Before buying any secondhand mobile phone it is important to know the history of
the phone - especially so with high end models such as Blackberry and Iphones. There
are many sites which offer ‘free’ checks on serial numbers - with these you get what
you pay for!
I recommend using CHECKMEND - www.checkmend.com/uk/ - this is the firm that many
members of the trade use including all of the UK mobile companies so if a phone is
reported as lost is appears on the site almost immediately. It costs £1-99 for a
check but is worth it for peace of mind; I use this all the time for both buying
and selling.