How Selling Your iPhone to iPhones.LA Works, Step by Step

We are a local buyer based in Long Beach. We buy iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, Macs and Apple Watches for cash, from sellers across Los Angeles and Orange County, and on scheduled weekly runs through the Inland Empire and North San Diego County.

This page walks through the whole process, from the first message to the moment you are paid. It is the same process whichever way you reach us, so you know what to expect before you start.

Three ways a sale starts

Most sales start in one of three places.

• A quote on the site. Go to the sell page and answer four questions: model, storage, carrier lock and condition. Your cash offer appears on screen in about a minute, with no account and no obligation.
• A call or a text. Call or text (562) 999-4994 in English or Spanish. A person picks up from 9 AM to 5 PM every day, asks the same few questions and gives you a number. After hours, leave a message and we call you back.
• A message from us on your listing. If you listed a phone on OfferUp or Facebook Marketplace, we may message you about it. Here is what that message means and how that kind of sale works.

If you have a lot of devices, such as a repair shop's trade-ins or a company's old phones, the wholesale page prices the whole list at once.

What we ask about your device

Before we quote, we ask for the details that decide the number. None of them need tools.

1. The exact model. Settings, General, About shows the model name.
2. The storage size. The same screen shows the capacity.
3. Carrier status. Whether it is unlocked or tied to a carrier such as T-Mobile, AT&T or Verizon, and whether it is paid off.
4. Condition. Any cracks on the screen or the back, any lines, dots or colors on the display, and how heavy the scratches are. If you are not sure whether a scratch is light or deep, run a fingernail over it: if it catches, it is deep.
5. Battery health. Settings, Battery, Battery Health & Charging shows the Maximum Capacity number.

When we have everything, we read the details back to you before we quote. A number priced on a guess only causes problems later, so we would rather confirm first.

How the offer works

Our offer is a cash number for your device in the condition you described, provided everything checks out in person. You can see what we pay for every model we buy, by storage and condition, on our device value pages. The grade letters are explained in how we grade.

A few things can change the number, and we tell you about each one up front:

• Something that was not mentioned, such as a crack or display damage we find when we meet.
• A battery at 79% or below. On a phone, an iPad or a watch that is a flat $20 off at any grade, and it does not change the grade. On a MacBook a person checks the battery and tells you the number.
• A phone described as new that has been activated. An offer for a never-used phone assumes it was never turned on and set up.

If anything changes, we tell you the new number before we pay, and you can say no. There is no obligation at any point. And if another buyer offers you more, we would honestly tell you to take it.

Before we meet: the IMEI check

We run every IMEI through a verification service before we meet, so there are no surprises for you or for us. You can find the IMEI in Settings, General, About, or by dialing *#06#. If you want to see what a check shows before you sell, the free IMEI check on our homepage is open to anyone, and this guide explains the results.

We only buy from the original owner, and we can only buy a device that is signed out of iCloud with Find My turned off. Getting your iPhone ready covers the steps.

Where we meet

You choose from a few options.

• Our spot near our Long Beach office. We are normally there from 9 AM to 5 PM. Text us when you are about five minutes away and we will meet you.
• A public place near you in LA or Orange County. A police station, an Apple Store, or a cafe with indoor seating that is open at that time all work.
• A scheduled weekly meetup in the Inland Empire or North San Diego County. We cover these areas with scheduled weekly meetups and pickups. If you need a particular time or place, a custom meetup is available for a small fee.
• Mail it in. We send you a prepaid label.

We need at least 30 minutes to arrange a meeting, so please wait for our confirmation before you head over. Every area we serve has its own page with distances and details.

At the meetup

We look the device over and confirm it matches what you told us, and that it is signed out of iCloud. Most meetups are short. If the device is as described, the number stays the number.

How you get paid

You are paid the moment the device checks out: cash in person, or Zelle, Cash App or PayPal. Zelle and Cash App usually land the same day.

What we do not buy

• A device that is still iCloud or Activation Locked.
• A device that is not yours to sell, such as a phone that was found.
• Anything that is not an Apple device.
• A device too damaged to be used even for parts. That is rare: phones that will not turn on and phones with water damage are usually still bought at parts value.

Frequently asked questions

How long does selling to you take?

The quote takes about a minute. A meetup needs at least 30 minutes of notice, so a sale can often happen the same day you ask.

Is there any obligation after I get a quote?

No. A quote is just a number. You can think it over, and you can say no at any point, including at the meetup.

Can the offer change when we meet?

Only if the device is not as described, or the battery is at 79% or below and we did not know. We tell you the new number before we pay, and you decide.

Do you speak Spanish?

Yes. Call or text in English or Spanish, and this site works in both.