Swapping cell phones?

[Yenolo]

Hi,

I’m hoping there might be someone here who knows the potential problems with exchanging cell phones with a person that you don’t know very well.

I want to swap my Galaxy S3 phone for an iPhone 4s with someone.

1) If either phone is subject to a contract is it legal to swap?

2) What is to stop an unscrupulous other person from reporting their ex-phone as stolen a few months after swapping and having it blacklisted so that it doesn’t work on any network? (Presumably they might do this to claim insurance)......

I am trying to be very careful in choosing who I deal with and insist that any phone that I swap comes with its original box and accessories. I figure that this should help weed out most stolen phones. Is there any way to check if a prospective phone is stolen, such as a website?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[cpu.]

Do you get a discount for the downgrade?

 

[satanboy]

Do you get a discount for the downgrade?

LoL

...What is to stop an unscrupulous other person from reporting their ex-phone as stolen a few months after swapping and having it blacklisted so that it doesn’t work on any network? (Presumably they might do this to claim insurance)......)

Surely even if you bought a phone from a private individual they could do the same thing.

 

[Yenolo]

LoL



Surely even if you bought a phone from a private individual they could do the same thing.

Yes, exactly! There's nothing to stop someone reporting their ex-phone stolen I guess. Maybe this is just a bad idea to begin with!

 

[Pho3nix]

If he stops paying for the contract your also screwed, Vodacom will block the phone and you'll have no recourse. Also note that insurance on the phone is tied to a particular sim(insurance from SP's) and if the sim isn't in there, you are screwed aswell.

 

[KleinBoontjie]

If he stops paying for the contract your also screwed, Vodacom will block the phone and you'll have no recourse. Also note that insurance on the phone is tied to a particular sim(insurance from SP's) and if the sim isn't in there, you are screwed aswell.

Wrong, Vodacom will block the sim, not the phone. My wife used to work for them and she says that they only worry about the contract, what you do with the phone is your problem.

 

[Rocket-Boy]

The networks used to blacklist the phones too but they dont really do that anymore. Just draw up a contract with the person you swap with and use that as proof of ownership if something happens.

 

[Wag]

"I want to swap my Galaxy S3 phone for an iPhone 4s with someone."

Duh !!!

 

[Yenolo]

"I want to swap my Galaxy S3 phone for an iPhone 4s with someone."

Duh !!!

Each to his own preference - no need to be rude mate!

 

[FlatspinZA]

The networks used to blacklist the phones too but they dont really do that anymore. Just draw up a contract with the person you swap with and use that as proof of ownership if something happens.

^ What he said.

EDIT: Technically, the phone belongs to the service provider until the contract expires, so if either party fails to honour their obligation, the service provider can claim ownership of the defaulting party's phone.

If the other guy blacklists his phone, so can you - the only thing you need to worry about is the contract issue.

 

[Pho3nix]

Wrong, Vodacom will block the sim, not the phone. My wife used to work for them and she says that they only worry about the contract, what you do with the phone is your problem.

So essentially I get a contract, sell phone, dont pay..Profit?

The networks used to blacklist the phones too but they dont really do that anymore. Just draw up a contract with the person you swap with and use that as proof of ownership if something happens.

Heard Voda and CellC doing this on a classifieds forum :\

But thanks for the clarity

 

[FlatspinZA]

So essentially I get a contract, sell phone, dont pay..Profit?

Heard Voda and CellC doing this on a classifieds forum :\

But thanks for the clarity

No, you don't > Just because you think an iPhone is better than an S3, doesn't make it so. Value is personal. I highly doubt you'll get the actual value associated with the phone, which is the airtime, and data.