'd be hoping that the rumored 3G on/off toggle switch turns out to be a reality.
KingHater
mxmarks
Posted 3:10 AM 4/6/08
Yeah - is there any way for me to do this, and KEEP the number I have for my current iPhone, ready to transfer it to the iPhone2 I will be buying?
Because I'd really miss the constant calls from debt collectors for Cheryl Metz.
mxmarks
heroineworshipper
Posted 3:06 AM 4/6/08
Lots of electronics are selling for 20% more than 5 months ago. But Apple is king.
heroineworshipper
Vonn64
Posted 3:46 AM 4/6/08
I'd sell mine for $400.
all parts, really new.. (1-2 months old)
well.. no. i'm missing the headphones. lol. headphones.
jailbroken, unlocked, 1.1.4.. etc.
flyt4@yahoo.com
Vonn64
f00fighter
Posted 3:44 AM 4/6/08
@phi: I know, I saw that post but never saw a follow-up to confirm (or refute) this method of data deletion, so I was curious to see how Chris wiped his data from his iPhone before selling it.
f00fighter
packetsniffer
Posted 3:37 AM 4/6/08
Christopher, shortening the duration of your auction does not raise the price. Why are you posting this article anyway? Is Giz going to start a new "How to buy and sell on eBay" series or what? I think we have Video Professor for that already.
packetsniffer
lankysob
Posted 3:35 AM 4/6/08
You should add "Ships Worldwide" to this article's title. Maybe that'll fix the problem with the reflection in your image.
lankysob
OGHowie
Posted 3:26 AM 4/6/08
Doing the same this week with my 8gb. I even got a new replacement from Apple since it was having some minor problems and put it up as a brand new refurb. :)
OGHowie
odnet
Posted 3:19 AM 4/6/08
I am wanting to buy Iphone for nehpew in nigerai ,I am away in russuia at peace conference. PLEASE send me your routing number and I will charge my fedex acount.
sincerely, why you should never say international shipping.
odnet
Annex1
Posted 3:49 AM 4/6/08
tsk tsk. Using a major gadget website as advertising for your eBay auctions.
Annex1
James
Posted 4:36 AM 4/6/08
I'd do this if my wife didn't keep losing out spare cell phones.
The whole iPhone 2 is still speculation, but what about contract with it? I'll keep with ATT, but have another year's worth of contract with my first iphone. can I get an iphone 2 and just extend my contract w/o early termination?
James
CEOself
Posted 4:22 AM 4/6/08
(8gb iPhone, locked, never jailbroken, original box,, original accessories, Agent 18 case, shield zone on screen since new)
(Apple Bluetooth headset, with travel charger, desk charger)
(Monster car charger, with Audio out plug)
$450 shipped from Colorado, meet if local
ceoself @ gmail.com
CEOself
itchytooth
Posted 4:13 AM 4/6/08
I'm just about to do this with my used one and an AT&T refurb. Bring on the booms!
itchytooth
MikeSWelch
Posted 4:54 AM 4/6/08
@James: The contract is only for keeping a line open with ATT, they don't give a shit what you do with your phone.
MikeSWelch
igotsnakeeyes
Posted 4:45 AM 4/6/08
The current Iphone I'm using right now, I found it lying near the coffee area in a friend's gas station. The phone was either disabled or calls were locked, that I couldn't call any of the people in the contact list, the call wouldn't go through. After keeping it with a friend who works in the gas station for a week thinking anyone would be back but wasn't. So I used jailbreak to hack it and I already had an AT&T account so it has been working like a charm ever since. Now i'm gonna' sell it for 100% profit! MUHAUAUAHAHA!!
igotsnakeeyes
Evangelion
Posted 4:41 AM 4/6/08
@Pender: Funny, I don't remember anything about shoplifting a phone...
I swapped out my used one, which was like 5 months old, for the one I got at the apple store and then I unlocked it and put it up on ebay. I have been on my third iPhone anyways, cause one had a defective battery, and the other a dead touch screen, so the who process was just easy. I just cancelled my iPhone data plan about a week ago, and now I'm stuck with using my old motorola SLVR until the 3G iPhone hits the shelves...
I invested in buying a new iPhone dock, headphones, and a new cable, to make sure that everything in the box was new. Now I have to manage to live through a few more days without my iPhone. >.<
But yeah, continue congratulating me. I found it to be kinda funny. :)
Evangelion
what the Ph15h?
Posted 5:24 AM 4/6/08
ebay heads have been doing this for years... Unlocked just makes the customers feel better and feel that the purchase was justified.
what the Ph15h?
vivianaranha
Posted 3:10 AM 4/6/08
Iphone is not yet released in a lot of countries... so what most of the people do is sell them in other countries like for instance my friend he sold the iphone for 500$ in India....
Rumors in india say that iphone will be released there in dec at $625 approximate.... so somethere there will happily buy it for 500 then getting one at 625....
vivianaranha
MBPro
Posted 7:02 AM 4/6/08
haha im helping my friend sell his for 7% of whatever it sells for.
[cgi.ebay.com]
GO BID.
MBPro
Ferg1
Posted 10:33 AM 4/6/08
I WILL SELL MY PHONE- 400$ everything it came with and yeah... Alex.greenberg1@gmail.com
Ferg1
wcnghj
Posted 10:45 AM 4/6/08
You do realize the 8GB iphones that ended at $560 were bidded up by the sellers using another account and the sellers won the item themselves.
It gives it away when they have 0-2 feedback and the everything they have bid on is from one seller.
wcnghj
Evangelion
Posted 12:09 PM 4/6/08
@mikeklein: I Didn't see it that way man. I guess I was in such a rush this morning that I didn't completely read the comment.
@Pender: Sorry about the earlier post man.
Evangelion
mikeklein
Posted 11:53 AM 4/6/08
@Evangelion: Learn to read dude...and while you're at it learn NOT to commit fraud too...kay?
From Pender's post:
"...No doubt you've come up with someway to rationalize why this is better than just shoplifting the electronics outright."
See all those crazy words before shoplifting? Depending upon how you arrange them they change the meaning of the sentence...crazy huh?
mikeklein
reallynotnick
Posted 1:10 PM 4/6/08
Yeah I would jump on this bandwagon if it was not for the fact I have to have a unlocked phone and it will take awhile for the new iPhone to be unlocked.
Oh well, it was one of those $250 refurb ones from ATT, so I shouldn't loose anything on it when I flip it. ;P
Not to mention it is actually a non-refurb as it had a blue tint to the screen and I had to send it back, so I went from like a week 35 to a week 15 :D!
reallynotnick
D_Zarster
Posted 3:54 PM 4/6/08
bought a iPhone via. Ebay from the states for $480 and had it for 3 weeks before I sold it for $680... It pays to live in denmark.. ^ ^ and that was all before the first software hack that allows other simcards was released. one week before for that actually.
D_Zarster
Ambigous Blob
Posted 4:42 PM 4/6/08
Wouldn't it be funny if during his keynote Steve yelled out a big "SIKE" instead of his trademark "BOOM!" in response to the possible release of an iPhone 2? Imagine the fanboys in the crowds reaction! The screams of pain! Oh, the horror!!! Still proud you sold your iPhone? Right? Anyone?...
I thought it was funny...
Something just occurred to me btw, what if every time a site or blogger dropped another rumor about iPhone 2, a fairy died? Imagine the fairy Genocide! (Sorry, but I just watched "Hook" on cable...)
"RUUUUUUFEEEEEEEEOOOOOHHHHHHH!"
Ambigous Blob
akmarksman
Posted 10:37 PM 4/6/08
i saved a bunch of money by not buying the apple cell phone..
and saved even more by switching to Geico ;)
Geico.com
akmarksman
DeanPolydeuces
Posted 7:41 AM 4/6/08
@kadtech:
Buy a cheap-o any SIM phone from Wal-Mart for $15. I verified that my iPhone SIM would work in one just a few minutes ago but you can't access your address book. Oh well, I think I can deal with that for a week or so if I have to.
DeanPolydeuces
ARGuck
Posted 3:32 AM 5/6/08
I'm a little confused, I'm selling my iPhone on ebay, but I don't know if I'm supposed to include my SIM. Am I supposed to keep it and they supply their own SIM which may force them to restore the phone, losing the jailbreak I have on it? Or am I supposed to send them my iphone with the SIM and like call AT&T and have them transfer my phone number to a different SIM?
ARGuck
wcnghj
Posted 5:32 AM 5/6/08
DO NOT INCLUDE THE SIM CARD!! If it is unlocked, they can just put in their sim card.
wcnghj
Nick_Bentley
Posted 1:03 PM 5/6/08
The problem with shipping worldwide is that the address verification system and Paypal seller protection only applies to U.S. addresses. Fraud is a problem for overseas shipments, especially of electronics. Also If they do a chargeback you need to show signed proof of delivery, and it can be a nightmare if you ship the cheapest method which is USPS but they don't track a package or prove it was delivered outside the U.S. border. I just wouldn't ship outside the country if you can avoid it. The risk is incredible and shipping charges are insane.
Nick_Bentley
Adam Shegrud
Posted 8:54 PM 5/6/08
The problem with shipping worldwide is that the address verification system and Paypal seller protection only applies to U.S. addresses.
@Nick_Bentley:
Actually the seller protection applies to the UK and Canada as well. You still need a verified address though so watch out for that. I got burned on that shit once.
Adam Shegrud
Adam Shegrud
Posted 8:52 PM 5/6/08
"The more keywords the better, so it's best to add a subtitle for an extra 50 cents. This allows for a whole extra line which will fit much more of the important keywords."
@Christopher Mascari:
The subtitle only allows you to add just that, a subtitle.
It is not searchable unless the user doing the search selects to check titles and listings, in which case all the words of the listing are searched, no need for a subtitle.
That beings said, the subtitle is still not a bad idea for only 50 cents. But use it to convey extra title info that you don't need to be searchable, such as "Free Shipping" or "I LOVE STEVE JOBS WITH ALL MY HEART"
Adam Shegrud
untitledjL
Posted 1:52 AM 6/6/08
My auction just ended at 475usd. Thanks gizmodo for the heads up, I contemplated selling it but your article made it easier to justify the energy to sell. Thanks, keep up the good work.
untitledjL
d3h872
Posted 6:10 AM 7/6/08
My unlocked iPhone auction ended yesterday at $510 USD + shipping, to someone in Spain who paid just hours later. Thanks for the tips, Giz! Can't wait until Monday!
d3h872