Reselling Used iPhones in Europe

Checks before you pay: IMEI, Activation Lock, carrier lock

Do these in order. The first failure ends the deal.

Numbers. Apple shows the serial and IMEI in Settings > General > About and on the original box barcode; iPhone 6s to 13 also carry the IMEI on the SIM tray. iPhone 14 and later have no IMEI engraving, so compare screen and box.

Activation Lock. On iOS 15 and later a locked phone shows "iPhone Locked to Owner". If setup asks for the previous owner's account, Apple says to hand the phone back for their password, or they can remove it from their account in a browser. It's ready at the Hello screen. The official pages used here offer no public stolen-phone IMEI lookup, so a matching IMEI is only a consistency check.

Carrier lock. "No SIM restrictions" next to Carrier Lock in Settings > General > About means unlocked. Apple says only the carrier can remove a lock.

Decision rule: if the seller won't erase the phone in front of you or show the About screen on a video call, don't buy. How to ask is in spotting fake and risky listings; the scorecard with a phone add-on is in how to evaluate a resale deal.

Battery health, replaced parts and water damage

Settings > Battery > Battery Health shows maximum capacity against the battery when new. Apple designs iPhone 14 and earlier batteries to keep 80% capacity at 500 complete cycles, iPhone 15 models at 1,000. On iOS 15.2 and later, Parts and Service History sits in Settings > General > About; the parts listed depend on the model.

We haven't verified Apple's liquid-damage guidance, so there is no water test here. Decision rule: if the seller says the phone got wet, value it as a parts phone unless everything works in your hands.

Vinted UK counts "functionality not as described" and undisclosed damage as not-as-described, but not disclosed wear on electronics; OLX's Pakiet Ochronny also covers function. Grading is in how condition changes resale price.

What sets the price: model, storage, condition, colour

A comparable phone matches yours on every line:

• Same model, not the Pro, Plus or mini beside it
• Same storage
• Same battery band (bands you set and write down)
• Same parts and carrier-lock status
• Similar cosmetic grade, judged from photos
• Same completeness: box, cable, receipt

We found no published data on how much colour moves an iPhone's price, so use it as a tie-breaker.

Finding comparable listings

Search by model and storage, open every listing, and sort phones into battery bands. Note the last price of phones that disappear and the asks of those still listed. The resale pricing guide explains why exits beat asks.

Where to sell: OLX, Allegro Lokalnie, Vinted, buyback services

Decision rules:

• First or second phone in an OLX limit period, local buyer: OLX with collection; test together at handover.
• Third phone, private user: Allegro Lokalnie. OLX renews a limit 30 days after the last counted listing was published (OLX listing limits by category).
• Distant buyer wanting reassurance: Vinted, where the buyer can add Electronics Verification; but standard accounts are personal, so regular flipping doesn't fit.
• You want a number now: a Swappie quote. On its trade-in route, if Swappie revises the price, you can accept or get the phone back free.

The same choice over four routes, peer marketplaces against refurb buy-out, trade-in and breakers, is worked through in where to sell used phones.

Vinted's updated Terms take effect on 8 October 2026 in Poland and the UK (5 October in Germany and France); press reports say the Buyer Protection fee becomes the "Vinted fee". Recheck the price list then.

Fees and listing limits for phones

Worked example: a phone sold for 1,500 zł.

• Allegro Lokalnie Kup teraz: 4.9% is 73.50 zł, leaving 1,426.50 zł before shipping. It's charged only if the buyer pays within 72 hours or fills in the delivery form. A secondary source reports 4% for electronics; Allegro's page showed 4.9%, so check the form.
• Vinted: no seller commission, but at the usual 5% + 2.90 zł the buyer sees about 1,577.90 zł before shipping.
• OLX: free inside your limit; paid prices aren't in the documents we read.

Shipping and return risk for phones

On OLX delivery the buyer has 48 hours from pickup or delivery to claim, and you have 120 hours to respond. An accepted claim means a return at your cost and a refund of price, delivery and Pakiet Ochronny fee; change of mind isn't covered. Details: OLX delivery and Pakiet Ochronny.

• State battery capacity, any battery or parts message, and carrier-lock status
• Film the phone working and being packed
• Follow Apple's steps: sign out of your Apple Account, Erase All Content and Settings, remove it from trusted devices, erase any eSIM

Pricing a phone to sell within a week

No marketplace publishes how fast phones sell, so a week is a target. Price near the cheapest quarter of comparable asks. An Allegro Lokalnie auction runs 7 days, a built-in deadline.

Worked example: fast sell is around 1,350 zł. The 4.9% Kup teraz fee is 66.15 zł, leaving 1,283.85 zł. A Swappie quote of, say, 1,250 zł is 33.85 zł less, with no messages or claim window. Decision rule: if the gap is worth less than that work, take the quote; otherwise list at fast sell. Laptops and consoles, where OLX also sets a private limit of 2, are in reselling used electronics.