If you really want an iPhone and you don’t want to sign up to get service from AT&T then we will give you some options and their pros and cons.

You can buy from a someone you know. It can either be a family member or friend. Hopefully, when you buy from someone you know then you’re trusting them to tell you the truth about any problems with the phone.

You can try to find a used iPhone from pawn shops. In this economy, people are pawning off anything they have just to get money for rent. It’s possible to find these iPhones at pawn shops but you have to be on the lookout frequently as they sell out fast.

Another option is to visit the popular online classified website called craigslist.org. Sometimes you can find great deals on this site but you have to be weary of scamsters too. I will cover a lot of information on craigslist so that you know what to look for when using this site.

Many people will post an ad on craigslist to sell their iPhone for a lot cheaper than they should because they are in immediate need of cash. Others will post a phone for cheap simply because there is something wrong with the phone and they want to get rid of it to an unknowing victim.

When you see a post on craigslist for a good condition phone make sure to check out everything as much as possible. It’s best to meet the person at a location such as Starbucks so that you can check out the wifi signal strength of the iPhone. If something on the phone doesn’t work then you can negotiate the price down.

If you have a laptop, bring it along with you so that you can plug the iPhone into your laptop and see if it charges and connects to iTunes without any problems. Put your SIM card into the phone and make a test call to see if there are any problems with making or receiving calls.

If a phone is in good condition then you should be able to test it. Don’t let the seller give you any excuses. You should be prepared to test everything when you’re buying or else you are stuck with a phone which costs more to repair than is worth.

Never buy a phone which you cannot fully test. For example, if the LCD screen on the phone you’re looking to purchase doesn’t work, then obviously you can’t see anything to test the phone. Don’t think you can just fix the LCD and get a fully functional phone. A lot of times a bad LCD is a sign of other problems on the phone. Don’t fall for the low price if someone is selling you an iPhone with a bad LCD.

Another thing to check is the water damage indicators on the iPhone. Apple has placed two water damage indicators that you can view without opening up the iPhone. The first indicator lays just underneath the charging port at the bottom of the iPhone. The second indicator is located inside the headphone jack.

 

You will need a flashlight to see those indicators better. If they are red then the phone has been in contact with water or even a little moisture. Water damaged iPhones will start to malfunction over time as corrosion builds up inside the circuit board. Keep this in mind when buying used iPhones.

An alternative to buying a used iPhone from Craigslist.org is to buy an iPhone on eBay.com. eBay is the largest and most trusted online auction site on the web. At any given moment, you can find over 1,000 iPhones being sold.

The major pro of using eBay is that you get to see the ratings of eBay sellers so that its harder to get scammed. You also get the protection from eBay if you buy something and its not as described. The negative side to buying from eBay is that you have to wait for shipping and you don’t get to test the item. The pros of using eBay far outweigh the cons in our opinion.

Now you should know where and how to buy used iPhones. Our suggestion is to use eBay.

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