The iphone is one of the most respected if not the most respected phone on the Uganda phone market. But because of its price, there are a number of scams that come up when people attempt to buy phones cheaply in Kampala.
In this article we bring you the most common scams to watch out for when buying an iphone anywhere in Kampala. Whether you are considering a brand new iphone or a UK used iphone in Uganda; these scams still apply.
When you are going to visit a mobile shop in Uganda; it is important to be willing to inconvenience the seller with your questions. If you ever find a seller who finds it inconveniencing to ask them a lot of questions about the phone they are selling; please flee. It is one of the ways to identify Kampala phone scammers from legit operators.
With that said; here are the common ways you might get scammed when buying an iphone in Kampala.
A lower iphone model in a new iphone model case
It is very common to find an iphone Xs or Iphone XR in an iphone 13 pro housing. Unless you deal in phones, it is very hard to differentiate whether you are buying an iphone Xs or XR that is in an iphone 13 pro housing.
Unless you are keen to check out the details in the settings, there is a likelihood to get an iphone Xs in an iphone 13 pro or pro max case. To survive this scam, ask the seller to turn on the phone; then go to settings, head to general and lock out for the about section. It is in this section where you will find the iOS version, and the phone model.
All the newer iphone models will display iOS 18 while the older models will be below iOS 18. The phone model will also help you confirm the actual phone board that is in the that phone case. If you do not check this section, you will get a functional iphone but a beat older than what you bargained for.
Packaging The Wrong Phone After Sale
It is common practice to check out the phone, find that all the specifications are fine but get scammed at the moment of packing your phone. Scammers can ask you to take boxed version which is untampered with instead of taking the one that has been on display. If you agree to their request, a faulty phone is often sold to you and you will only notice it after unboxing the phone you took.
Of course you can report them, but police in Uganda is very unreliable, they are not out there to help you; they are out there to earn some money too. So if you get scammed, chances are high you will not get any help from the police. But that should not stop you from trying your luck by taking your case to the police.
Switching To icloud locked phone at the moment of packing
This is common when you are buying a UK used iphone. The sellers often gets another iphone that looks exactly like the one you agreed about but with a locked icloud. Once you have finished paying, they will give you an iphone that is temporarily unlocked. After a few minutes, the phone will require you to key in a passcode thus forcing you to return to the seller.
Once you return to the seller, he will put the blame on you claiming that you messed up the phone thus you will to pay some extra money to unlock it. They will then take you to their so called expert you will remove the passcode. But in actual sense, they just put the passcode, reset it and then ask you for close to 200,000 for fixing the problem.
In conclusion, all iphone scams in Kampala rotate around swaps to a wrong item or giving you a lower model phone in a newer model case. Though it is possible to get phones cheaply in Kampala, always avoid any deal that seems too good to be true.