SwappaReviews 3,174

What I like about Swappa is that it is focused on specific electronic items, such as the iPhone I just sold. What I don't like is that some of the commenters on listings seem to be just lurkers, not interested in buying. Swappa allowed me to find a buyer very quickly, although I netted about.$140 less selling my one-year old iPhone (similar configuration) than I did last year selling on Amazon. I think that probably the potential buyers are substantially fewer than with other selling sites.

In this era of high-end phones at high-end prices, Swappa works to match buyers and sellers who appreciate getting a great deal on gently used equipment. I have bought and sold devices on Swappa, and have never had a problem in any way. The community is well-meaning and the sellers are honest and honorable. Buying using Swappa should be a definite consideration for anyone wanting to get a high-quality phone for prices that are fair and accurate.

Swappa will continue to be great as long as sellers and buyers respect the norms of the marketplace. I am seeing comments that make me wonder how long it can persist in its current form before descending into the chaos that is a famous internet-based classified ad site. I am hopeful that Swappa remains a place for good sellers and buyers, and not scams. Here's hoping. For now, I'm still quite pleased.

I've had several sales and purchases on Swappa. It's always been a positive experience. Setting up a sale is simple and purchasing feels safe with them.

Iʻve had mostly good experiences with Swappa and Swappa staff; my previous non-sale (seller did not send item though I paid for it) was resolved in about 48 hours with Swappa staff and PayPal. Other purchases were good, sometimes shipping took a bit longer. It really depends on the sellers!

Iʻm in the midst of an issue now that has me frustrated, hence the lower rating - seller agreed to ship quickly, but did not and did not let me know about the delay. (FedEx showed the agreed-on delivery time... then suddenly the delivery date changed the day I was expecting it.)
As I am leaving the country for a week, this leaves in in limbo with no device. Theoretically it arrives sometime next week while I am away, but requires a signature.

Swappa staff have varied in their responses, in this case the last staff member noted that technically the seller is within their timeframe to ship, so itʻs not an issue (despite conversations on the purchase site that it was agreed to ship early and my paying more for that service).

This is the part that troubles me most: my follow-up questions about what I should/could do (Re: delivery as I wouldnʻt be there, no communication with seller) were ignored.

My advice when using Swappa: be **very** clear about shipping, deadlines, and refunds if those arenʻt met before you pay for it; always assume extra time for delivery - even if you pay extra for fast shipping; as a buyer expect to have to do all the follow up, checking, etc. if there is a problem.
(In both cases where I had issues, I had to follow up repeatedly, look up additional info, etc. It takes a lot of time!)

I have had both positive and negative experiences of buying products from Swappa. If the seller is honest then you have a good experience. I have had several such experiences. Most of the sellers do work with the buyer to make it a good transaction.
But, if the seller is not then you are pretty much on your own. I have had a few of that as well. In such cases, Swappa doesn't get involved in resolving the issue. They will direct you to PayPal to find a resolution. That process is tedious and time-consuming. Their resolution tends to be to find a way to void the sale. Sometimes it is possible but sometimes it is not. Tread with caution when buying from Swappa. Ask the seller all the questions.

To answer your question:
Ways you as a buyer can protect:
Make sure the seller posts pictures. Battery health is one example. One seller refused to post a picture but claimed all along that the health is good. It turned out to be false when I got the phone. The seller refused to cooperate to get the battery fixed. Swappa doesn't do anything in such situations to resolve the issue even though there is enough proof to show that the seller was dishonest. Swappa recommends resolving such issues via PayPal. Involving PayPal is a long drawn out process and their decision is usually to return the device back to the seller and void the sale.

Another issue I had was with the screen. The touchscreen was not working. The seller claimed that it is working and there was no issue. Thankfully, the seller was good enough to take it back and refund the money.

What I always do is to take the Apple devices to an Apple store and have them do a free courtesy check. That has always been very helpful. Both the above issues were identified through Apple's courtesy check.