Seeking advice for buying a new phone. iPhone 8 Plus (or 7 Plus)

[ThrZeke]

Hey Folks,

I have an iPhone 5s that's been serving me faithfully but starting to have battery issues.  Are there any cool things I should know about finding a good price on a new iPhone 8 Plus (or 7 Plus)?  I live in the interior of BC so there's no big stores or large shopping centers remotely close to me.  

I tried looking for a refurbished phone on the Apple store but there's no refurbished iPhone's available the Canadian store and the American store won't ship to Canada.  

Is Black Friday or Cyber Monday going to be a thing this year for iPhone's in Canada?  Any tips or ideas on getting a decent deal on a phone would be appreciated.  I might even consider buying a used one off eBay or something if the seller is reputable etc.

[krazykiwi]

---

@BarryS wrote:

---

@krazykiwi wrote:

---

@BarryS wrote:

---

@slash407 wrote:

wow u bought a old ass phone my man. I guess apple products are valued big

---

Yeah, I did and figure I’ll get three or four use out of it. Had my 5s for 6 years (still going strong - gave it to my mom) so no reason why this one won’t go as long. Apple just stopped manufacturing and selling the 6s in their stores this past September, and it was $700 plus at that time, so I think I did well at $350 for a brand new phone with a year of apple warranty. 

---

Not sure if you are aware of the battery replacement deal Apple is offering until the New Year?

I know it workd for the 6 and up but not sure about the 5s. You can check the battery health in settings, it actually recommends replacing when it gets bad enough. Had my wifes 6 battery replaced a couple months ago for $20 and her phone is like new again.

---

Yes I am aware of that program. As my phone is brand new it’s not worth changing at the moment, but will check in with the apple store by the end if December to see if it’s necessary. Thanks!

---

I meant for your old 5s but it apperas to be only for the 6, 6s, SE and up.

[BarryS]

---

@krazykiwi wrote:

---

@BarryS wrote:

---

@slash407 wrote:

wow u bought a old ass phone my man. I guess apple products are valued big

---

Yeah, I did and figure I’ll get three or four use out of it. Had my 5s for 6 years (still going strong - gave it to my mom) so no reason why this one won’t go as long. Apple just stopped manufacturing and selling the 6s in their stores this past September, and it was $700 plus at that time, so I think I did well at $350 for a brand new phone with a year of apple warranty. 

---

Not sure if you are aware of the battery replacement deal Apple is offering until the New Year?

I know it workd for the 6 and up but not sure about the 5s. You can check the battery health in settings, it actually recommends replacing when it gets bad enough. Had my wifes 6 battery replaced a couple months ago for $20 and her phone is like new again.

---

Yes I am aware of that program. As my phone is brand new it’s not worth changing at the moment, but will check in with the apple store by the end if December to see if it’s necessary. Thanks!

[krazykiwi]

---

@BarryS wrote:

---

@slash407 wrote:

wow u bought a old ass phone my man. I guess apple products are valued big

---

Yeah, I did and figure I’ll get three or four use out of it. Had my 5s for 6 years (still going strong - gave it to my mom) so no reason why this one won’t go as long. Apple just stopped manufacturing and selling the 6s in their stores this past September, and it was $700 plus at that time, so I think I did well at $350 for a brand new phone with a year of apple warranty. 

---

Not sure if you are aware of the battery replacement deal Apple is offering until the New Year?

I know it workd for the 6 and up but not sure about the 5s. You can check the battery health in settings, it actually recommends replacing when it gets bad enough. Had my wifes 6 battery replaced a couple months ago for $20 and her phone is like new again.

[BarryS]

---

@slash407 wrote:

wow u bought a old ass phone my man. I guess apple products are valued big

---

Yeah, I did and figure I’ll get three or four use out of it. Had my 5s for 6 years (still going strong - gave it to my mom) so no reason why this one won’t go as long. Apple just stopped manufacturing and selling the 6s in their stores this past September, and it was $700 plus at that time, so I think I did well at $350 for a brand new phone with a year of apple warranty. 

[BarryS]

@krazykiwi

---

@krazykiwi wrote:

---

@BarryS wrote:

I guess she could, but it seems like it would be a lot of work and fairly petty for $350 after posting it on kijiji for sale.  

---

Don't kid yourself, we have seen that exact issue on here.

The thing with buying used from someone you don't know is that anytime after the sale they can report it lost or stolen to get the insurance money. So they end up getting twice the value of the phone, insurance pays and the buyer pays. 

I suppose if you got a picture of their drivers licence and confirmed it was them but I would still be hesitant, who's to say the licence is legit?

I thought about doing this but there is no guarantee as there is no official way of changing owership of a phone and ultimately the original purchsaer can report it lost or stolen anytime they feel like it.

---

Yes, I agree.  kijiji can be risky, but if you do your homework and ask the right questions, it's easy to weed out the scammers and dishonest people.  I don't buy much on kijiji (I've definetly sold more on it), but when I do I get a pretty good feel for who I trust dealing with, and who I do not.  Unfortunately, I find it more difficult and more time consuming to find the people I feel comfortable dealing with.  But everyone has their own levels of comfort and risk.

[krazykiwi]

---

@BarryS wrote:

I guess she could, but it seems like it would be a lot of work and fairly petty for $350 after posting it on kijiji for sale.  

---

Don't kid yourself, we have seen that exact issue on here.

The thing with buying used from someone you don't know is that anytime after the sale they can report it lost or stolen to get the insurance money. So they end up getting twice the value of the phone, insurance pays and the buyer pays. 

I suppose if you got a picture of their drivers licence and confirmed it was them but I would still be hesitant, who's to say the licence is legit?

I thought about doing this but there is no guarantee as there is no official way of changing owership of a phone and ultimately the original purchsaer can report it lost or stolen anytime they feel like it.

[krazykiwi]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

---

I hope that all works out for you. Wouldn't she have needed to open it to get the IMEI though?

---

Apple puts both the serial bumber and IMEi number on the bck of the box.

[BarryS]

I guess she could, but it seems like it would be a lot of work and fairly petty for $350 after posting it on kijiji for sale.  

[BarryS]

Nope...it's on a label on the back of the box.

[Dunkman]

Buying from Kijiji is still buyer's beware.  All the numbers can match, but if the seller later reports the phone stolen, your phone can still be blacklisted.  Maybe get the photo of the driver's liscence of the seller....

[Anonymous]

---

@BarryS wrote:

I'm in Toronto.....last week I bought a brand new iPhone 6s from someone on Kijiji.  It was brand new in the box, sealed.  I asked the seller for the IMEI # as there is a site online that you can check any phone (imei.pro) and it will give you the status.  She had no problem providing it as any honest person should.  Check your own iphone just to give you comfort that it's legit.  The phone I purchase indicated it was brand new, manufactured in June 2018, not activated, eligable for apple warranty.  $350.  I'm quite happy with it.  I also upgraded from a 5s.  Couldn't stomach spending $1400 on a new one.

---

I hope that all works out for you. Wouldn't she have needed to open it to get the IMEI though?

[BarryS]

I'm in Toronto.....last week I bought a brand new iPhone 6s from someone on Kijiji.  It was brand new in the box, sealed.  I asked the seller for the IMEI # as there is a site online that you can check any phone (imei.pro) and it will give you the status.  She had no problem providing it as any honest person should.  Check your own iphone just to give you comfort that it's legit.  The phone I purchase indicated it was brand new, manufactured in June 2018, not activated, eligable for apple warranty.  $350.  I'm quite happy with it.  I also upgraded from a 5s.  Couldn't stomach spending $1400 on a new one.

[mh1983]

Ebay/reputable seller, for sure. That's how I get most of my phones (BlackBerries) and I haven't had any issues.

[stonechucker]

The problem is certainly hit and miss.  There are good sellers on any internet service selling used cell phones, but yes, you still need to be aware.

Personally, I try to sell on KiJiji, but I don’t get sales because everyone low balls their offers, and will not accept that am unwilling to just give away something that is still useful to someone else.

Note, I don’t have any cell phones for sale.

[will13am]

---

@Carld123 wrote:

If you know your stuff..kijiji is an option.....but only if you know whats what...anyway..good luck..

---

Friends don't let friends buy cell phones from Kijiji. 

[Psygineer]

Ask for the IMEI number in advance. If it is a dual sim phone, ask for both IMEI numbers. Run both numbers through an IMEI checking site like https://www.devicecheck.ca/ or similar service. At least then you can check to see if the phone had been reported lost/stolen and if it was blacklisted as a result. When you meet the person bring your SIM and see if the phone is willing to accept it (unlocked) and try to place a call. Kijiji has been good to me for phones. Also, I would ask if they have had the screen replaced or the battery, etc. and if they did if they had Apple do it or a third party. Apple has a bit of notoriety with causing non-official Apple parts to break after updates. 

Lastly, if you are working a decent source of slightly older phones like the 7 would be your coworkers. Some of them replace every two years when their contract is up. If any of them are using the phone you want, ask them when they are due for a refresh and if they are willing to sell you theirs. A little safer to buy from someone you know in my opinion over someone who might have snatched it recently and are trying to flip it before it gets locked down by the owner.

[hairbag1]

I'm happy with the refurb'd iPhone SE that I recently purchased ($200 + taxes) from Best Buy (ordered on-line and was delivered to my home in BC). Battery life is outstanding compared to my old 5S. It was supposed to be 32g's but the one received was a 128g's. I just use the phone for calling and texting so I'm quite happy with it, but you'll need to assess your own requirements. Good luck whatever you choose to replace it with.

[amasood]

I would not recommend to buy a new phone off kijiji because there are a lot of scammers on there. The best thing to do is either order it from ebay because they usually have a 30 days return policy. 

[Carld123]

If you know your stuff..kijiji is an option.....but only if you know whats what...anyway..good luck..

[Carld123]

Only advice Id give is be carefull...dont buy online ..unless its reputable and has a return policy..and dont buy from a guy that drives a rusty old jetta..lol..