Whether you are upgrading to the latest iPhone, selling an old one, or just need some quick cash, you may find yourself wanting to sell your beloved iPhone.

There is a lot of trade of used iPhones in South Africa and in the past, most of this trade happened via classified sites.

Many people would love to upgrade their phone but their financial capability just doesn’t let them buy it new. The new prices are through the roof – especially with the current exchange rate. This drives the market for good second-hand Apple iPhones.

Some people sell their brand new, sealed devices which they received as an upgrade. Others sell lightly used devices that only show light signs of wear. And then there are still those who try to get whatever they can for their iPhone that looks like it was driven over by a frontend loader, twice. Our website actually buys broken phones all the time – we can refurbish them or used them for spares.

But here is the real question: How should you choose to sell your device?

Learn the dangers, risks and advantages of two different methods in this guide:

Methods for Selling Your Device

When it comes to selling your phone, the internet is likey your first port of call. I still clearly remember riding my bicycle up to the local BP garage to buy the latest Junkmail paper – and then spending hours scouring each page for bargains. I’m so glad those days are over!

There are two main ways of using the internet to try turn your iPhone into cash:

Method 1: Sell your iPhone in person via a classified site

The first option is selling it in person. This means that you post an ad (and repeatedly dismiss the prompts that try get you to pay for your advert to have increased visibility on their site.

That’s the easy part. Once your ad is up – the real fun begins. Calls all through the night, scammers, low-ballers and tyre-kickers.

This is how it should work: The person who wants to buy it contacts you. The two of you meet up and handle the purchase the old fashioned way. You meet in a safe place and everything goes smoothly. Unfortunately these exchanges rarely run as smoothly as that should.

Method 2: Sell your iPhone online via a site like SellYouriPhone.co.za

The second and easy option is to sell it online. You get a price right away and all you have to do is wait for the courier to arrive, on the day you request.

Below is a summary of the pros and cons of the two different methods:

• Speed of sale

When selling via a classifieds site, you have no idea how long it is going to take to sell the phone. You might end up taking tens of phone calls (at all hours of the day at night), trying to answer messages received via the classified’s app, and being bombarded by WhatsApp messages.

Selling via a “buy back” website like ours gets rid of all of that frustration. You get a price right away and that’s it. If all is as you said it was (you choose what condition the phone is in, what capacity it is and which accessories it comes with) then there’s no negotiation at all. The couriers collect your phone, we test it and then we pay you. Simple and safe!

• Get your desired price

When you choose to sell your device online, you are offered a price – in real-time. No one enjoys haggling – you’ve got better things to do with your time.

• Avoid scammers and time wasters

There are a lot of people online who are just out to rip people off. Scammers, petty thieves and all sorts of characters can appear during your sales attempt online.

If you choose to sell your phone in person, you are agreeing to meeting a stranger who knows you have an expensive phone on you. You may end up losing your possession and not get any money for it. Our founder, Brad, was on the wrong end of a deal like this, which promoted the founding of our group of companies, as a way to help people avoid similar situations. Our unofficial mission is to “Keep Scammers Skinny”. We want to make sure there are no opportunities out there for them to rip people off. If we can offer fair prices and good service, there is no reason to resort to selling in person, via classifieds.

Some of the fun experiences to be had when selling in person:

Late buyers: This can be due to an honest mistake or it can be just because the other person doesn’t value your time. Again, Brad, experienced this over and over when selling via classifieds before he started this business. The worst was the time he left a family braai to meet with a seller at a Nando’s 5km from home. The “buyer” had confirmed the time but never rocked up. Calls were not answered and messages were ignored. Hours later, the “buyer” contacted him, asking if he still wanted to sell his phone. Crazy.

This won’t happen if you sell your phone online.

Conclusion

SellYouriPhone.co.za was birthed out of frustration. There just had to be a better way for the man in the street to sell their goods! In 2013 we began building this business to scratch our own itch. We are very grateful that we’ve been able to help thousands of others do the same! Let’s Keep the Scammers Skinny!