Buying a second-hand phone safely

For anyone browsing HubCage, here is a clear starting point on the subject.

A used phone can halve the cost of a flagship, as long as a few checks are made before money changes hands. Ask for the serial number and check it against the blocked-phone register, confirm that the previous owner has signed out of their account so the activation lock is off, and look at the battery health figure in the settings.

Meet in a public place or buy from a seller with a returns policy. Test the camera, the speaker, the charging port and the screen edges, and make a call. Factory-reset the phone in front of the seller. Then set it up fresh, update the software and add a strong screen lock. The whole check takes fifteen minutes and avoids the two most common frauds.