Three Best Ways to Buy a Phone This Christmas

A phone is an excellent Christmas present, sure to be loved by whoever receives it. However, there are countless options to choose from…

Three Best Ways to Buy a Phone This Christmas

A phone is an excellent Christmas present, sure to be loved by whoever receives it. However, there are countless options to choose from when buying a mobile. What phone are you going to buy? Where are you going to buy it? How much are you going to pay? How do you know the best way to go? It can be confusing.

With so much pre-Christmas advertising from the big phone shops, it is easy to forget that there are other ways to buy, options you may not have thought about.

Follow this guide to make the right decision when buying a phone, to ensure you get the best price without facing any scams.

1. Phone shops

When you want to buy a phone, your first thought is probably to visit a phone shop. After all, they’re easy to find; there are probably three or four on your high street, so you can shop around and compare — if you don’t mind going from shop to shop. When you get there, you’ll see a wide range of phones to choose from. Staff will be on hand to help you make your selection. Finally, there is an assurance that when you buy in-store, you can take it back if there are any issues.

However, you may not always get the best price in-store. The retailer sets the price and there is no room for negotiation. Also, the salesperson could push you towards a phone or contract that isn’t right for you. After all, they have targets to reach and commission to earn. Plus, we all know that shops are a nightmare around Christmas time, crowded with people waiting to be served. It’s probably best avoided!

2. Online marketplaces

There are dozens of online marketplaces where you could pick up a phone, from household names like Facebook and eBay to smaller, more specialist platforms such as Shpock. The good thing about these sites is that there are a lot of choices. You’re not limited to the newest models like in phone shops. You can buy new, refurbished and second-hand phones easily. You can also get a good price as sellers compete with each other to win customers; you may even be able to negotiate on the deal. Smart buyers will also take the time to research the right phone to give as a gift, while reviews of sellers will help you find someone you can trust.

Here comes the big ‘but’. There are lots of scammers lurking on these online marketplaces. Whether it’s taking your money and sending you a broken phone, or even an empty box, scammers on these sites will try anything. vendi’s founder, Pablo, was scammed for his mobile by someone he thought was an honest buyer operating on a supposedly reputable marketplace. When Pablo met the seller, the seller attacked him. Pablo lost his phone, but it could have been much worse, he almost lost his ear!

Also, unless you’re an expert, you won’t always know that the phone you receive is in good condition. You don’t know where it has been before it got to you or if it is stolen property.

3. vendi

If you want the service and reliability you get from a phone shop, with the prices you can only find online, vendi is the solution. Pablo Gonzalez-Iglesias and Anil Rao, set up vendi after recognising the number of scams lurking on these marketplaces.

vendi works differently from other online marketplaces; we take care to curate a community of trustworthy genuine buyers and sellers. All phones sold on vendi are also verified through a 30-point checklist to ensure that they are in the condition as described. Payments on vendi are secure, with the buyer’s money held in a third-party escrow account, and never released to the seller until the phone is verified by the vendi team. It’s so easy to buy and sell on vendi, without having to worry about scammers. In fact, we can say that we have saved over 2,000 people from being scammed on online marketplaces in our first year.

You’ll find a great range of phones on vendi, from the brands you know and love, like Apple and Samsung. Choose from brand new phones (with unbroken seals) to pre-owned phones in excellent condition. You can buy new, refurbished and second-hand phones easily on vendi.

It’s why we receive excellent customer reviews every time, such as this one on Facebook from Annie:

“Fast, safe and reliable service. Excellent communication with the customer service team who helped me through the process. This place helps you to buy whatever phone you’re looking for while successfully avoiding scammers. 10/10!”

Visit vendi today

If you’re giving the gift of a phone this Christmas, avoid the crowds on the high street and the scammers online. It’s time to visit vendi — connecting honest buyers and sellers for a Happy Christmas!

To find out more visit the vendi site today.