Advice Please on iPhone 7 Being Sold on eBay

voteoften on 05/03/2019 - 12:55

Hello friends,

I’m an oldie so please forgive my ignorance on all things tech.

I have an iPhone SE that I bought with a two year virgin mobile plan. The plan has expired and I’m on th catch connect plan. I probably don’t absolutely need to replace my phone, but it seems to get hot and has started turning off by itself recently. I think the end is coming within 6 months and I’d prefer to replace the phone in an orderly manner.

I’m looking at phones that I think will be included in the eBay 20% off ponder deal. I’ll also be sure ravelling overseas a couple of times in the next 60 days, so there’s a gst refund as well.

I am looking at three listings for an iPhone 7 128g. They all appear to be the same seller with different names. 🙄
The price is around $575 before discounts. Would someone give me an idea whether the following listing raises any red flags?

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Apple-iPhone-7-4G-128GB-Factory-…

Thanks for any advice that could be given.

💐

Mobile Apple Mobile Phone

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Comments

  • Some Human on 05/03/2019 - 13:01

    Try a factory reset.

  • HighAndDry on 05/03/2019 - 13:01
    +5

    Price aside (I've no idea how much iPhone 7's go for these days), seems to be okay. No immediate red flags:

    • Seller has 7000+ feedback with 100% positive rating;
    • Item is listed as being in Victoria, and delivery times (about a week) support that this is actually true;
    • Specs (especially supported bands) seem to match up with official AU model;
    • And they accept payment through Paypal (activate free purchase returns in Paypal if you haven't already).

    Worst comes to worst, you file a claim with eBay and/or Paypal, who're both pretty pro-buyer.

    If you really want to be sure, do the following once you get it:

    • Check the IMEI online;
    • Make sure you can use all of your Apple ID functionality; and
    • Return it if there are any issues.
    • iDroid on 05/03/2019 - 14:01

      I'd actually assume that the item is really overseas (some seller feedback comments support this). This is standard practice on eBay now it seems. I'd still trust them given their other feedback, but I would not expect it to ship directly from Australia.

      • HighAndDry on 05/03/2019 - 14:03

        Fair - I'd always thought delivery times were a good indication, can stuff get to Australian addresses that fast from overseas?

        • iDroid on 05/03/2019 - 14:04
          +1

          Yep, DHL, FedEx, etc all ship from China to AU in 2-7 days.

          For local AU parcel delivery, 2-3 days is more typical IMO.

          • HighAndDry on 05/03/2019 - 14:34

            @iDroid: Ah I stand corrected.

          • GaryQ on 08/03/2019 - 19:15
            +1

            @iDroid: For local AU parcel delivery using AusPost, 35 weeks is more typical IMO

      • Ocker on 05/03/2019 - 14:08
        +1

        Seller is based in Hong Kong

  • Randxyz123 on 05/03/2019 - 13:14

    Looks alright. Are there any known sellers included in the sale ?

  • Hybroid on 05/03/2019 - 14:08
    +1

    Looks relatively OK and you'll covered by eBay and Paypal protection but still not something I would recommend. Especially as no mention of ABN or being local stock. I would definitely rather pay a bit more from Australia reputable seller for peace of mind.

  • altomic on 05/03/2019 - 14:09
    +1

    your SE symptoms strongly suggest the battery is dying.

    SE replacement batteries are $12 delivered on ebay

    it's a relatively simple change (though the SE has the home button connector plugged in to a board beneath it - just a tad fiddly)

    replaced the battery in my 2nd childs SE last august. going fine.

    the SE still has a bit of life in it-

    • voteoften on 05/03/2019 - 14:12

      Hmm. Didn’t even think of this. Do the problems sound battery related? The battery does seem to go down a bit faster than expected.

      • altomic on 05/03/2019 - 14:22
        +1

        if it getting hot then that is the battery getting hot….which it shouldn't. which implies battery is failing.

        if it were my phone then I'd get a new battery.

        even if you still want the 7, the SE still has value to sell (especially with a new battery), as they have the same hardware (but a smaller size) as then 6S

        The SE is a very solid phone with a few years of life left in it.

        and $12 for a replacement battery….

        • GaryQ on 08/03/2019 - 19:16

          And if you don't feel confident changing the battery, buy one and take it to the nice Asian man in the local shopping centre. He'll change it for you and charge you a service fee

  • voteoften on 05/03/2019 - 14:15
    +1

    Ok, thanks everyone, I’ve contacted to seller to see if I will get an invoice that includes gst that will be refundable via trs. I’ve also asked if the box is the original sealed box, not a box that has been opened and sealed by someone else. If I can get both the 20% and the 9% gst back, it’s not a huge investment.

    Thanks again family 🤗💐

    • spackbace on 05/03/2019 - 14:19

      I don't think it's local stock. Seller is in Hong Kong, and a few complaints of slow delivery seem to indicate overseas stock

    • zoombie on 05/03/2019 - 14:55

      I have a phone shop, I can guarantee you that this is not a brand new iPhone 7. The seller listed the item as "brand new" but if you look at the auction description, the warranty is for 90 days.
      iPhone 7 currently retails for near $1000 AUD, there's no one in the world that can offer a genuine brand new iPhone 7 at this price.

    • voteoften on 05/03/2019 - 19:38

      I received this reply to my inquiry

      Dear ————

Thanks for your interesting in our item . 
1. The item is 100% original , new , factory unlocked , sealed with guaranteed quality and attentive service. 
It comes with charger, cable, internal battery, earphone and box, SIM card is not included. 

2. Generally speaking , We will supply commercial Invoice once the item was shipped out . 
If you have any further question, please feel free to contact us or leave a note with your order so that we can proceed accordingly, thanks!
Hope we can have a chance to serve you in the future 
Thank you for your understanding!

Iris

      I’ve asked to confirm that there will gst on the invoice and whether there will be an Australian abn on the invoice so I can recoup the gst when I travel internationally.

      It does seem a bit ambiguous, but it may well be the language difference.

      Cheers everyone.

      • spackbace on 05/03/2019 - 22:18

        It's not Aussie stock…

      • GaryQ on 08/03/2019 - 19:17

        A PDF editor and some patience will get you an invoice with an ABN

  • [Deactivated] on 05/03/2019 - 14:17
    -1

    My advice - don't buy any iphone newer than iphone 6s. You will miss an earphone jack dearly, much as my mother did.

    • altomic on 05/03/2019 - 14:22
      +2

      the 6s has the same hardware as the SE…so apart from a slightly larger screen there would be very little benefit.

    • Sunshines bright on 09/03/2019 - 17:11

      I just bought a brand new 7plus from apple, it came with a head phone jack adapter..

  • Prince K on 05/03/2019 - 14:25

    I clicked on your link and it says “a seller I have bought from before”. Does anyone know how I can find out what I bought from them so I can let you know of my experience?

    • quog on 05/03/2019 - 14:47

      Look through your purchase history.

  • PlasticSpaceman on 06/03/2019 - 08:04

    If you don't need a larger screen then replace the battery in your current phone. Definitely sounds like it's dying. If you want a larger screen on a budget, I'd get a 6s or 6s plus. I'd avoid the older 6 or the newer 7 due to various reliability issues.

    • Riker88 on 08/03/2019 - 23:46

      What reliability issues are you referring to? I have a 7 Plus since release and have had no issues

      • PlasticSpaceman on 09/03/2019 - 14:35

        It doesn't affect all phones so I suspect it may be a combination of faulty batches and even then less of an issue if you are very careful and protect the phone from drops etc…. but it is known to have a few problems, the biggie being 'loop disease' that generally starts with microphone issues, then slow starting, then boot loops. This may be temporarily fixed by opening the phone and putting a pad over the faulty chip to apply pressure on it (basically a solder joint has gone bad after a drop or when the body has been flexed), but can only be permanently fixed by resoldering the chip. Check https://youtu.be/bguTwD6KcjI and
        https://youtu.be/wbduKSvyXH4 for info.

  • A Driver on 06/03/2019 - 14:46

    The iphone SE is a ripper of a little phone. Mine has been working beautifully for me (especially since I had the battery replaced last year w apples $39 replacement offer). If you can organise a battery change (either DIY or by someone else) I think it will last you many more years to come. Personally I prefer its small size and am planning to keep it going as long as possible!

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