How to best ensure I don't get scammed selling expensive mobile phones?

[wighter1]

I have been buying and selling on eBay for almost 25 years and luckily have not encountered any problems during that time.

I have several mobile phones worth over a $1000 each that I want to sell. But I have been hearing so many horror stories about sellers being scammed by fake buyers who claim the item hasn't arrived or is damaged or other false narratives.

I have not sold anything for a few years now and i'm starting to worry that I could lose the payment for the phone if I encounter a scammer.

Is there anything I can do to better protect myself in a situation like this? I believe that there is a service for people who sell expensive watches, where they are inspected by a third party before being sent to a buyer.  Is that possible with mobile phones?

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.

[inhawaii]

There is no way to prevent being scammed otherwise we would all be doing it.

Remember, anyone can rip you off simply by making a false claim.

There is a old saying amongst ebay sellers...

"Don't sell anything on ebay that you can't afford to lose."

[annadryl]

The horror stories you have heard are unfortunately true. There are few protections selling online to strangers and shipping your valuable item off into the blue with a carrier. You would be in the twice-unfavorable position of offering high-scam items (expensive phones, easily stolen and flipped) and being a new seller as a target. It's not just ebay. I think you already know the answer. The risks are huge, potential losses are high. Can you sell them locally?

(I am a long time seller and my comfort threshold is around $100, and I would never sell phones, laptops or designer handbags). Good luck~

[pickapaper]

You already know the answer.  Don't do it.

[dbfolks166mt]

     As others mentioned cell phones are probably one of the favorite targets of scammers. As you are aware, or should be aware, there is little to no protection for the seller on eBay. EBay's Money Back Guarantee (MBG) as well as other policies are heavily tilted towards the buyer. The same applies to the buyers financial institutions they utilize for payment. The EIS program is about the only thing that offers the seller unlimited protection but you are in Canada and that program is only available to US sellers and has limited application. 

     While eBay has the authentication programs one does not exist for cell phones and even if it did there have been a number of issues with the quality of the existing authentication services. 

     If you do decide, despite the advice you have been given, list the phones anyway be sure you retain the IMEI numbers. If you are scammed it will not protect you but at least you can report the IMEI number to the blacklist which renders the phone pretty much useless to the scammer. 

     As others have mentioned already try to sell them locally first. 

[slati_2013]

Another thing you should be worried about is drawing the attention of eBay. New sellers who sell several new, expensive phones are flagged by eBay who would want to know where you got them from.  Combine that with the inevitable upcoming scam and you will enter a nightmare that has caused many sellers to be banned and their money withheld.

If you have receipts from a reputable source, you could try selling them here, but anything that is going overseas is a scam. They rest, you can just hope will turn out fine.

[dbfolks166mt]

Another thing you should be worried about is drawing the attention of eBay. New sellers who sell several new, expensive phones are flagged by eBay who would want to know where you got them from.  Combine that with the inevitable upcoming scam and you will enter a nightmare that has caused many sellers to be banned and their money withheld.

     Good points. Also the payouts will probably held for 30 days, or longer. 

If you have receipts from a reputable source, you could try selling them here, but anything that is going overseas is a scam. They rest, you can just hope will turn out fine.

     Not everything that goes overseas is a scam. Unfortunately the OP is in Canada and does not have EIS nor am I sure of how prevalent the use of freight forwarders is in Canada. You can just as easily be scammed by a domestic seller as you can with an international one. 

[luckythewinner]

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@wighter1 wrote:

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.

---

There is a risk of fraud with every eBay transaction.

eBay is a great place to sell items that need a national or worldwide audience in order to sell.

IMHO high-end cell phones would have strong local demand almost anywhere.

[animal-house-8]

I'm sorry but there is no protection for you against scammers here on ebay.

[biggymoe]

Let me just reiterate what you have already been told.

DON'T DO IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sextons-sweet-deals]

Meet in person at a safe location like a police station and only accept cash. Then mark sales as picked up on eBay.

If you want to try shipping, you best check your buyers' profile and location before shipping. Easy 65%+ chance, your buyer will have or new account and / or using a freight forwarder. 

[itsjustasprain]

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@wighter1 wrote:

I have several mobile phones worth over a $1000 each that I want to sell. But I have been hearing so many horror stories about sellers being scammed by fake buyers who claim the item hasn't arrived or is damaged or other false narratives.

I have not sold anything for a few years now and i'm starting to worry that I could lose the payment for the phone if I encounter a scammer.

Is there anything I can do to better protect myself in a situation like this? I believe that there is a service for people who sell expensive watches, where they are inspected by a third party before being sent to a buyer.  Is that possible with mobile phones?

---

No - plus the risk you are facing has nothing to do with authenticity and everything to do with the fact that the buyer rules here and you are also selling one of the most scammed items on Ebay.

You did not say how you managed to get your hands on 'several mobile phones worth over a $1000 each' but there is a very good chance that Ebay will want to know. They are cracking down on smartphones with dubious or nonexistent paper trails so be prepared to document how you got them. 

Besides that issue you really have no protection against a buyer who claims shipping damage or an empty box. 'All sales are final' does not fly here. You can state No Returns but you cannot state No Refunds.

Realistically - if you yourself were looking to buy one of the phones you have for sale - how far would you need to go in your neighborhood in order to get one? Probably not too far before you arrive at one of many phone providers. No one halfway across the country or halfway around the world has an urgent need for your particular phone - only the scammers who rely on distance to avoid getting caught.

You are much better off selling your phones locally for cash on pickup. Pick a public area (police station parking lots are often signposted for local sale trading) and be careful. Good luck.

[herecometheplayas]

Sell locally, not here. Our local police stations offer a place for sales transactions to take place. See if yours offers the same. I would even go so far as to write down their name and description of their car and wait until they leave to drive home. We've had people here followed home from their bank to be robbed of the cash they got from an ATM