Is there any cell phone better suited for Ebay? Or basically all the same?

[Iron Patch]

Guess I'm due to join the modern world as I haven't owned a cell since they looked like a cordless. Ebay compatibility and ease of use is my main criteria for the purchase. You know I don't even know what these things cost. But it doesn't matter, I'll buy the best for my purpose regardless of the price. Obviously I'm just talking about navigating the site, and maybe being able to do some of the basics.... so the screen size might be important? Anyway, feel free to talk to me like I just came from 1987, because that probably wouldn't be too far from the truth when it comes to these.

 

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[pong12211]

I would help you but I still have a flip phone.. Good luck on your adventure..

 

[Generic_Lad]

Get an iPhone, my grandma has one and she can use it just fine. You don't have to get the iPhone 5, a 4s should be able to do everything you need, they are about $100 on contract or about $600 without. Everything is super easy, you just press a button and go. Typing takes a bit of getting used to, but its not too bad. You can even talk to type if that would be faster for you. iPhones are pretty fragile though so if you want to take yours MDing or outdoors a lot, I'd suggest getting an Otterbox, they're not the cheapest case around, but they protect phones very well. eBay has a mobile app that you can do a lot of stuff, although the site is better for more in depth searches and you can get both on the iPhone.

The big caveat that I can think of is that there are rumours that the new iPhone will be coming out in September which should mean that prices for existing models will drop. Of course, nothing has been officially confirmed by Apple yet so there might very well be no new iPhone in September.


Alternatively, you can get an Android phone. Myself, I've got an S4 and love it, but it certainly would be harder to use than an iPhone, but for many Android phones the screen is much larger (close to 5 inches) so if you want just big screens Android might be an option.

 

[Uncle Jeff]

keep the flip phone and get a decent size android based tablet (bigger screen than a phone and easier to type and place adds with, plus android supports flash which apple/iphones do not)

 

[huntsman53]

For eBay compatibility, call them and ask what they use! Sorry, I just had to poke that one in there!

All joking aside, I would recommend Straight Talk as there is no monthly contract and you can purchase a fairly good variety of Cell Phones and even Smart Phones to use with the service. An Unlimited Service (Phone Air Time and Internet) Card or automatic recharge through Straight Talk using a Credit Card, Debit or Credit/Debit Card is only $45 plus taxes. T-Mobile is good and cheaper but you must really do the research to see if they cover your' areas and locations you will be traveling to as they have less Cell Phone towers to use than Straight Talk, at least where I am located.

I have seen and heard all the nightmares that Cell Phone companies have put my' three daughters through with their' damned contracts, so you might want to stay away from getting stuck with a contract.


Frank

 

[jerseyben]

Dont forget that IP may not have the same US carriers where he lives.

Myself, I bought an Iphone 3GS (older model) in perfect condition on ebay. It was an unlocked ATT model which means can be used freely on any GSM carrier.

Paid $100 and now I have a smartphone with no contract and no hidden monthly fee beyond standard data rates. Using T-mobile's new plan, I pay $50 month for unlimited everything (*3G is limited beyond a certain data usage but still unlimited just a bit slower if I go over).

 

[clovis97]

I absolutely love our iPhones. I have an old school 3G, and my wife has a 4G. I will be upgrading my old 3G iPhone the very day that the next new iPhone is released.

FWIW, we use the wife's iPhone 4G for 100% of our listings. The camera is unbelievable, and the ebay app is crazy easy to use. For items needing lengthy descriptions, we list using the 4G, and then edit on the laptop since it is so much easier to type on a full keyboard.

We've also thought about buying an iPad to enhance our listing capabilities, but even though it would be fun to have, I'm not sure it would enhance or enable us to get that much more accomplished when used in conjunction with our iPhones.

 

[huntsman53]

Dont forget that IP may not have the same US carriers where he lives.

Myself, I bought an Iphone 3GS (older model) in perfect condition on ebay. It was an unlocked ATT model which means can be used freely on any GSM carrier.

Paid $100 and now I have a smartphone with no contract and no hidden monthly fee beyond standard data rates. Using T-mobile's new plan, I pay $50 month for unlimited everything (*3G is limited beyond a certain data usage but still unlimited just a bit slower if I go over).

I thought that T-Mobile had dropped their' Unlimited Access Fees to $30 or was that just a big promotion a few months back just to get to sign up with them!!??


Frank

 

[jerseyben]

I thought that T-Mobile had dropped their' Unlimited Access Fees to $30 or was that just a big promotion a few months back just to get to sign up with them!!??


Frank

Check their website for details.

I pay the $50 per month (family plan) which includes unlimited everything. The data part is tricky: You get 500 MB per month of 4G LTE speeds. Once you reach your data limit, you still have unlimited data but the speed is dropped down to "E". You can pay $10 per month for an additional 2GB of the fast speeds and $20 more per month for unlimited fast speeds.

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

Iron Patch, I'm am right there with you, in the technically challenged category. I'm a dinosaur! I've never even bought a cellphone, but did use a 10 yr old tracphone, for about 6 months last yr. I care nothing bout cellphones, personally.

My old boss sells on ebay, she said she loves her Ipad for selling. I have no clue if an Ipad will cellphone or not.
But she said she has a program or app on it, she sits something in front of it, it takes the pic and edits it for upload, AND, sends it straight in to a listing on Ebay. I don't know, but I did think that was kinda cool.
Good luck in your quest!

 

[Generic_Lad]

The problem with a tablet as opposed to a phone is that unless you get one with cell service you're tethered to Wi-Fi. For a PC-type replacement that wouldn't be too bad, but the real advantage to a smartphone is being able to quickly and discreetly look up information in a garage sale, antique shop or auction.

There are a lot of things that people price low at these things but aren't trivial sums of money, a smartphone can help you take advantage of these things without worrying about losing money.

 

[diggummup]

An app is an app is an app. Any of the newer smartphones will produce about the same I would think. Ease of use is something you will have to practice at no matter which phone you get. The ebay apps (android or ipad) are basically the same no matter which device you use. My only advice would be... if you have any type of eyesight problems (like myself). Get a phone with the biggest screen size you can. I had an LG Esteem with a 4.3 inch screen. It got ruined while detecting at the beach. I bought a smaller LG Motion to replace it with. It had a 3.5 inch screen. A very big difference when it comes to cell phone screen size. Long story short, I ended up giving the new phone with the small screen to the wife and bought another LG Esteem off ebay for $70. I'm a happy camper again.

Also as G-Lad was hinting at... there are many more things you can do with a smartphone besides use ebay. Here are some apps to download once you get your phone, some are free, some aren't- 10 killer apps for eBay buyers and sellers | News | TechRadar and some from ebay itself- Productivity apps for eBay users

 

[clovis97]

FWIW, be careful with the eBay app.

On occasion, when listing an item, the app will sometimes revert back to a default setting. For a couple of weeks, the ebay app was defaulting to free shipping. Then, for a few weeks, the BIN listings were sometimes defaulting to auctions. Just yesterday, we listed four items as auctions, and two of those defaulted to BIN.

I do not believe this is happening due to user error. I have talked with two other sellers who have had this problem. I think it is a hiccup in their app.

The bottom line is that you need to double check your listings after they have listed if you are using the ebay app.

You certainly don't want to list a $2,000 gold coin for a BIN @ $9.99, or list a door for a '65 Pontiac GTO with free shipping.

 

[clovis97]

FWIW, I heard today that the next iPhone will be released Sept. 20th.

If you've waited since 1987 to get a smart phone, what is another 40 days or so?

 

[clovis97]

Also, the iPhone 4 that my wife has comes with Siri.

It makes it easy to talk into the phone and the voice/word recognition converts it to written word. It works almost flawlessly.

I know the other phones have similar capabilities, but my friend with a cheapie smartphone complains about his voice recognition and says it doesn't work.

YMMV.

 

[Iron Patch]

Thanks everyone, meant to get back to this thread sooner!

 

[clorox]

I have a regular iPhone 4 (no Siri) and it works fine. But if you're getting the phone solely for use with eBay, I would absolutely recommend a phone with a large screen (well, larger than the iPhone's) and the fastest and least limited data plan you can afford. But no matter what, the eBay app just isn't versatile or robust enough to be trusted with more than the basics, like browsing, basic research, bidding, paying, communication, updating shipping status, checking in on your auctions, and leaving feedback. I wouldn't rely on it for listing or auction management.

 

[Fushek]

I have a regular iPhone 4 (no Siri) and it works fine. But if you're getting the phone solely for use with eBay, I would absolutely recommend a phone with a large screen (well, larger than the iPhone's) and the fastest and least limited data plan you can afford. But no matter what, the eBay app just isn't versatile or robust enough to be trusted with more than the basics, like browsing, basic research, bidding, paying, communication, updating shipping status, checking in on your auctions, and leaving feedback. I wouldn't rely on it for listing or auction management.

Couldn't agree more. I have an iPhone 4 (no Siri) and it works fine for research etc, but NOT selling. I've tried listing on the phone and I did not find it very user friendly. Also, too easy to misspell your listings typing on the small screen and mess yourself up for search results.

 

[Don't Blink]

We got a cheaper IPhone by going to the local reputable repair shop and asking if they had any for sale. The shop said that they get all kinds all the time. We just told them what type we were interested and how much we wanted to spend, they added us to a list and it was only 2 days until they called us. We liked that it had a warranty with it.
We also have used the Straight Talk for a couple of years now and it works fine.

 

[Citiboy289]

Just be really careful about getting any phones on E Bay I went through this last week wasted hours ! I purchased a new Samsung off ebay set for T mobile - never had any issues with it in my home area Was on a business trip and Hit a MAJOR DEAD ZONE ( phones 3G ) went to their store and was told that the phone is " T MOBILE FAMILY " which means that while its on the T moble System Its actually a WALMART T moblie which does not have the same Power range------- Had wife fed ex me my old T mobile flip phone and Works like a charm ME as the previous poster said am staying with my flip phone and went to BIG LOTS got a TABLET for $69.00 That works fine ------------ This whole 3G 4G thing with all the Apps ect to me is a waste of time I have a laptop ANYWAY JUST MY 2 cents