Is It Safe to Sell Your Phone Online?

Selling your phone online can feel risky, especially if it’s your first time. The truth is, it doesn’t have to be that way. While we’re not here to deny the inescapable risks associated with selling your phone (or anything for that matter) online, it’s not all black and white.

With the right knowledge, you can sell your phone online and get money safely and securely.

In this article, we’ll look at:

Common risks of selling your phone online
Tips for avoiding scams and protecting your data
The safest way to sell your phone for cash

Why Selling Phones Online Can Be Risky

If we said selling your phone online has no risks, we’d be lying, but thankfully most of these risks can be avoided. So here are the common risks of selling your phone online and how to deal with them.

Data Security Leaks

Data security leaks are a common risk of selling your phone online. Malicious individuals could try to access leftover data on your phone, especially sensitive data like passwords.

You can avoid this by logging out of all your accounts and factory resetting your phone before selling it.

Financial Scams

Online scams have been around for a while, so many of the tactics are well known. In other words, you can easily avoid them. Here are a few tips to avoid scammers when selling your phone online:

If it’s too good to be true, it probably is; if any outrageous or over-the-top offer comes in for your phone, follow it up with serious caution. It’s most likely a trick to get you excited and scam you.
Confirm how payment will work. Verify the payment method on the specific platform you’re using.

Shipping Risks

It’s not unheard of for buyers to claim the wrong product was shipped to them. Sometimes, they’re telling the truth, and indeed there was a mix-up at the shipping center; other times, they got the device and are trying to con you into accepting a return. They might send back an empty phone box while claiming a refund, leaving you at a loss.

To avoid falling victim to this trick, take clear video evidence of the device being sent in for shipping. That way, if a complaint arises, you’ll have evidence to back up your claim. After that, you can look further into the case by contacting the shipping company to make sure there wasn’t a mix-up during transit.

How to Avoid the Risks of Selling Your Phone Online

The best way to avoid the risks and uncertainties of selling your phone online is to sell your phone to a trusted cell phone buyback company like SmartphonesPLUS.

SmartphonesPLUS is a great place to sell your phone online (you can even sell broken phones), especially if you prioritize a risk-free and high-value selling experience. We not only guarantee a risk-free experience, we also make the process as easy as possible while giving you more cash for your phone.

Can You Trust SmartphonesPLUS?

SmartphonesPLUS has been around since 2018 and has purchased phones from thousands of happy customers. One of the ways we make it risk free is by offering free returns. If you get a quote, ship in your phone, and change your mind, you can get your device back totally free. Shipping is always free with SmartphonePLUS and there are never any other hidden selling fees.

The reviews speak for themselves. One review we do like to highlight is this one from Mitch:

Wow, they paid substantially more than they quoted
I wasn’t sure what to expect from SmartphonesPlus because I’d heard so many negative things about companies that buy cell phones in general. But they have an A+ rating from the BBB so I gave them a try.

And wow, am I glad I did. I had a Galaxy Note 9 in flawless condition that cost $1000+ when I bought it. But because Samsung dropped all updates for it after a few years it was dangerous to use, so I had to sell it and was surprised when I was quoted just $35 to $68 for it.

But today, just one business day after they received it, SmartphonesPLUS paid me $88 instead of the $63 they quoted. They said the reason for the increase was because it was unlocked, when I’d thought it was locked. They didn’t have to do that, because I would have never known. So it tells me that they are indeed trustworthy, and I highly recommend them.

Just a friendly general reminder, check with the BBB before doing business with any unknown company, especially these cell phone buying companies. As the ones who quoted more for my phone had bad ratings, which is why I took the lower original $63 offer from SmartphonesPUS, and ended up with even more than they promised.

– Mitch (Date of experience: February 12, 2024)

He sent us a Samsung Galaxy Note 9, which we originally quoted as $63 based on the phone being carrier locked. But when we got Mitch’s Note 9 at our testing facility, we realized the phone was unlocked, while Mitch marked it as locked.

So we let Mitch know what we found out and sent him $88 for his used Galaxy Note 9 instead of the $63 originally quoted.

How to Sell Your Phone to SmartphonesPLUS

Selling your phone to SmartphonesPLUS is a simple and straightforward process that only takes a few minutes.

Select the details of your phone to get an instant quote.
Then ship your phone to complete the sale.
You’ll get paid as soon as it has been received and inspected.

Bottom Line

Selling your phone online might seem risky, but it doesn’t have to be. Selling online is becoming increasingly common, and millions of people do it successfully every year. Taking a few simple steps, such as wiping your data, avoiding suspicious offers, and keeping proof of shipping, can help you avoid common pitfalls and stay protected.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Safety of Selling Your Phone Online

Is selling your phone safe?

Yes, selling your phone is safe as long as you take the right precautions. Wipe your data, avoid shady buyers, and use trusted platforms like SmartphonesPLUS to stay protected.

Can someone recover my data if I sell my phone?

If you don’t properly wipe your phone, yes. But if you log out of all accounts, remove SIM/SD cards, and perform a full factory reset, your data is safe and can’t be recovered by the next user.

How safe is it to trade in your phone?

It’s generally safe if you trade with reputable platforms or official trade-in programs like at SmartphonesPLUS.com. Always back up and wipe your data before selling your phone.

What to do before selling an iPhone?

Back up your data.
Sign out of iCloud.
Turn off Find My iPhone.
Erase all content and settings.
Remove your SIM card.

What happens to your data when you trade in your phone?

If you’ve wiped it properly, your data is erased. The phone is either refurbished or recycled, but your data shouldn’t be recoverable if you did a proper factory reset. When you trade in a phone with SmartphonesPLUS, we use a specialized software called Phonecheck to fully wipe all the data off of phones.

What to do before you trade in your phone?

Back up important files.
Remove your SIM/SD card.
Sign out of all accounts.
Turn off any tracking or lock features (like Find My iPhone).
Perform a factory reset.