HOW TO CONFIDENTLY BUY SMARTPHONE ON EBAY DURING THE PANDEMIC
Imagine your own phone breaking down in the middle of a pandemic when everybody was supposed to stay home and most brick and mortar stores were temporarily closed. Um yeah, it happened to me.
So I had to find a replacement , I had to find it fast (because you know, cellphone withdrawal is a thing) and I had to find it online.
Samsung Note 10 looked very interesting and that S pen was very intriguing but very expensive. I didn’t want to spend too much in this pandemic situation where no one knows what the future holds but I couldn’t stop thinking about the S pen. Then I stumbled upon an article about a poor man’s Note 10.
Samsung released an affordable version of Note 10 and Note 10 Plus called Note 10 lite. It has most of the features that its flagship siblings have. This meant I get to have S pen experience at an affordable price.
One challenge I had to face before I was able to get my hands on this promising new smartphone was that this poor man’s Note 10 was only released in few countries and US was not one of them. Challenge accepted!
I went into my research mode again and eventually I found out that this phone is available here in US but as an International version (unlocked) and can be purchased from Amazon or Ebay.
Ebay vs Amazon
Between the two, I preferred Ebay over Amazon.
For Amazon loyalists and prime members, before you react, let me tell you why — Amazon is actually my “go-to” online store. I trust this site and I have been a prime member for almost 10 years now. But when I searched for Note 10 lite there were not a lot of listings and not a lot of reviews. So I had to look elsewhere.
I checked Ebay and found several listings of this phone. I have also been a longtime Ebay member but honestly all of my purchases up to this date were very inexpensive. The reason is so that if I ever get scammed (forgive me for my paranoia, it’s just that I’ve heard a lot of scam stories), it would only hurt my pride not my pocket.
I was still hesitant to purchase from Ebay so I did some more research online.
After extensive research, I am happy to announce that I am now a proud owner of a brand new International version of Note 10 lite. As of this writing, I have been using the phone for weeks now and haven’t gotten any issues.
How to Vet for Legit Ebay Seller
Allow me to share the steps I took before I was able to decide which Ebay seller to buy the phone from. I hope that this article can give you guidance when purchasing not just a smartphone but any items on Ebay.
1. Top Rated Seller Seal
I looked for the Top Rated Seller seal on the listing. This seal is being awarded by Ebay when a seller meet certain qualifications and guidelines. This shows the seller’s level and performance standards.
Here’s what I found on Ebay page for the qualifications to receive the seal.
Qualify as a Top Rated Seller
To become a Top Rated Seller, you must meet the following guidelines:
- An eBay account that’s been active for at least 90 days.
- 100 or more transactions and $1,000 in sales during the last 12 months with US buyers.
- A defect rate less than or equal to 0.5%, with three or fewer defects from unique buyers.
- Cases closed without seller resolution less than or equal to 0.3%, and two or fewer cases.
- A late shipment rate less than or equal to 3%, and five or fewer late shipments.
- Tracking uploaded within your stated handling time, and carrier validation for 95% of transactions to US buyers.
2. Number of Sold Items
I looked at the number of Sold items and read the feedback for that particular item in the Product page. From reading the feedbacks I have learned that the buyers who recently bought that item were happy and satisfied with the product and the seller. NOTE: These are just feedbacks for the item listed. You should also check out Seller’s overall feedback ratings. Refer to step 6 below.
3. Seller's Score
Another thing I looked within the Product page was the seller’s score. This is the percentage of seller’s positive ratings and feedbacks. The screenshot below showed that 99.7% of the buyers who left a feedback had positive experience with the seller.
4. Star Ratings
Next I looked for the star ratings. This can be found in brackets next to the username. This shows how many buyers have left feedback for the seller.
NOTE: Take time to read the feedbacks for more detailed view of a seller’s performance. Refer to step 6 below.
Ebay awards a star to the Seller based on this chart:
You can read more about Start Rating here.
5. Seller's Store
I also checked the seller’s store and look for other items that the seller is selling. I felt at ease to know that this seller is selling other smartphones and tech items. For me, having a lot of listing means that the seller took time to source his/her products and list them on Ebay. The seller has established his/her online store on Ebay and is not a “here-today-gone-tomorrow” kind of store.
6. Seller's Overall Positive Feedback
I took the time to read all (ok, I lied, not all because there were a lot but I read enough) seller’s overall positive feedback. I looked at how many positive feedback versus negative feedback this seller has received (feedbacks as a buyer has a separate tab, you should concentrate on the seller’s feedback). My tip is do not concentrate on just the positive, I especially like reading negative feedbacks because they give me an idea on which area the seller is lacking and how he/she resolved an issue. Through negative feedbacks you will also learn that sometimes they are about failed expectations from the product and not from the seller.
7. Contact the Seller
I contacted the seller to ask questions before purchasing the item. The seller responded after only 3 hours. This did not automatically mean that the seller is trustworthy but it gave me a feeling that the seller backs and stand by his/her product. I also contacted the seller after receiving the product because I had some questions and again he/she replied within 3 hours. The responses I received made me feel the seller’s presence, that there really is a businessman/businesswoman behind the listed item.
8. Payment Options
I paid through PayPal. I like using PayPal whenever possible. PayPal makes it easy for buyers to dispute a charge. I also like the fact that when you send payment to PayPal, the seller won’t receive financial information like credit card number or bank account number.
It is also worth mentioning that Ebay has its own money back guarantee program.
Full Disclosure
I actually haven’t had the need to file a claim from either PayPal or Ebay. I consider it a good thing that I have been lucky so far with all my online purchases. It really pays to be an informed consumer.
Words of Advice
There are a lot of advices online on how to ensure the seller is legit and how to spot a scammer on Ebay. The ones I have mentioned above are not 100% foolproof, they are just the ones I did to vet out this seller so I could purchase a phone.
To be honest, even after all the steps I took I was still not 100% confident with my purchase until I had the product in my hand and was able to check and scrutinize it.
The agony is in the waiting for the product to arrive at my doorstep especially when I learned that the seller sent the product via USPS and not UPS or FEDEX, no signature required. I couldn’t remember how many times I have checked USPS tracking. But once I had the product in my hand and was able to check and test it, that’s when I patted my shoulder and told myself I did a good job.
Remember if it seems like it isn’t right, it probably isn’t. And if it feels like something is wrong, trust your guts. Do your due diligence in checking out the seller and the product. Research, research, research.
Gallery
I took pictures when the product arrived . I want you to see how it was packaged neatly.
