Buying pre-owned electronics is one of the smartest ways to save money — a year-old flagship phone can go for 40% less than retail with barely any difference in performance. But the second-hand market also rewards sellers who cut corners, so knowing what to check before you pay is what separates a great deal from an expensive mistake.
1. No proof of original purchase
A legitimate seller can usually show an invoice, a warranty card, or at minimum the original box with a matching serial number. If a seller gets vague or defensive when you ask, treat that as a signal to slow down — it doesn’t always mean the item is stolen, but it removes your ability to verify what you’re actually buying.
2. Battery health not disclosed
For phones and laptops, battery health is the single biggest driver of how long the device will feel usable. Ask for a screenshot of battery health (iPhones show this under Settings → Battery; most Android phones have an equivalent in diagnostics). Anything below 80% should be reflected in the price.
3. A price that’s too good to be true
If a listing is priced 60-70% below every comparable one, there’s almost always a reason — a cracked internal component, a blacklisted IMEI, or simply a seller trying to move a stolen device quickly before anyone checks the serial number.
4. The seller won’t do a video call or in-person check
A seller confident in their item will happily do a quick video call to show it powering on, or meet for an in-person inspection before handover. Reluctance to do either — especially combined with pressure to "just pay now, I have other buyers" — is one of the clearest warning signs in any second-hand transaction.
5. Pressure to pay outside the platform
Any request to complete payment via UPI or bank transfer "to skip the fees" should be an immediate no. It’s the single most common way second-hand electronics scams happen, because it removes every protection you’d otherwise have.
How Bechmaaro’s escrow protects you
Every transaction on Bechmaaro routes payment through escrow: your money is held safely the moment you pay, released to the seller only after you’ve confirmed the item matches the listing, and you have a 48-hour window to raise a dispute if something’s wrong. It won’t catch every one of these five red flags for you — but it means that even if something slips through, your money isn’t gone before you’ve had a chance to check.