Have you ever bought or sold an Android phone on a reseller site?

By Jeramy Johnson
last updated

Galaxy S10 page on Swappa
Galaxy S10 page on Swappa (Image credit: Joe Maring / Android Central)

During good and bad economic times, one surefire way to either make some money or save some money is to dabble in the smartphone and tech gadget reseller marketplace. If you're anything like us, you probably have a drawer (or closet) full of old gadgets that could use a new home or be of use to someone else. Even if those devices are beyond salvage, you can still responsibly donate or recycle them. Alternatively, you might be in the market for a new device but are considering buying a used phone to save some money.

We noticed a discussion on the AC forums about this very topic:

Just curious if anyone has bought off of SWAPPA, they have Mint Note 20 Ultra for around 800.00. Is it trust worthy?, good deal? I would buy unless the seller has an excellent rating and has sold at least a 1000 items.

1814

I've bought few devices from them and look for what you mentioned and went smoothly

mustang7757

Yes it’s safe. I’ve sold and purchased from swappa with no problems. They verify Imei numbers to check and make sure it’s not reported stolen and that it’s paid off. Plus they use PayPal so your purchase is secure if you have any issues.

James Rogers2

I've heard great things about Swappa! Plenty of users around the forums have used them and have had not only successful purchases, but had found excellent deals in the process!

Morty2264

I bought my Tab s6 tablet from Swappa. I received the device, pen, book cover keyboard, book cover case, screen protector, extra nibs & the original box. You just have to do your research on the seller & be patient for a good deal. Good Luck. :)

BerryBubbles

We want to hear from you — Have you ever bought or sold an Android phone on a third-party reseller site like Swappa? What was your experience like?

Join the conversation in the forums!

Jeramy Johnson
Jeramy Johnson
Editor-in-chief

Jeramy is the Editor-in-Chief of Android Central. He is proud to help *Keep Austin Weird* and loves hiking in the hill country of central Texas with a breakfast taco in each hand. You can follow him on Twitter at @jeramyutgw.

9 Comments
  • I've always used Craigslist. Works every time.
  • I have bought several handsets (including my most recent one) on Swappa, although I do not use it to sell devices. On the other hand, a unit I purchased on ebay was diverted because the seller was duped by an intervening email intercepting the shipping instructions (the seller was an idiot) and my "refund" was net of fees, so I suffered a small loss on that purchase. I find, by and large, Swappa values slightly inflated compared to ebay, but you're paying for the security of the transaction.
  • I've sold a couple of phones on Swappa with no issues at all.
  • I've used Swappa to get phones for my parents and my sister uses them to get phones for the kids. Never had an issue.
  • sold 2 galaxy 9s on swappa. one was to a crook who claimed it was a counterfeit. he sent back a bogus phone and kept the real one. no relief from swappa and apparently paypal always sides with the buyer. it was an expensive lesson. (i took all the photos during packaging)
  • Negri Electronics - they were the best when they existed. Bought two imported (Japanese version) Galaxy Nexus phones (because in the US they were limited to Verizon). In fact, Negri Electronics even replaced my phone within the 90-day warranty. And then Craigslist and eBay are regular spots to pick-up used and new phones.
  • I use SWAPPA all the times to buy and sell phones/tablets
    It's safe
  • No, just an iPhone 8 Plus that was paid to be unlocked and sold to someone in Spain for $500 (apparently that's cheap for Spain!) after the Mrs. was done with Sprint and wanted a Samsung Galaxy device from Metro! 🤷🏼‍♂️
  • Ebay, no problems