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Bought a new phone on sale? Be sure to keep these things in mind before taking delivery, or you could face significant losses.
Siddhi Jain | October 20, 2025 2:15 AM CST

Online Smartphone Purchase: The festive season is underway, and everyone is taking advantage of online sales to purchase a new smartphone, tablet, or laptop.

The festive season is underway, and everyone is taking advantage of online sales to purchase a new smartphone, tablet, or laptop. But during this time, many people make a potentially costly mistake: failing to exercise due caution with the delivery person. When thousands of people place orders simultaneously, it creates an opportunity for fraudsters. If you don't want your hard-earned money to be lost to fraud, be sure to keep these important things in mind when taking delivery.

E-commerce companies recently changed their exchange and return rules. Now, if you find a product defective after delivery, sites like Amazon or Flipkart will not take responsibility for it. This means that if you purchased an iPhone on sale and it turns out to be defective, you will have to go directly to the company's service center. This makes it even more important to be very careful when receiving your delivery.

Many platforms are offering open-box delivery. The delivery person opens the box in front of you, and you then have to provide the code to receive the product. However, some people often share the code without even seeing the box, which is a major mistake. Remember, never provide the delivery code until you've opened the box and thoroughly inspected the contents. You can also ask the delivery person to turn on your phone, and they can't refuse. If you suspect anything suspicious about the product, you can refuse delivery.

When receiving the product, ensure the phone's seal is completely secure. If the box seal appears broken or there are any defects in the packaging, reject the delivery immediately. After removing the phone or tablet, be sure to match its IMEI number to the number on the box.

Another important thing to do during delivery is to record a video. Whether the box is being opened in front of you or you are unboxing it yourself, capture the entire process on video. This will give you solid proof of the condition of the item upon delivery. If there's a dispute later, this video will help you get your money back. Sometimes, scammers back off from their fraudulent activities after watching the video recording during delivery.

If you've chosen a platform that doesn't offer open-box delivery, be sure to take a video of yourself unboxing the product after receiving it. Try to clearly show the condition of the box, the label, and the items inside.

It's okay to buy a cheap phone online, but negligence during delivery can prove very costly. Therefore, always check the phone thoroughly in front of the delivery person, take a video, and only then share the confirmation code so that a happy occasion doesn't turn into a loss.


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