How to Buy a Used iPhone Safely in Canada: A 10-Point Meetup Checklist

A used iPhone can save you hundreds of dollars. It’s also one of the riskiest things to buy from a stranger, because the problems (an iCloud lock, a blacklisted IMEI, a swapped screen) are invisible until you get home.

Save this checklist and run through it at the meetup. A real seller won’t mind. Someone who gets impatient while you check is telling you something.

Before the meetup

1. Ask for the IMEI number. Check it at Canada’s free device checker (devicecheck.ca). It tells you whether the phone has been reported lost or stolen to Canadian carriers. A blacklisted phone won’t work on any major network.
2. Ask if it’s unlocked or tied to a carrier. Also ask whether there’s still a balance owing on a financing plan, as that can lead to the phone being blocked later.
3. Pick a safe, public spot. Many Canadian police stations have marked safe-exchange zones. Mall food courts and busy coffee shops also work. Here is our list of safe exchange zones across the GTA.

At the meetup

4. Check that Find My is off and the phone is signed out of iCloud. Go to Settings and tap the name at the top. If someone’s Apple ID is still there, don’t buy until they sign out in front of you. An iCloud-locked phone is close to useless.
5. Ideally, have them erase it in front of you. Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings. When it restarts at the “Hello” screen with no activation lock, you’re good.
6. Check the IMEI matches. Dial *#06# and compare it with the number they sent you and the one in Settings > General > About.
7. Check battery health. Settings > Battery > Battery Health. Under 80% means a battery replacement is coming soon. Factor that into the price.
8. Check for replaced parts. On recent iPhones, Settings > General > About shows a “Parts and Service History” section if the screen, battery, or camera has been replaced with a non-genuine part.
9. Test the basics. Put your SIM in and make a call. Test Face ID or Touch ID, both cameras, the speaker, the mic, Wi-Fi, and charging.

Paying

10. Don’t pay until all of the above is done, and don’t carry a wad of cash. Phones are a common target for meetup robberies precisely because buyers show up with $500+ in their pocket.

A safer option is to lock the payment before you meet. With LockNDeal, you scan the seller’s QR code and the money is held securely in the app. Once the phone has passed your checks, the seller gives you their code, you enter it, and they’re paid instantly. If the phone fails your checks, you don’t enter the code and can request a refund before the deal is finalized.

You get to inspect first. The seller knows the money is real. Nobody’s carrying cash.