When buying used phones, it’s vital to ensure your potential mobile isn’t stolen. If it is and was reported, it’ll exist on some form of carrier blacklist. This means no carriers will activate the phone.No matter how many phones you’re buying, it’s important to research the phone’s IMEI number. The IMEI number is like a social security number for phones and is also what identifies phones on the blacklist.Though for large scale phone purchases, checking each individual IMEI number against the blacklist takes time and money. So to help save you hassle, we’re breaking down how to buy used phones without having to check a phone blacklist.
With many new phones there are lockout devices built into the mobile software. Both Android and iOS have several anti-theft safeguards built in; some of which operate remotely from a home computer.This includes personal passcodes and passwords on the home screen, GPS location from other devices, and deactivation of certain functions remotely. However, many people don’t know about these functions, so if a phone is lost or stolen, it still could find its way to resale.
Besides the IMEI number, stolen phones have a few common red flags which can be spotted by examining the phone. If a new SIM card won’t activate, that’s one warning sign. Others include missing serial numbers and wiped information. While none of these things are sure signs of theft, phones with these qualities should raise suspicion.
If a phone is lost or stolen, lockout software keeps unwanted intruders out the device’s data. Android has Smart Lock, which makes the device inaccessible without a password or pattern. Apple equips their devices with Activation Lock, which turns any stolen phone into a paperweight. If you come across used phones locked with these softwares, know that the phone is probably stolen.
So far we’ve talked about how to avoid checking the blacklist while purchasing used phones. Checking multiple phones against the blacklist costs time and money. But there is a way to make blacklist checks viable. PhoneCheck’s software allows for batching checking of multiple phone IMEI numbers against the blacklist.Checking devices in batches streamlines the process by cutting out carriers and third-party IMEI check services. Thus PhoneCheck saves buyer and resellers alike both time and money. What’s more, the software also offers multiple tests on various other aspects of the phone, such as GPS, camera function, memory, and battery.
Buying used phones without checking the blacklist is possible with the right knowledge. However, software like PhoneCheck offers buyers the ability to minimize their time and money spent checking the blacklist. It makes running IMEI checks both feasible and easy.A little security goes a long way for both buyers and sellers, and when you’re buying used cell phones, you can never be too careful.
