One thing that separates Swappa from other marketplaces is our thorough listing review and approval process.
We wanted to take this opportunity to explain how we go about evaluating each listing for approval, and what goes into each decision. We have more checks in place to protect both the buyer and the seller than any other site. Are we perfect? No – but nobody is when you’re dealing with used devices.
The fact of the matter is – and this is important to understand for any potential buyer – any time you’re dealing in the “secondary” or used market for devices (i.e. you didn’t purchase directly from the carrier or an official retailer), there are no guarantees – whether it’s Craigslist, Ebay, or even Swappa. If you’re buying a device from another individual or from a reseller (who buys from other individuals), the most you can do is lower your risk as much as possible, and our evaluation process does just that.
Each listing is like a puzzle with many pieces that have to fit together in order to be approved. Some of the puzzles are very easy – they’re basically a bunch of squares that fit together perfectly with no difficulty. But sometimes they can be really complicated with a bunch of tiny discombobulated pieces. Of course, a majority of listings fall somewhere in between those two extremes.
Here are some of the factors we check when we first look at a listing, along with a quick description of each:
ESN / IMEI / MEID Check
Our system checks an IMEI number to make sure it’s clear for activation. It can also tell if it’s still active on an account, as well as a part of an Equipment Installment Plan with a carrier like T-Mobile. It will also show us the history of that device on Swappa – previous sales, users, etc. FAQ
Verification Photo
This helps give us added proof that the device exists and is being sold by a real person who has the device in hand at the time of the listing. It forces a seller to use an updated photo of the device as well. FAQ More Info
IP Address
Our system recognizes IP addresses, both when the listing is created, and if it is updated from another location. It will show us if an IP address is tied to other listings, other accounts, etc. This helps us if there’s a scammer opening up multiple accounts and creating fraudulent listings, or an ornery user trying to get around our checks by opening a new account. It also shows originating city/state/country for the IP address.
Other Photos and Description
We usually double check the other photos in a listing as well, combined with the description, to make sure it matches up. For example, if someone is selling an AT&T Galaxy S4, but the picture of the back of the phone has a Verizon logo on it, we’re going to question that. The IMEI check should also verify the carrier, but it would cause us to hesitate and ask the question.
Paypal Email Verification
It’s not a deal killer if someone has a Paypal email that isn’t verified, but we still check it. If there is another issue with a listing, that combined with the unverified paypal is potentially a problem in our minds. FAQ
Seller History
If we have a user who has sold over 100 devices and has 60 five-star feedbacks, we’re going to give less scrutiny to him or her than a new seller. Not only have they earned it, but we can trust if there is a problem after a sale, they make it right. We’ll still check the essentials like the IMEI, verification photo, and IP address, but won’t get hung up if, for example, the screen isn’t on in their verification photo. On the flipside – if a seller has a poor history, we’re going to be extra tough on them because a part of our job as facilitators of these transactions is to keep the process smooth, from start to finish. Therefore, if a seller has a history of bumpy transactions, we’re going to be more hesitant to approve future listings from them.
All of those are basically “black and white” issues – they represent our main checklist that we do for every single listing. If any one of those don’t check out, we dig for more info, or simply don’t approve.
However, with every listing there is potentially an entire area of “gray” items that extend from each of the factors listed above, as well as items we simply have to be aware of on a consistent basis. In part two, we’ll visit a few examples of those gray areas.
