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Your bulk electronics resale shop
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"Brand new factory sealed unlocked iPhone 3GS! Only $399". Have you seen ads like this? Or, "I am looking for only authentic iPhones. I will pay $200 to $250. NO SCAMMERS!" Have you seen requests like that, or possibly posted them yourself? I saw a buyer's request like that and had to chuckle. Asking for a price 1/3 retail price is ONLY going to get scammers and fake iPhones.
The fact is, service providers such as AT&T will charge as low as $200 but only because they know they'll have a new customer paying them every month for two years. If the customer cancels the contract they will have to pay a hefty fine.
An authentic Factory Unlocked Apple iPhone 3GS sells for over $1,100 on Ebay. Would you really be able to buy a product for $200 that would give you a $900 profit? Would a reseller really leave that much profit for YOU and not just sell it themselves?
An iPhone that is merely software hacked sells for cheaper but there is a price to pay for software hacked or jail broken iPhones. They just don't work as well as factory unlocked phones. But why sell a product your customers won't like?
Fake iPhones used to be horribly fake and wouldn't even pass a quick scan with the eyes. These phones would have large speakers over the screen, have extra buttons on either side of the "Menu" button, cheesy plastic backings, etc. Best
of all, they wouldn't work at all. Some were simply a shell.
Now days, shady companies are able to make "iPhonies" that will actually work and operate just like an iPhone. Well, ALMOST like an iPhone.
The service, speed and operation will not remotely match the authentic iPhone. But some may just figure they're in a cell phone "dead zone"... permanently?
So, how do you spot a fake iPhone besides ridiculously low prices?
The methods vary whether you are buying individually or wholesale.
The best way to tell BEFORE you buy is to ask for a serial number. Apple provides a way to check the warranty of each phone based off of the serial number. Simply go to Apple.com and enter your information at the link.
New iPhones will all still be under warranty. If there is no warranty the phone is either a year old (thus not a 3GS), stolen or is a fake!
Another good number to check is the IMEI or International Mobile Equipment Identity number. The IMEI number is used by the GSM network to identify valid devices and therefore can be used to stop a stolen phone from accessing the network. For example, if a cell phone is stolen, the owner can call his or her network provider and instruct them to "ban" the phone using its IMEI number. This renders the phone useless, whether or not the phone's SIM is changed.
This way you can tell before you even make the purchase whether or not the iPhone is authentic. If a seller will not provide you with this information, get cautious. It may be they have a large stock and large demand and cannot guarantee that particular phone will go to you. But at the very least they should be able to provide multiple serial numbers of some product to prove they aren't trying to sell fake iPhones.
Other ways to spot a fake iPhone or scammer? Well...
1. For wholesale, the supplier will not provide a sample. If you are a legitimate business, particularly a foreign trader, why not provide a sample to inspire confidence?
2. Seller only promotes unsecured payment methods such as Western Union, Bank Wire, etc. Once your money is sent, it's gone.
3. Vague and limited information in the listing. Does their selling information match Apple's information?
4. Claims the phone has expandable memory. The iPhone does not have expandable memory.
5. "Authentic iPhone 3G S, 8 GB ". If you see someone advertising the 3GS in 8GB (like I have seen) then don't even click the advertisement. The 3GS doesn't come in 8GB!
6. "Factory sealed jail broken iPhone 3GS for sale". I've seen dozens of sellers advertise their software hacked or jail broken iPhones that are still "factory sealed". How do you hack or add a TurboSIM to a phone while it's sealed in a box and isn't turned on?
Other articles state that fake iPhones only come from China. Others say iPhones are only made in China. Well, other countries have the right to manufacture Apple products. As for fake iPhones only coming from China, that's simply not true. Other distributors can buy from China then try and sell to you!
Sellers from other countries lacking in moral fiber will gladly purchase a fake iPhone and sell it as authentic. I've seen dozens of postings across multiple forums from sellers all over the world REQUESTING fake iPhones. For some people, the larger profits are worth cheating someone and possibly facing a lawsuit. I feel bad for people like that. So, other countries have fake iPhones as well.
How can you spot a fake AFTER you've purchased?
1. Again, checking the serial number and IMEI number is your best bet.
2. Fake iPhones will not connect to WiFi.
3. The box they come in will not be rectangular. Apple's box is a nice rectangle. Fakes sometimes come in flat boxes.
4. The box doesn't come with the same accessories as listed on the Apple site. A real iPhone from the factory will come with standard items.
Additional tips on avoiding scammers can be found in our article "Don't Get Scammed".
We hope this information helps and saves you the hassle, annoyance and embarrassment of unknowingly buying a fake iPhone!
The Media Unlocked Team
iPhone Clone Wars
How to Spot a Fake iPhone and Avoid Scams
How to Spot a Fake iPhone and Avoid Scams