How to Sell Your iPhone on Craigslist the Right Way

While there are plenty of places online to sell your old iPhone, nothing quite compares to the local marketplace like Craigslist. Here’s how to sell your iPhone on Craigslist the right way.

Craigslist is pretty easy to use: Create a listing, find a buyer, meet up somewhere, get paid in cash, and be on your way. However, as simple as we wish that were, there are some things that you’ll want to keep in mind when selling a gadget on Craigslist.

Consumer electronics are one of the most popular products to sell on Craigslist, which means they get more attention from prospective buyers than any other product category, and that also leaves the door open for more scammers to make their way in. When you’re selling something that’s this expensive, scammers do their best.

Safety is also another important aspect of Craigslist to be aware of. While a mugging is something that’s mostly rare, it still happens enough on Craigslist that you have to be careful when meeting up with a potential buyer.

There are obviously common sense tips for selling on Craigslist, like never putting your home address in the listing, only accepting cash, and taking someone with you when you meet up, but here are some things that you might not have considered when selling your iPhone on Craigslist.

Price High

Buyers on Craigslist are notorious for giving sellers lowball offers. If you’re selling your iPhone for $400, prepare to get many offers for $300.

This is why it’s important to always price your iPhone higher than your asking price. For instance, If you’re selling your iPhone 5s for $450, list it at $500. While you’ll still get lowball offers, there will be some honest buyers who will ask if you can take $450 for it. From there, you can counteroffer with $475 and they’ll think they got a good deal when you actually got $25 more than you wanted for it.

Furthermore, there might be some buyers who won’t even haggle with you at all, which is the best case scenario, especially if you priced your item high.

Meet Somewhere Close to Home

It’s common sense to meet somewhere in a public area where there are other people, just so that you don’t get mugged. However, it’s also important that you don’t go out of your way to make a sale, which is why you should meet a buyer somewhere close to home so that you don’t have to drive far.

I always have buyers meet at the Wendy’s that’s literally two minutes from my apartment, and it’s not only because I don’t want to go out of my way, but also so that I don’t waste my time dealing with flaky buyers. There are many instances where you’ll plan to meet up, but the buyer will never show. This is why I always wait at home until the buyer texts me that he’s at the meeting spot and waiting. From there, it only takes me two minutes to get there.

Of course, there are some instances where you might want to go out of your way to make a sale, especially if you’re having a hard time selling something that you really want to get rid of, but most of the time, it’s wise to have the buyer come to you.

Put Your Contact Info in the Picture

A good way to avoid spam is to only put your contact info in the picture. In other words, don’t put your contact info in the listing, but rather write it down on a piece of paper and include it in the picture that you take of your iPhone.

This isn’t completely foolproof, but it will prevent a lot of spammers from contacting you, and most buyers will know that the phone number in the picture is the one that they should contact you at.

Know When You’re Being Scammed

Craigslist is known for scams, and the truth is, we have to deal with it every time we list something. However, you can usually tell right away when someone is trying to scam you.

First off, if the email or text message is poorly written, it’s most likely a scammer. If they also refer the iPhone that you’re selling as “it” or “the item,” that’s another sign that it’s a scammer.

Another sign is if you get a text message that has your entire listing title typed out along with something like “is this still available?”. Most (if not all) honest buyers won’t do this, so that’s another clear sign that you’re dealing with a scammer.

Overall, listen to your gut when a buyer contacts you and you’ll be fine!