Ebay Instant Sale???

[jumpman2033]

Anyone have any experience with Ebay's Instant Sale? They are offering some decent prices on the iPhone 4 and am very tempted to do it, but worry it may be a scam. Any thoughts?

 

[Gooster]

I'm actually wondering this myself and I saw it via CNET.

 

[Shooter03]

Is that like a buy it now?

 

[jumpman2033]

From what i understand you answer a few questions about your device (in this case iPhone), such as model, storage, condition and they instantly give you a quote. You then send them your phone (they pay shipping). After they receive it, they will inspect and access the condition to see if it matches what you said. Afterwards they either agree to the quote, or adjust it depending on how they access its condition. If you don't agree with, or don't accept their new proposal they will send your device back (again they pay shipping).

It seems like a great service, but I just worry about them nit-picking, or some other "incident" that would cheat me out of money or device.

 

[Fausty82]

From what i understand you answer a few questions about your device (in this case iPhone), such as model, storage, condition and they instantly give you a quote. You then send them your phone (they pay shipping). After they receive it, they will inspect and access the condition to see if it matches what you said. Afterwards they either agree to the quote, or adjust it depending on how they access its condition. If you don't agree with, or don't accept their new proposal they will send your device back (again they pay shipping).

It seems like a great service, but I just worry about them nit-picking, or some other "incident" that would cheat me out of money or device.

Apple has a similar site. It offered me $140 for my 32GB iPhone4 with mild scratches on the aluminim frame from my case-wear and connector scratches.

Apple - Recycling Program

No thanks.

 

[General Tso]

Takes way too long to get paid IMO. Could take up to 3-4 weeks when all is said and done.

 

[jumpman2033]

Yeah, I decided against it. I don't feel that it is an ABSOLUTE scam, but I don't trust people without some sort of guarantee to protect me. In this position the company seems to have nothing to lose, while we could be scammed.

 

[jlis111]

I have used a service called Gazelle (you can Google it as I can't post a link) in the past to sell multiple phones, and they pay very quickly. I think the current price for an iPhone 4 in Good condition is $160.

 

[Behshad]

why not just list it as a normal listing on ebay... bet you can get $200-$300 based on condition

 

[zackawee27]

See, if the guy you buy it from is a credible source.

 

[iainplaysdrums]

Takes way too long to get paid IMO. Could take up to 3-4 weeks when all is said and done.

Pretty much this. They take a while to process the order, so unless you can really cope being iPhone-less for at LEAST 3-4 weeks, I wouldn't do it.

 

[Behshad]

Every iPhone I have sold , has had the final day the day my new one arrived, I always got paid right when auction ended through paypal, packed and sent it the same day and they got it within 2 days,, everyone happy

 

[icebox93]

Every iPhone I have sold , has had the final day the day my new one arrived, I always got paid right when auction ended through paypal, packed and sent it the same day and they got it within 2 days,, everyone happy

Read the OP. This is not about selling phones through and ebay auction, but rather through a different service called Instant Sale. It seems to give a price for an iphone 4 in excellent condition that's less than 10% below prices for phones sold at auction in that condition with all parts and a good esn. But the long delay mentioned earlier makes it a less attractive sale.

 

[tonydib]

I would caution anyone thinking of using eBay Instant Sale to think twice about other options.

I sent in my PRISTINE 3GS with everything originally included and when AllTech Wholesale got it they claimed it was "in used cosmetic condition: Scratches or blemishes to its exterior can be readily seen without close inspection. The exterior housing of the unit has sustained mild, normal wear." Except my phone was perfect, not even ONE mark, scratch, blemish, ding or even a spec of dust!

AllTech's CSR insisted that no matter how much I complained, they would NEVER review my case and live up to the original offer. She said it in such a way as to make me believe this was a normal "technique" of theirs.

All efforts to get a supervisor from AllTech to call me back have been useless. Ditto for anyone from eBay, apparently they just don't want to discuss this situation. I've been to eBay hdqtrs and nobody will come out to talk to me, they just hide behind their voicemail. I showed the phone to the eBay security guards and they even used the word SCAM when they saw the condition.

I guess if it looks like a scam, walks like a scam, talks like a scam and smells like a scam....

I only wish I had been more diligent in searching before I sent in the phone because I would have found so many stories exactly like mine.

 

[tonydib]

As a follow-up......I eventually was able to speak with a representative from AllTech Wholesale. She agreed to have me ship the phone back for a second inspection. Our phone conversation was quite nice and based on the sincerity of her concern over the matter I'm willing to believe that the first inspection was just an honest error and not some sort of scam. As it turns out, however, I ended up selling the phone to a local party for more than the original Instant Sale offer.