Before you sell: unlock and wipe your phone
Phones have an anti-theft lock tied to your account. If you erase a phone without signing out first, the new owner can’t set it up. It’s the most common reason phone sales go wrong.
iPhone
- Back up your phone, and unpair your Apple Watch if you have one.
- Sign out of iCloud and the App Store in Settings. This turns off Find My and Activation Lock.
- Go to Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Content and Settings, and remove the eSIM if asked.
- Remove the phone from your Apple account’s list of devices.
Android (Samsung, Google Pixel and others)
- Back up your photos and data.
- Remove your Google account, and your Samsung account on a Samsung, in Settings → Accounts, before resetting. Otherwise the phone stays locked to you.
- Then factory reset from Settings.
On every phone, take out your SIM and any memory card, and check the phone starts up showing the welcome screen.
Your options
Vinted: no seller fees
Vinted charges sellers nothing, and the buyer pays a Vinted fee and the postage. Its rules don’t allow phones that are reported lost or stolen, blocked, or jailbroken. See the Vinted fee calculator.
eBay.ie: the biggest audience
eBay’s buyers search for the exact model, storage and colour, across Ireland and Europe. Private sellers pay about 11% of the sale, postage included, plus €0.35 an order. Search your model and tick “Sold items” to see what it actually sells for. See the eBay fee calculator.
Trade-in: quick and simple
Trade-in services and shops such as CeX give you a price straight away and pay once they’ve checked the phone. Some pay cash and some pay in store credit. You’ll get less than selling it yourself, but there are no listings, no buyers and no risk of disputes. Get two or three quotes, because prices vary.
Your network or the manufacturer
If you’re upgrading, Apple, Samsung and the mobile networks run trade-in offers, often paid as credit off your new phone or bill. Compare the offer with an eBay sold price first.
DoneDeal, Adverts.ie and Facebook Marketplace: local cash sales
There are no fees for local sales, but meet somewhere public and busy, and only hand over the phone once the money has definitely arrived. See the guide to selling scams.
Get a better price
- Describe it exactly: model, storage, colour, and whether it’s unlocked to any network. On iPhones, include the battery health percentage from Settings.
- Be honest about wear: scratches, cracks and battery condition.
- Include the box and charger if you have them.
- Note the IMEI (dial *#06#) before you post. It proves which phone you sent.
- Post it tracked and well protected, with cover that matches the value.
Not worth selling?
Broken or very old phones should be recycled free, never put in the bin. When you buy a new phone, the shop must take your old one back free, and council recycling centres take them free too. See where to donate.