[Scott111]

I upgraded to a newer phone, but I still have my old Verizon Galaxy S7 that is deactivated. If I were to sell it on eBay would someone be able to buy it and use it on Verizon again ? I'm asking cause I don't want to get in a situation where the buyer says their Verizon in their state can't activate the phone for whatever reason. I just don't want to waste my time or anybody else's time.

[Mike Dee]

as long as it's paid for it should be okay to sell

[Scott111]

Is it also safe to say it will only work on the Verizon carrier right ?

[Mike Dee]

It could work on other carriers but some advanced calling features might not work. Just make sure you list as a Verizon unit. I usually sell mine on Swappa.

[Scott111]

Is Swappa better then eBay and can you tell why it is please ? Thanks

[Mike Dee]

I like it better than eBay. You set your price and lower it as you see fit. I'm not into the whole auction bidding thing. You can do that on eBay as well using the Buy it Now but I just like dealing with Swappa. I forget which one has higher fees. I trust Swappa more as a buyer because the IMEI numbers are verified prior to selling. This makes buyers more confident which is good for the seller.

[Scott111]

I forgot to remove the sim card from the phone, is that bad ? But I did do a factory reset though. By the way I moved on to a diff carrier.

[Mike Dee]

I forgot to remove the sim card from the phone, is that bad ? But I did do a factory reset though. By the way I moved on to a diff carrier.

You sold it and shipped already?
I hope you remembered to remove your Google account otherwise they can't use it.

[Scott111]

The Google account is being used on a diff phone on another carrier.

[Mike Dee]

Did you remove it from the phone before reset?

[Scott111]

Did you remove it from the phone before reset?

No, but like I said the Google account is being used on another phone and when the person uses it for the first time they will have log in with their details.

[Mike Dee]

No, but like I said the Google account is being used on another phone and when the person uses it for the first time they will have log in with their details.

If the device was factory reset with the Google account still on the phone and the Factory Reset Protection/Device Protection is enabled, the device will ask for the Google information on start up.

[Scott111]

But it won't matter the buyer doesn't know the password.

[Mike Dee]

But it won't matter the buyer doesn't know the password.

I don't think you get it. He might not be able to use the phone because he will be blocked because he doesn't know your password

[Mooncatt]

Factory reset protection is a security feature to prevent thieves from using your phone. It's also why it's imperative to make sure your account is removed from the phone BEFORE you sell it. You can use the same Google account on multiple devices at once, so simply logging on to a new device does nothing to the one you sold. If your account isn't removed, NO ONE ELSE can use that phone, even after a reset. When they go through the setup process, FRP will ask to verify your account info as a check to make sure you legitimately own the phone. It does not know that you sold it, which is why you have to sign out of every Google account first.

There may be a glimmer of hope, though. There are two ways to reset the phone. If you do a hard reset during the boot up process (usually by pressing and holding one of the volume keys and power button to access the recovery menu), FRP is still in effect. Resetting via the recovery menu is often one of the first things a thief does to try gaining access to your phone or prevent you from tracking it, which is why FRP wants to make sure you're the owner during the setup process. The other way to reset it is via the phone's settings menu. Doing it this way may also remove the FRP in the process. Since you had to get past the lock screen to access this reset method, it's assumed you are the owner and thus the reset was legit. There is some debate on if this method removes FRP across the board or if it varies based on the manufacturer. I personally sign out of everything regardless of the method of resetting, just to be sure. If you reset via the settings menu, you may have dodged a bullet, but keep your fingers crossed.

[Scott111]

Okay guys I finally understand what your talking about, by the way I did do a reset via the within the phone setting menu. Well the eBay buyer guy should be receiving either today or tomorrow. What steps should I take to insure that he will be able to activate and use the phone when he goes to the Verizon store to activate it ? Should I email him telling him to remove the sim card before turning on ? Doesn't the person at Verizon store going to put a new one in anyway ?

[Mooncatt]

I wouldn't do anything just yet. The Verizon store should be able to get him all set up. If something glitched and the factory reset protection is still on, then you two will have to work to come to an acceptable conclusion. That could mean refunding him and getting the phone back, have him send the phone to you and let you remove it, or you giving him your Google login (which you should then change immediately after getting conformation he's in the phone). Whatever method you choose is going to have risks for one or both of you, but hopefully that will be a non-issue due to resetting from the settings menu.

[Scott111]

I knew this could be risky that's why I left the $100 in the pay-pal for now until it's settled.

So in the future what should I have done to make sure it works ? Even if I would have removed the sim card before selling we would still have the same problem ?? removing the sim card where I live or removing it in Texas wouldn't of made a diff right ?

[Mooncatt]

Yes, you should remove the SIM card, but no it doesn't matter where that happens. It's mostly just an identifier. In the future, you I would suggest signing out of all Google accounts on the phone, via the phone's settings menu. Then factory reset it. To make sure it's ok, try to set it up again to verify it's not going to ask for your account info during the process. Once that's verified and you're back to the default home screen, factory reset it again so it's ready for the next person.

It's also not a bad idea to sell locally and do the transaction in person. That way they can verify the phone is in working order and any problems can be dealt with quickly and easily. If there's a carrier store close to you, going there to do the transaction also lets the buyer verify the phone isn't blacklisted or anything. These aren't required, but they do help everything go more smoothly.

[Rukbat]

You remove any Google account from the phone, then reset it.


As far as the SIM, it's useless now - Verizon won't reuse a used one, so whether you keep it to unlock a phone, or you throw it out, or you leave it in the phone, makes no difference.

[Scott111]

Okay thanks guys