Carrier Blacklists and Stolen Phones - Buyers Beware (Video)

With the Nexus 5 days away from our door steps in a nice little box, we'll start seeing a lot of used phones flood the open market. With Canada's newly introduced carrier black list, there's a few things you really need to know before you hand over money to a stranger in exchange for that used phone.





When buying a used phone, here are the things you should be doing:

1. Call the carrier the phone belongs to with the IMEI number, they can tell you how old the phone is and if it holds any warranty also if it has been reported stolen.
2. Have the owner provide original receipt of purchase, along with the original box.
3. If step 2 is not possible, have the owner call their carrier and have the phones registration changed to be under your name and account.

Things you'll want to watch out for:

1. When someone tries to sell you a phone without a box, sometimes even without a charger. Chargers can be bought for $20 at any retail store and then easily sold with the stolen phone.
2. If the owner claims he forgot the password and cannot unlock the phone, or his buddy changed it on him as a joke. This is usually the case after it was just stolen moments ago.
3. If the price is too good to be true, it probably is... Don't expect to get a $500 phone for $300. these deals are designed for immediate sales and quite often end badly.

It's a terrible thing to say, but is very true in today's world. When there's money in hand, you have to assume everyone is lying. Prove they're telling the truth about their phone before your money walks away.