Contract phone purchase advice

[ver01@]

Is it safe to buy a used phone that was not bought outright (SIM free) and could still be tied to a contract?

 

[Efour]

Won't it need to be unlocked from the provider? If that's still a thing.

 

[ver01@]

They are all unlocked now.

 

[Efour]

Does something like this

IMEI Check - Free online service - IMEI.info

Check IMEI Number and find out hidden info. Check hardware specification, warranty or BLACKLIST status and more for FREE. Over 110 mln checked IMEI's in our database.

www.imei.info

Flag it as as something , I don't have a definitive answer just freestyling

 

[ver01@]

That works only if it's already blacklisted.

 

[radderfire]

Is it safe to buy a used phone that was not bought outright (SIM free) and could still be tied to a contract?

No, because the seller does not fully own it. It's not theirs to sell.

 

[ver01@]

No, because the seller does not fully own it. It's not theirs to sell.

That's what I thought.

 

[ver01@]

Is there a way to find out if it's still tied to a contract?

 

[ver01@]

I am surprised on how many phones for sale are "gifts" without any proof of purchase to show they were bought SIM free

A fifth of people believe it is legal to claim for pre-existing phone damage on new insurance policies | Cifas

New research from Cifas, the UK’s leading fraud prevention service, has revealed a concerning misconception about mobile phone insurance. Shockingly, 1 in 5 people (19%) believed it was legal to claim for accidental damage to their phone even if the damage occurred before they took out...

www.cifas.org.uk