Selling your iPhone online can get you a fair value for the phone and can be convenient. You don’t want to sell to just any website, though. If you have an unused iPhone and want to sell it online, here are three tips to do so safely.
1. Sell to an Established Phone Buyer
Choose an established website that buys unused iPhones directly from individuals. A known phone-buying website is preferable to both an unknown one and a platform that sets up person-to-person sales.
The Importance of a Reputation
You don’t want to use an unknown website for obvious reasons. No matter what the website offers, the offer is meaningless if you can’t trust the site. An offer from an established site that has a known reputation is worth much more, and there are established sites that pay top dollar for unused iPhones. At MLG Cash, we regularly pay 30 percent more than competitors.
The Benefit of Faster Payment
A website that buys phones offers convenience that a selling platform can’t match. If you list a phone on a platform, you’ll have to monitor the listing until someone buys the device — and that could be a while. A website that directly buys from users will pay within a guaranteed time frame, and you can be done with the process quickly.
Additionally, selling via a platform won’t necessarily net you more. You’ll be competing with other sellers who have the same iPhone, and that competition drives down prices. You’ll also have to pay fees for selling on the platform. By the time these factors are taken into account, we at MLG Cash usually provide payments that are equal to or higher than what you’d get through a platform.
2. Clear Your IPhone of All Data
An established phone-buying website will make sure your iPhone has been wiped, but it doesn’t hurt to clear all of your phone’s data yourself. In fact, clearing data is a good idea just in case the phone is lost during shipment (which seldom happens).
Clearing an iPhone of all data is a multi-step process. With your data backed up:
- Unpair all devices (e.g. bluetooth speakers, smart devices, computers, phones, etc.)
- Remove all services (e.g. Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, Spotify, App Store, iMessage, iCloud)
- Remove all usernames and passwords (e.g. stored in web browser and apps)
- Uninstall apps individually (e.g. Facebook, Weather, WhatsApp)
- Wipe the iPhone (settings > general > reset > erase all content and settings)
- Delete Serial Number From Account (at appleid.apple.com)
After these six steps, all personal data is removed from your iPhone. You can send it to an established website buyer confidently knowing that you’ve wiped the phone and the buster will confirm that the phone has been wiped.
3. Get Instant Payment When Turning in Your Phone
Websites that purchase unused iPhones might pay when they receive a phone or when the phone ships. There are a couple of reasons to choose a site that pays when the phone ships.
Avoid Scams by Receiving Payment Immediately
First, receiving immediate payment is the best way to make sure that you do in fact receive payment.
Some untrustworthy sites that delay payment until they receive the phone might claim that the phone never arrived at their facility and refuse to pay, although you should’ve eliminated any such scam by limiting your selection to established sites. Alternatively, such scamming sites might claim that a phone is in worse condition than promised and pay less as a result.
Even when selling to an established site, issues can still arise if payment occurs when a phone is received. The site might not be able to pay if a phone is lost during shipment, and disagreements could arise over a phone’s condition. Without an in-person handoff, it’s virtually impossible for you to discuss conditions after a phone is sent.
Receiving immediate payment addresses these potential issues. You can confirm that payment goes through when you turn the phone in, and there shouldn’t be any questions about your phone’s condition. If there is a disagreement on condition, the matter can be discussed at the time of turning in.
Immediately Have Money to Spend as You Like
Second, immediate payment is simply more convenient than having to wait days (or weeks) to be paid. When you get paid immediately upon turning a phone in, you can use the funds that day for whatever you like. Put them toward an upgrade, go out to dinner or pay off an imminent bill. The money is immediately yours to do with as you choose.
MLG Cash Provides Fast and Reliable Payments
For these reasons, we at MLG Cash have prioritized making immediate payments.
Our online form will show you what your unused iPhone is worth, and you’ll receive that exact amount as long as the condition description is accurate. A few simple questions about functionality and the screen make assessing conditions straightforward.
After Providing your phone’s information, take turn it in at a nearby UPS Store. You’ll get immediate payment via Paypal or Walmart Cash Pickup, and we’ll take care of shipping the phone to our facility. Hand the phone over to a UPS Store employee, confirm condition and receive payment — you’ll be all set.
We’re proud at MLG Cash to be one of the most well-known and most respected phone buying websites. See what your phone is worth today, and you’ll understand why so many people choose to sell unused iPhones to us.