Guide to buying a used cellphone

Before you buy that second-hand (used) cellphone,
some precautions are in order.

Here are some...

As new cellphones roll out onto the market, the original cell stalwarts that became the bulwarks of the cellular revolution are slowly being orphaned. Many appear in the shop fronts of cellular dealers and in the columns of classified ads in growing numbers - just waiting for a new, caring owner.

Before your break out your hankies in pity, you’ll be pleased to know that these same stalwarts are now also the bulwarks of a second revolution in cellular - a burgeoning second hand cellphone market. In most cases, these second hand phone are past their warranties, yet still perform perfectly. Their previous owners might have sold them only when buying a new model, not because there was anything fundamentally wrong with them.

Despite the apparent fidelity of these second hand phones, some caveats are still appropriate.

 

Warranty? The second hand phone might be sold voetstoets, which means that it is sold "as is" and no warranties - other than a valid, concurrent warranty from the distributor or manufacturer of the cellphone - are expressed nor implied. Once you buy it, it’s yours for better or for worse. Try to ascertain that the phone is legitimate, as a stolen phone blocked electronically by the GSM network's "EIR" anti-theft system might render your phone an expensive paperweight.
Battery Also remember that the battery supplied with your second hand phone might produce standby and talk times vastly lower than that specified by the manufacturer. That’s because over time, the chemicals that comprise a cellphone battery might become somewhat depleted and so lose their efficacy. The problem is easily solved though by purchasing a new battery. Don’t get a fright if you find that the replacement battery costs more than the phone - the network’s heavy subsidisation of the original cellphone cost could yield this apparent imbalance.
Damage? And somewhere along it’s life-span, a cellphone is going to take a few knocks - and survive. While most cellphone manufactures design their phones to withstand such ignominies, other cellphones aren’t that robust and can malfunction after too many drops. Antenna’s usually take the brunt. Our advice is that you always do a quick check of the exterior of your prospective cellphone before a quick purchase - even make a call if possible.
Get a SIM To get connected, you’ll need a SIM card. When buying a brand new (heavily subsidised) cellphone, invariably you’ll have to purchase a 24 month package to take advantage of the subsidy. With a second hand phone however, you have more connectivity choices. Firstly, you can choose which air time package you think will suit you and the length of time you would like the contract to run. The best news is though that soon, with new pre-paid systems, you’ll be able to pre-buy Vodacom or MTN air time without having to take out any air-time subscription contract.