Improvements to the iPhone Buying and Selling experience

[syedmhaq]

I’m happy to announce that we’ve just launched an improvement to the iPhone buying and selling experience on eBay.

Network Technology (GSM/CDMA):

Apple creates multiple models of their iPhones that support different network technologies like GSM or CDMA. These network technologies determine which network carriers are supported on the phone.

e.g. The iPhone X Model A1901 supports GSM only. This means that you cannot use Verizon or Sprint as the network carrier on that phone.

To help sellers and buyers navigate through this complexity, we have updated our experience as follows:

Selling Experience:

During the iPhone selling experience on ebay.com, we now ask sellers to choose the Model Number of the phone they are trying to sell:

You can find the Model Number of your phone on the back of your phone or box. Alternatively you can also get it from general settings on your phone, by tapping once on the “Model” value.

Buying Experience:

The iPhone product pages (PRPs) now show which “Model Number” you are buying. You can also select the available “Model Numbers” from a drop down.

Please note that the available “Model Number” values is dependent on the supported network. So please select “Unlocked” Network to be able to select all the “Model Numbers”.

https://www.ebay.com/p/Apple-iPhone-X-256GB-Space-Gray-Unlocked-A1901-GSM/239160993

 

If you are unsure which model or network type to buy, please check with your carrier for compatibility.

If you have any comments/questions/feedback about these updates. Please comment below.

Thank you!

[nocr]

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@rosalie55-2013 wrote:

What are you doing about counterfiet phones? I purchased one but didn't find out until 10 months later when I went to the Apple store for service. 

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I bought an iPhone last week. It was listed "for parts". Turns out the phone was stripped, canibalized and butchered and had a generic screen and battery. Basically, he took all broken/generic parts in his shop and made an iPhone out of it.

I argued that since he used generic parts then the phone is basically a counterfeit. He argued that that he didn'r know anything about it and I googled his address and it showed up as an YouBreakIFix store in California.

[jandjram]

I'd like to suggest that you improve urgently your buying experience for all your customers. You should put more effort and some human touch to your "Help" section. It's a nightmare. My recommendation is based on my recent disappintment as a Ebay buyer. 

I had terrible experience with an order from a seller from Malaysia. Bought an item on 25 February. Paid right away. I was supposed to receive it by 25 of April!

I acceped the long wait unsuspecting of the problem this is going to create. 

I did not receive my item, so after 25 April, I sent the seller polite email. He did NOT reply.

I then contacted Ebay, but that was real nightmare. It turned out that:

1. I can not send them email inquiry because the auction has ended long ago!!! They wanted an active auction listing number!

2. I could no longer leave feedback for the seller, because the silly Ebay policy says, I can only leave feedback in certain period of time after purchase. Really Ebay??? 

Navigating thru Ebay's "Help" seciton is even worst experience! It is designed in a way to be as much unhelpful as it could be and to waste the customer's time.

I have open orders that I do not wish to cancel, but I will delete my account after my pruchasess are completed and I receive my items - hopefully! It is very bad idea for a company to treat their clients like trash. This is how I felt while wondering how on earth I can "provide a valid item number for a listing that has not ended", given that  I bought the item 2 months ago. 

[phillcetious]

Thank you! This is a helpful start! I hope it can expand to all products, in some way. I have had very good experiences buying/selling on Ebay. However, the amount of rigor and time put into using Ebay, in a way that ensures a favorable transaction outcome, is increasing for me.

[angelroad777]

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@funfinds122 wrote:

IMO, improvements should include the following:

- NOT listing broken items as Used. 

- Not using stock pictures only.   

- Stating exactly what is included in the sale, especially with used items

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Thank you, get tired of looking at "USED" items that say 'must read description' and the description is linked to an external server that says 'for parts only', but it does not tell you what parts are bad or what parts are good.

Ebay should have a seperate parts category.

Also the stock images are confusing!!! As people put stock images up for a part of something and you can't tell by the description text what you are actually buying. So I agree 100%.

Here are some more things that need to be included.

1. Screen has scrates, pits, chips, cracks ?
2. Body has scratches, dents ?
3. Has the item been beed dropped?  

(this one is because it damages internal camera sensor, you know the cameras on phones where it can not focus)