What is a Blacklisted iPhone?
A blacklisted iPhone (also known as bad ESN phone) is a phone that has been disconnected from a carrier's network and typically can't be activated with any carrier (AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile etc.).
Why are phones blacklisted? The vast majority of phones are blacklisted by the carrier for non-payment of a carrier financed phone. If you bought an iPhone from AT&T or Verizon or any other carrier and financed the phone you have entered into a contract to pay the carrier in full. Your phone payment is included in your monthly cell bill. If you are unable or if you stop making payments the carrier will report your phone as blacklisted and turn off your cell service. When this happens you're stuck with an expensive paperweight.
Your iPhone will remain blacklisted until you pay the carrier what is due. What if you can't pay the carrier, then what?
You can keep your pretty iPhone in a drawer or you could choose to sell it.
Where to Sell a Blacklisted iPhone
If you decide to sell your blacklisted iPhone, you SHOULD definitely disclose to a prospective buyer that your iPhone is blacklisted and they won't be able to connect to the carrier's network. In simple language,they won't be able to make or receive calls. Of course once you do this they will no longer be a buyer.
If you 'forget' to tell a prospective buyer that your iPhone is blacklisted they'll be mighty unhappy when they take their phone to their carrier and discover they just bought your expensive paperweight - that's when things can get ugly!
Speaking of forgeting, a very common scenario is the story of an innocent person who unknowingly bought a blacklisted iPhone on Craigslist from a crook who never disclosed the phone was blacklisted - now they're stuck with an expensive paperwieght.
Whether you ran into financial difficulties and could no longer make your phone payments (very common and nothing to be ashamed of) or if you were an innocent victim of a Craigslist scammer there is hope!
The Best Place to Sell Your Blacklisted iPhone is to a Company that Buys Blacklisted iPhones.
They understand that your iPhone is blacklisted and therefore only good for parts and won't be harrassing you for selling them a blacklisted iPhone.
So Who Buys Blacklisted iPhones?