Second hand phones in Kenya 5 point check, when purchasing

Second Hand Phone Purchase.

Mobile phones are being manufactured year in year out, and consumers have a lot of options, the pressure to keep up with current trends may be overwhelming. In developed countries not only do consumers get comparatively better wages but Telcom companies have plans where one can purchase a mobile phone and make monthly payments and the overall cost remans considerably lower an example is T-Mobile, AT&T in both US and UK, the case is different in developing countries where average wage is miniscule. The average hourly wage in UK or the US is about $9 for a low skilled work opportunity compare this to a country such as Kenya where a skilled labourer earns about $1.5.

The second hand market in Kenya is booming and especially in the mobile phone consumption, although not organised or regulated, its onset has been greatly maximised through the development of online buy and sell platforms, as well as social media that link sellers with buyers. Development of online buy and sell platforms is generally a positive idea but with ease in partaking of an activity usually leaves the participants with high risks due to lack or regulation. The Kenyan second hand mobile market is mostly concentrated within urban areas and we are going to learn of how to manoeuvre this market safely.

If we were to take a wild guess, then we can make an estimate that over 70% of Kenyan consumers have bought a used smartphone at least once in their lifetime. Now there are various circumstances where one would decide to purchase a used phone instead of a new one, in most cases it’s to save money. Take an example of an iPhone 7 which retails at about ksh 65,000 ($645) a used one could be about ksh 45,000 ($ 451), obviously ksh 20,000 savings is significant. however, you forego a warranty.

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In making a decision to purchase a used phone I take the following measures. depending on how you meet the seller often online or at a used items dealership;
1. Meet at a neutral place for example a mall, try to dictate a place if you are not buying from a shop. and avoid evening meet ups.
2. Inspect the item you are purchasing to identify faults;  seller is not under any obligation to disclose. Test the touch screen, all buttons, cameras, flash, mouth piece and earpiece (make a call). A simple way to gauge battery is to use is to activate percentage and observe how long 1% takes the extrapolate.
3.Inspect the chassis of the phone for cracks assuming the chassis is plastic, try charging the phone to see whether the battery charges with no issues
4. Ask for either a receipt or national identification, and avoid phones where seller does not want to use his/her personal sim card.
5.Bring a friend if possible, write an agreement where you take sellers identification, in case a receipt is not available.

Check out next blog on what to check out if you are the seller.