What do you think about buying phones
- Thread starter atlasmike
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Rocco
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As a customer, why should I purchase a used, 3 year old cell phone, with 5 year old technology from you, when I can go to Verizon and upgrade my phone every 2 years, and get a fully up to date phone for very little cost? If you can answer that question, you may be onto something for your area. Here, I don't see it working out.
I think the last time somebody released the stats, Verizon had over 70% of the cell phone market. My cell phone cost me $99, for a phone that was released on the market the week before I got it. Yes, I had to sign a new contract, but I have been with them for 8 years, and with all my customers, friends, and family with them, I never use most of my minutes, so why would I suddenly choose a new carrier? (for the record, a Razr HD Maxx)
I think the last time somebody released the stats, Verizon had over 70% of the cell phone market. My cell phone cost me $99, for a phone that was released on the market the week before I got it. Yes, I had to sign a new contract, but I have been with them for 8 years, and with all my customers, friends, and family with them, I never use most of my minutes, so why would I suddenly choose a new carrier? (for the record, a Razr HD Maxx)
I can sell them to people who want to change phones in the middle of a contract. Example, Me, I renewed my Verizon contract and got a Blackberry Z10 for free. Well after Two months i could not handle it anymore. I had to get rid of the phone. The app selection in BB World is nil when it comes to usable apps. So I picked up a Galaxy S3 used from a phone shop for cheap. OR, if someone breaks a phone and doesn't have insurance on it and can't afford $600 to purchase out of contract new, then I would have phones used of course for sale.
johnrobert
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When you consider your cost buying there wouldn't be much margin, how will you market them?
And if there’s a problem you will have no peace for so little profit.
I just sold an IPhone 3gs $50 but it was given to me, if I had to buy it first would not be feasible
And if there’s a problem you will have no peace for so little profit.
I just sold an IPhone 3gs $50 but it was given to me, if I had to buy it first would not be feasible
Rocco
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I agree, unless you can do large volumes, is a $10-20 margin worth the time working it?
Krynn72
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Agreed. What I'd be worried about most is that you'd have to learn all the nuances of each phone in order to properly test them, because so many things can be wrong with them when a customer is trying to sell it. Of course they're not going to tell you anythings wrong, so you'll need to test them all very thoroughly BEFORE buying otherwise you'll be getting a lot of returns and loosing money.
We've been considering buying iPhones, but limiting to just one type of phone so we can stock all the parts needed (on top of the fact we fix iphones as a service too) makes it much more manageable. Maybe if you limited yourself to just iphones and samsung galaxy phones it could be possible and worth the effort.
SprinterTech-WI
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We bought close to $4000 worth of used phones last month, you really need to know phones inside and out, for testing and repair, since we fix phones for all carriers, and we're dealers for a few carriers it works well
We lose about 5 or 6 hundred a month due to stolen devices etc... we can part most of them, but when the police impound them then we lose them.
We pay roughly 50% of whatever they are currently selling for on eBay... you need to become known as THE place to go though, it took about 1-1.5 years top get to be the place, also helps if you have solid relationships with all the local cellular dealers.
We lose about 5 or 6 hundred a month due to stolen devices etc... we can part most of them, but when the police impound them then we lose them.
We pay roughly 50% of whatever they are currently selling for on eBay... you need to become known as THE place to go though, it took about 1-1.5 years top get to be the place, also helps if you have solid relationships with all the local cellular dealers.
SprinterTech-WI
Well-Known Member
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- Central WI
well the $20 profit brings em in the door... we make $100 on probably 50% of the handsets we sell.... but we buy plenty that we only make $25 on too.
But from the sounds of it your not a cell shop, so it probably wouldn't be worth it for ya.
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