Advice to sell used items on OLX

[TheSloth]

Hi everyone!
(Belated)Happy New Year!!

I am trying to sell my old phone on OLX. I posted the ad and started receiving messages from potential buyers. But I am not sure how to do I proceed here.

1. First of all, almost everyone wants my phone number. I am hesitant to share that even though they have agreed to pay certain amount for the phone. Can I go ahead and share the number and continue the negotiation on Whatsapp?

2. Another is, how do I close the deal, they will come and inspect the phone. For that we need a place to sit, talk and negotiate further if needed. I am not comfortable inviting strangers at my place, so I wanted to know how do people sell the items locally.

Please educate me general guidelines, do's and dont's, from your own experience, to avoid getting into scam.
Thanks in advance!!

 

[patkim]

Hi,

I have sold a few phones, laptops & Desktop parts on OLX.

I kept a different pre-paid SIM for this purpose and never shared my original number with them. With a different SIM I share the number with them and interact with them. I support them for a few days after sell if the need be but later, I close that number.

The problem is if Laptop is worth 8000 INR, they simply want it in 1000 INR so you have to negotiate a lot.

As far as phone is concerned, there’s no need to invite them to your home. But for my Laptop & Desktop parts that I sold, I did that intentionally as I wanted to test it thoroughly before them, for their peace of mind and for my own satisfaction that I did sell them a genuinely working item. Sometimes if your house is bit far off from them, they themselves will reject the idea of travelling that much!

If they agree on the final price, meet at a suitable place like a nearby mall, restaurant etc which is crowded so that they have a social pressure to behave properly with you and let them check out the product. Expect further negotiation and arguments on the final price. E.g. This color is faded, the screen looks old, the touch does not feel smooth, I think this is just worth RS 3000, My budget is low please consider and so on (Whereas you might have quoted 8000).

So set the price accordingly and close the deal when they pay you by cash or Google Pay or UPI etc. Confirm the receipt of payment, preferably have the mobile banking app from your bank handy and confirm the payment and close the deal. Tell them very clearly that the product is out of warranty and no service or support can be offered by you after the sell is done.

The most frustrating part is they want dirty cheap than the depreciated cost of the product. This has been my consistent observation.

 

[TheSloth]

Thank you for listing out these points in detail.
So first thing is to not share the original phone number. Got it. Since its phone, I will ask them to meet at some place nearby. I will update here about my experience.

 

[TheSloth]

Almost everyone wants phone number to discuss. Either that's the accepted practice with the users or my ad is attracting too many scammers. Now one person is ready to meet face to face but I am doubting if that person is another scammer.
I am yet to sell the phone. How good is the OLX featured ad service for a week at 199?

 

[patkim]

As I mentioned earlier, I always share my alternate num to discuss out things. I never shared my main num though. The alternate is prepaid and I recharge it only on need basis else it's off.
I found people cribbing about every penny they spend in getting the item. e.g. to come to place x, I have to spend petrol worth 40Rs, so can you come to y instead and like that.
I have sold all items up till now free. I never availed OLX paid service.