You are in the middle of cleaning your washroom when all of the sudden, SPLASH, your cell phone drops from the pocket of your shirt straight into your toilet. It’s a situation I know most of us are familiar with. If you are like most of us in America, you probably don’t have any phone insurance. Yep, It’s a story I have come to hear time and time again in my 5 years as a cell phone sales rep in San Diego County.
You just finished paying your last bill with the last bit of cash you had in the bank and you can’t afford to buy another cell phone from your carrier. Either your next pay day is two weeks away and/or you are out of a job. But you REALLY need that cell phone to communicate with the rest of the world! You need that tiny miracle of technology to help you score interviews for your next gig if you don’t have a job.
Don’t worry, you still have a very cost-effective option to replace your cell phone without spending that much cash.
Your next best option is to go to mom and pop cell shops or go to the wonderful world of flea markets and swap meets to score the perfect cheap phone.
But buyer beware!
Although shopping for your a used cell phone can be fun and adventurous, going back and forth with the prices “Pawn Stars” style, you still need to keep in mind where that cell phone has come from. Some of these phones are bought cheap from cell phone bandits who make a living stealing and selling phones to the mom and pop shops. Although, some mom and pop shops do a good job checking the “status” of that particular phone, there are some who don’t really care and sell them to unsuspecting patrons like yourselves that are just trying to find a replacement phone.
The closest thing I found to a “CarFax” for cell phones is CheckMend.com, where you can just insert the IMEI (serial number) that’s behind the cell phone battery and they will let you know if that particular cell phone has been reported lost, stolen or if it has a “Clean Title”. But CheckMend charges $2.99 per IMEI check. Apparently they also have quantity check discount pricing (5 IMEI checks for $14.20). This can get quite pricey if you check multiples.
But there are other ways to check that are completely free of charge, but it will require a bit of time on your part (you have to pay to play so to speak).
Below are a list of the top 8 carriers and the info you need to find out if your phone is “dirty” or not. All you have to do is call the numbers and tell them that you are thinking of buying a used phone and you just want to know if it’s clear to re-activate:
Verizon Wireless: 1-800-256-4646 AT&T Mobility: 1-800-331-0500 Sprint / Nextel: 1-888-211-4727 T-Mobile USA: 1-800-T–MOBILE TracFone Wireless: 1-800-323-2366 MetroPCS: 1-888-863-8768 U.S. Cellular: 1-888-944-9400 Cricket Wireless: 1-800-CRICKET
It is very important when you do set out to find your perfect used cell phone at these places that you treat the dealers and the flea market vendors with the up most respect. Never look at them with a suspicious eye while you are doing your investigating for when you do find that gem of a cell phone that is “clean”, the dealer and/or vendor will be more open to bargain with you on the price of the cell phone.
I really do hope that you don’t go through the hassle of damaging your $300 phone and trying to find a cheap replacement, but if it ever does happen, now you know what to do. Remember, finding the perfect used cell phone can be challenging yet fun all rolled into one awesome and adventurous day. Stay Positive. It will keep the wrinkles away.
Happy Shopping!