Buying a used phone from a customer? An IMEI routine before you pay

Almost every day someone walks in with a phone to sell. The deal often looks great: a decent price and room for margin. But if the phone turns out to have a problem, the loss is yours, not the seller's who already left.

So you need a fixed routine, a short list everyone in the shop knows, not something done on a whim. This post walks through it: what to check, what to take from the seller, and how to record the device.

Why this matters now

Egypt's telecom regulator (NTRA) announced that from 1 February 2025 it would start blocking the activation of new phones that don't meet the approved international standards, especially those set by the GSMA. It told people to check the 15-digit IMEI in the Telephony app before buying, and to ask for a tax invoice when buying a new device.

NTRA also warned retailers and distributors against selling non-compliant devices, with legal action in coordination with the Consumer Protection Agency. So the check belongs before the purchase, not after.

Step 1: Check the phone in front of the seller

Never buy a phone you can't inspect on the spot. With the seller standing there:

1. Ask them to bring up the IMEI themselves (dial *#06#) and compare it with the box or the back of the phone if it's there.
2. For dual SIM phones, note both IMEI 1 and IMEI 2.
3. Check the IMEI in NTRA's Telephony app and look at its status.
4. Test the phone: power on, SIM, screen, cameras, charging, fingerprint.
5. Make sure it isn't locked to someone else's Google or iCloud account. Have the seller sign out in front of you.

If they refuse any of these, that alone is a reason to walk away.

Step 2: Take the seller's details

You don't have to act like the police, but you need a trail if a problem comes up later. Record:

• Full name and phone number
• National ID number, and a photo of the ID if they agree
• The IMEI, the date, and the price you paid

Don't keep ID photos in a WhatsApp group or on your personal phone. This data is sensitive and should sit where only specific people can see it.

Step 3: Price on the real cost

A used phone's real profit is calculated after whatever it needs before resale: a battery, a screen, a clean-up. If you paid 10,000 and spent 800 on it, your cost is 10,800, not 10,000. Write down the real cost before you set the price.

Step 4: Record it in Mobilat with its cost

If you run the shop on Mobilat, it goes like this:

• On the purchase invoice choose "From a person" and enter the seller's name, phone and national ID number. The ID number is stored encrypted and the photo privately. See the purchasing and suppliers page.
• Each device is its own record with its IMEI, cost, warranty and full history. You can scan or paste the numbers. See the catalog and barcodes page.
• The seller's details are visible only to the staff you allow, and every view is logged.
• At the sale, the cashier picks the device by IMEI or its last 6 digits, and the receipt shows the IMEI and the warranty end date. See the POS page.

Limits you should know

Mobilat only checks that the IMEI is a valid 15-digit number. It does not check the device with any outside party: no stolen-phone or registration lookups. The telephony registration status is something you type in yourself after checking it.

So the check is yours, and Mobilat keeps the result, the seller's details and the cost on record for later.

A routine to pin up in the shop

1. Phone and seller in front of me; IMEI from *#06# matches the box.
2. Checked on Telephony.
3. Full test, Google or iCloud account removed.
4. Seller's ID and phone recorded.
5. Real cost after repairs known before the price.
6. Device recorded by IMEI.

Try recording a purchase from a person on the demo, no sign-up needed, or see the pricing. Every plan has a 14-day free trial with no card.