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Buying used mobile phones safely

Purchasing a pre-owned mobile phone can be a great way to save money, but as is the case when purchasing any used item, care should be taken to make sure you receive what you expected. 

When purchasing a pre-owned mobile device, you should only buy from people or retailers you know and trust.  For example, many wireless service providers sell refurbished phones and provide return policies and warranties.  

One of the risks of buying a pre-owned device, especially from an individual or retailer with whom you are not familiar, is that the device may have been obtained illegally or may be a device that was otherwise lost by the previous owner. You can determine if the device you wish to purchase has been reported lost or stolen in Canada and entered into a device blacklist by checking the device’s IMEI number at www.devicecheck.ca. A device with a blacklisted IMEI number will not function on participating Canadian networks.   

On most devices you can find the IMEI number by dialing *#06# on the phone function keypad . Please check the device manufacturer’s website for other information on how to obtain the device IMEI number.