Buying an iPhone on Marktplaats: you should pay attention to this
Do you want to buy an iPhone on Marktplaats or do you want to sell your current iPhone? Then there are a number of tips to take into account so that you don’t get faked.
- #1 Meet in busy places
- #2 Be wary of fake money
- #3 Watch out for fake payment apps
- #4 Be clear
- #5 Be honest
- #6 As a seller, use a catchy title
- #7 Make sure the iPhone is no longer associated with an Apple ID
- #8 Go for a realistic price
- #9 Save the boxes
- #10 Only trade with Marktplaats veterans
- Bonus tip: Use a case
As soon as a new iPhone is on the way, you may want to get rid of your old one. Marktplaats is a logical place, but it is also teeming with rascals. How do you avoid being scammed or ending up in a long-running conflict?
Do you want more security? Then take a look at a refurbished iPhone. You pay a little more for this, but you do have a 12-36 month warranty. Often the battery has also been replaced and there is a new screen.
#1 Meet in busy places
You could meet the Marktplaats provider or buyer at your home, but because you don’t know who you’re bringing in, you might prefer to meet on neutral ground. Of course you don’t do that late at night in a deserted parking lot or in a dark alley, but during the day in a busy shopping center. If you want to be extra careful, choose a place where the other person cannot just grab the stuff from your hand and quickly run away between the audience. The back of a coffee shop is a smarter place.
#2 Be wary of fake money
If you have agreed to pay in cash, make sure that the banknotes are genuine. You used to be able to use the Real or Counterfeit app from the Dutch Bank for this, but it can no longer be downloaded. If you want to be on the safe side, you can also take the buyer to a branch of the bank, where the banknotes are immediately deposited into your bank account. Unfortunately, in many cases this is not practical due to the long waiting times at most banks.
There is a better solution: transfer the money with a Tikkie or via your banking app and do not rush to work. Have a cup of coffee together and wait until you actually see the money in your own bank account before handing over your iPhone to the interested buyer.
#3 Watch out for fake payment apps
You might think it’s safer if the buyer immediately transfers the money via a mobile banking app. However, you should also be on your guard. There are regular stories about fake payment apps, which give the impression that real money is being debited from the account. In reality, no transfer takes place and the moment you realize that, the buyer has already taken off with your iPhone. The trick works especially well if both parties are with different banks, because then it can take a little longer before you see the money credited to your account. Fake ABN or ING apps are usually used.
You can protect yourself against this in a number of ways:
- Send a payment request yourself, with an app from your own bank or Tikkie. This works via iDEAL and is therefore much more direct. The recipient cannot easily mess with this and you will immediately receive a notification when the money has been transferred. Even if it goes through another bank.
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Check whether the other person’s IBAN number does exist. This trick often uses non-existent bank account numbers. If necessary, transfer 1 eurocent to the account number to check whether the number is genuine.
- Rely only on your own app. Only when the money has been added to your own screen will you know it’s all right. Receiving a screenshot or watching someone else’s screen is not enough, because that way you cannot check whether the app used is genuine.
- Since 2019, banks have ensured that the money is in your account faster. You no longer have to wait a day.
https://www.iculture.nl/gids/iculture- Comparable-payment requests-payments-apps/
#4 Be clear
Whether you are a buyer or a seller: the clearer you are in your communication, the less chance there is of misunderstandings. A clear photo leaves no doubt about what is being delivered and it also saves a lot of back-and-forth questions. So clearly describe which type it concerns, with how much storage and which extras come with it.
To avoid any ambiguities about additional costs, indicate that any shipping costs will be borne by the buyer. If you are afraid of counterfeit money, agree that the payment must be made via bank account or PayPal. Please note that payment via a bank account is irrevocable. So you know you got your money. With PayPal, a buyer can raise a conflict after the purchase, as a result of which the amount can be blocked.
Also, be clear about what you want for your iPhone. There are many items on Marktplaats with ‘Bid’, where as an interested buyer you have no idea what is realistic.
#5 Be honest
Be honest about any scratches, take a realistic photo of the items you’re selling (including any accessories) and don’t try to photoshop out any damage. A slightly too professional photo arouses suspicion, but a blurry tilted photo does not work either.
You compete with dozens of others on Marktplaats, so make sure that your photo and the accompanying text stand out in a positive sense and do not provoke frowning reactions. Clean up your home screen and choose a neutral wallpaper, no skulls with ‘Life sucks’ or pictures of your kids. If you are a buyer, make sure you have inquired whether there are any known defects or damage.
If you want to stand out, you can choose to place an eye-catcher next to the iPhone, for example a striking cushion in the same color. Please note that not all attention goes to the accessories and make it clear that all the nice decorations in the photo are not included. There will be little doubt about this with a pillow, but if you have a colorful stack of cases next to the iPhone, the buyer may think that he is getting it.
#6 As a seller, use a catchy title
If you are a seller, make sure you stand out among all professional Marktplaats providers. Terms such as ‘opportunity’ and ‘from private individual’ make it clear that you are not just another trader. You can possibly invest a little extra in your ad to stand out. Still no offer after a week? Then put it on the site again, to be higher in the lists again. Make sure you can be found by using the right terms and make sure the title invites clicks.
#7 Make sure the iPhone is no longer associated with an Apple ID
Since iOS 7, Apple has introduced a measure that has made theft of iPhones more difficult. Every iPhone is linked to an Apple ID and can be traced with Find My iPhone. This is called Activation Lock.
If you buy or sell a second-hand iPhone, you should also check whether it is no longer linked to an Apple ID. You can do this by going to Settings > [jouw Apple ID] > iCloud. The switch on Find My iPhone should be turned off. When restoring the iPhone to factory settings, this happens automatically. Only then can the new owner start using it. If the iPhone is completely erased and shows the Hello splash screen, you will also know that it is no longer paired.
#8 Go for a realistic price
As a seller you want to get as much as possible for your old device, as a buyer you want to pay as little as possible. The best price is somewhere in between: not too high, not too low. You can often see from the already present advertisements what a realistic price is. You can use the same price as everyone else, but you can also go slightly below it, so that you stand out sooner. Or you offer some extra accessories, so that you can ask for a higher price. Those who are smart set a starting price, so that people have no chance to offer a ridiculously low amount.
#9 Save the boxes
An iPhone with all accessories has an advantage. Therefore, keep the original box, preferably with the unused cables and headphones. If you also have the receipt, that is an extra plus. Many people on Marktplaats are (rightly) suspicious and want to see with their own eyes that you bought the iPhone last year in a normal store. Moreover, with a purchase receipt you still have a warranty (2 years in Europe). If you sell an iPhone, it is best to take an overview photo of everything that comes with it.
#10 Only trade with Marktplaats veterans
If you want to reduce the risk of fraud, we recommend that you only work with people who have been active on Marktplaats for many years. It takes effort to build a good reputation with many positive reviews and a scammer will not want to take that effort. This tip was sent to us by iCulture reader Edwin, who only trades with people who have been active for at least 6 months.
Bonus tip: Use a case
iPhone case or not, that’s the question. If you don’t mind walking with a case, we recommend doing so. With a cheap case of a few euros you protect your device against scratches and other damage, so that it yields much more later. If you have your own favorite earplugs, you can leave the supplied earplugs in the packaging, so that you can keep them clean and unused before selling. Check out our overview of iPhone cases if you haven’t been able to make a choice yet.
Do you want to get rid of your iPhone? Consider trading in your iPhone. To buy a new iPhone, you can of course visit our price comparison for the best deal.