Last weekend I purchased a used cell phone on ebay. My contract isn't up for quite a while and I've been looking to upgrade, but totally unwilling to pay full retail price, so ebay was the place to go. I was surprised by how expensive even used smart phones can be, but I found one that I liked and hit the "Buy it Now" button.
The woman who was selling the phone said the phone had a few scratches on the back and some surface scratches on the screen. She said she ships immediately; she guaranteed that it had a clear ESN number; and she offered a 30-day money back guarantee on the phone if it didn't work. Of course, such a promises and guarantees are only as good as a person's word.
I got the phone today. When I opened it, the phone was in the exact condition that the seller said it was. I took it to Verizon and the ESN was clear. They didn't charge me to activate the phone, which made me a happy camper. I picked up a nice case for it and I was out of the store in less than 15 minutes.
I'm the type who has to have my gadgets set up just the way I want them: the perfect font size, theme, beeps, etc. That took me much longer to get set up, but as of right now, I have a perfectly functioning new/old phone and I'm extremely happy with the person who sold it to me.
I'm a bit skeptical when it comes to making such purchases because, like most people, I've been burned a time or two. So it's nice to run into somebody who is honest and follows through on her promises.
