How to Avoid Getting Scammed on Swappa
Swappa used to be awesome. Individuals selling their used phones with detailed photos and so you saw what you got before you got it. And when the phone arrived everything matched the quality you were expecting.
Not so much any more. Swappa has now been taken over by businesses trying to pawn off phones by pushing the limits of what qualifies as “good” condition. And Swappa lets them. Certain business sellers don’t have to post photos of their devices. Swappa just trusts them. There are warnings letting you know the photo isn’t of the device you will receive, but clearly Swappa is trying to just collect their fee and hope for the best.
These businesses have 5 star ratings, so what could go wrong? Well, it turns out lots.
I ordered an iPhone in “Good” condition from “W Cell”. The phone came and when I opened it the screen had multiple scratches and dents in it. Not just one. Over five.
After saying I didn’t believe it matched the quality they had sold it as, I received a message from W Cell that it was perfectly in the “Good” range and too bad for me.
Then I looked more closely W Cell’s “5-Star” reviews. Turns out a lot of people had been disappointed by scratches on their screens but had given a thumbs up or a neutral review. Apparently Swappa is doing their best to cover for these guys.
So, what can you do to protect yourself? There aren’t really any better options than Swappa out there in my opinion. But there are some steps you can take to protect yourself so you don’t get yourself in the situation I was in.
But since Medium has changed their terms of service and no longer shares profits with small publishers — I’ve moved the solution to https://zirkels.com/a/how-to-avoid-getting-scammed-on-swappa! Be sure and check it out!
