Buy and sell used gadgets and electronics

• Meet where you can switch it on. Test the screen for dead pixels and touch dead zones, every button, the speakers, the microphone, both cameras, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and charging with a cable you trust.
• For phones, check the IMEI: dial *#06# and match it with the number on the box and the bill. A mismatch means the box or the phone is not the original.
• Ask the seller to sign out of their Apple ID or Google account and factory reset the phone in front of you. A phone still linked to someone else's account can be locked remotely.
• Check battery health where the phone shows it (iPhone: Settings > Battery > Battery Health). For laptops, ask how long it lasts on a charge and check the cycle count if you can.
• Look for signs of repair: uneven gaps around the screen, a display that looks different in colour, missing screws or warranty stickers that have been disturbed.
• Ask for the purchase bill. It proves ownership and is needed for any warranty that is left. Check the warranty status on the brand's own website with the serial number.

• Back up your data, sign out of every account, remove the SIM and memory card, then factory reset. Do it before you meet, and again in front of the buyer if they ask.
• Photograph the device switched on, the back, the edges, the screen with a white background (it shows marks and dead pixels), the box and the accessories.
• Put the exact model, storage and RAM in the title. "iPhone 13, 128 GB, blue" gets found; "iPhone for sale" does not.
• State battery health and any repair honestly. A buyer who finds an undisclosed repair will walk away at the meeting.

• Gadgets lose value fastest in the first year and whenever a newer model launches. Check what the same model sells for new today, not what you paid.
• The original box, charger and bill can add a few percent; remaining brand warranty adds more.
• A cracked back, a battery below about 80% or a replaced screen pulls the price down sharply; price it in rather than hoping the buyer will not notice.

Estimate a fair price with the resale price calculator

• A buyer who sends a QR code "to receive money". You never need to scan a QR code or enter your UPI PIN to receive a payment.
• Fake payment screenshots or SMS messages. Check the money has arrived in your own bank app before you hand anything over.
• Phones that are locked to the seller's iCloud or Google account, or reported lost: they may stop working after you buy them.
• A "courier will collect it" offer from a buyer you have not met, with advance fees for shipping or insurance.

How UPI and QR code scams work