In the world of tech, nothing quite beats the popularity of the Apple iPhone. Year after year, millions of people flock to buy the newest model. During a typical release cycle, Apple will sell well over 200 million units worldwide!
While that sales figure alone is pretty impressive, it doesn't even begin to cover the secondary market. There's a lot of money to be made with used iPhones. As iPhone users ditch their old models for the shiny new one, resellers can bank on the brand's popularity while meeting growing demand.
Of course, before you can make a sale, you need to have the inventory to meet your customers' needs. That's where your supplier comes in.
Finding a reliable iPhone supplier is a must-have for any company in the secondary electronics market. They'll be your source for new stock year after year. However, finding a legitimate and trustworthy supplier is not always easy.
When a product like the iPhone becomes popular so does fraud. The last thing you want to deal with shady supplies, bad deals, and everything else that comes with working with the shady underbelly of the tech world. Needless to say, finding reputable suppliers is a must.
Here are some tips on how to find legit iPhone suppliers for your business.
Use Reputable Resources to Find Suppliers
The first thing you need to do is to find potential suppliers. This can be an arduous task in itself if you don't know where to look. Sure, you could go to private sellers or consumer marketplace sites to find some inventory, but it's not exactly the most efficient way to get iPhones.
Ideally, your supplier will be able to provide iPhones in bulk whenever you need them. So, you'll need to go to larger B2B suppliers. There are plenty of resources out there to find suppliers. Here are just a few.
Wholesale Directories
You can check through official wholesale directories. These directories are filled with suppliers for just about any product you can think of. There's no shortage of companies that provide consumer electronics and iPhones.
Directories have contact information for the supplier's designated sales team. Give them a call and inquire about their iPhone stock.
The great thing about directories is that they're usually pretty reliable. This isn't always the case, but most companies within the directory are going to be legitimate suppliers.
LinkedIn
Social media plays a big part in the electronics resale industry. We're not talking about Facebook or Twitter here!
LinkedIn is a professional business-focused social media platform. After you sign up, you can create a custom profile for your business and reach out to suppliers directly. LinkedIn has a great messaging system, which makes communication a breeze.
There are also ways to find suppliers you may not have heard of before. Join groups, participate in discussions, and check out all of those business connections. You'll be surprised by how easy it is to find suppliers.
Trade-In Tech
Finally, there's Trade-In Tech. Trade-In Tech is a unique wholesale platform that's specifically designed to connect buyers and sellers in the consumer electronics realm. It's similar to a marketplace platform. However, the big difference is that Trade-In Tech is a B2B platform that's aimed at helping companies find legitimate suppliers.
So, how can you find legit iPhone suppliers on Trade-In Tech? Well, every supplier on the platform is vetted. Trade-In Tech has a verification process that every member must go through. On top of that, the platform is monitored for fraud.
This helps to keep things safe and legitimate for everyone involved. You can find products, respond to listings, and perform transactions directly on the site. You can also form groups and negotiate deals in one safe space.
Ask for References to Verify Companies
Once you find a potential iPhone supplier, don't pull the trigger just yet. You need to do your due diligence to ensure that you're dealing with a legitimate company that will not try to defraud you in any way.
Doing your research is an important step in the process. While it might seem like overkill, legitimate companies aren't going to mind you asking questions. They know that fraud is a very real threat in this business, so they'll usually have no problem providing you with more information.
We recommend asking for a couple of references that you can contact. These references should be of relatively recent sales. Make sure that you do some research on the reference as well if possible. Then, make a call.
During your call, you should be asking all the important questions you need to verify the supplier's legitimacy. These include questions like:
How long have you been working with the supplier?
How did you learn about the supplier?
Is the supplier meeting your needs?
Why did you select this particular supplier over competitors?
How smooth is the ordering process?
Have you encountered any issues working with this supplier?
Do you consider this supplier an important part of your company's success?
Would you choose the supplier again with the knowledge you have now?
Is there anything about the supplier you would want me to know about?
Those are just a few questions you can ask to learn more about the supplier you want to work with. Make sure you prepare your questions ahead of time and keep the call as brief as possible.
The answer to these questions can help you learn more about what a supplier has to offer. Plus, it gives you better insight into what it's light to work with them. Above all else, this call will verify if the supplier can actually do what they're promising.
Place a Sample Order to Test Quality
If you're happy with the reference calls, you can proceed to make your first order!
However, don't make the mistake of ordering too many iPhone upfront. Quality is everything with consumer electronics. You need to make sure that you're getting good hardware that's suitable for resale. Otherwise, your company's reputation could suffer.
Start by placing a small sample order. You can go with the supplier's standard minimum order requirements. Alternatively, you can request something smaller. Not all suppliers will cater to those requests, but it's worth asking if you're still wary about placing a sizable order.
Use the sample order to see what kind of quality the supplier can provide. Analyze the iPhone for defects to make sure that you're getting something your customers will want to buy.
Don't stop at analyzing the products. Take the opportunity to scrutinize the entire ordering process. How difficult was it to place an order? Did the items get delivered promptly? Was it hard to get into contact with someone? All of those questions can give you a clear picture of what to expect when it's time to make a full order.
Secure Money with PayPal, Credit Cards, or Escrow
Now, it's time to think about payment. Here is where things get tricky. To avoid any potential for fraud, you need to document every transaction with your supplier. Creating a paper trail makes it much more difficult for individuals to steal from you or defraud your company.
Utilize credit card payments that you can easily verify. If you want the transaction to be even more removed from your company's primary bank account, take advantage of a payment service like PayPal.
PayPal has a pretty decent fraud department that works to handle disputes. Plus, there's a ton of payment information you can save. Many suppliers nowadays utilize PayPal because it's easy and stress-free. So, you shouldn't have any major issues using the service.
If you're doing a larger order, you need to take some extra steps to keep yourself safe. When there are thousands of dollars being moved, it pays to use an escrow account.
Basically, an escrow account is a third-party account that protects both parties involved in a transaction. Instead of paying your supplier directly, you will pay the escrow. The supplier will then get paid by the escrow account. However, this won't happen until all of the terms of your agreement have been met. They won't see a dime until you have the iPhones you ordered.
Escrow accounts provide great peace of mind. You can rest easy knowing that your money is safe. Meanwhile, the supplier can rest easy knowing that you have already paid for the iPhones. It's a win-win all around!
Conclusion
Use these tips to keep your company safe. While it may take a bit longer, doing research and vetting suppliers can make all the difference. The good news is that once you find legit iPhone suppliers that you want to work with, you'll be good to go and have plenty of stock for the foreseeable future.