Water damage: what it does to a quote
Water damage is the fault that arrives late. Here is how to tell which of three phones you have.
Water is the one kind of damage that does not announce itself. A phone that went into a pool last summer can seem perfect for weeks and then lose a microphone. That makes it worth checking specifically before you answer any condition questions.
Three phones, one accident
It still works. Nothing is priced for the history — only for what is actually wrong. If every function passes, there is nothing to deduct.
Something quietly failed. The usual pattern. One microphone, one speaker, a camera that has gone hazy, a charging port that has become unreliable. Each is a functional fault, priced on its own.
It does not switch on. A phone that cannot be powered on cannot be checked for anything else, so the questionnaire stops there and it is bought at its model's minimum. The pickup is still free.
What to check, in order
Water goes for the openings, so test what is near them:
- Microphones. Record a voice note, then make a call. There is usually more than one microphone; a phone can sound fine on a recording and terrible on a call.
- Speakers. The loudspeaker and the earpiece separately.
- Cameras. Every lens, front and back. Look for haze or condensation inside, which is unmistakable once you know to look.
- The charging port. With your own cable, and check it holds.
- The screen. Faint patches, discoloured edges or a touch layer that misses in one area.
- The water indicator. Most phones have a small sticker inside the SIM tray slot that turns from white to red or pink. It is visible with the tray out.
What to declare
What you found. The indicator is visible to the rider too, so a phone that says it got wet while you say it did not is a conversation neither of you wants. A declared fault is priced once, in the number you accept before booking. What the rider checks is the same list.
And if it is dead
It still has a price, because the parts are still worth something. Where a phone goes after you sell it explains why a phone that will not switch on is still worth buying.
See what your phone is worth
A price in about a minute, free doorstep pickup in a two-hour slot, and paid — cash or bank transfer — before our agent leaves.
Questions people ask
- Will you buy a water-damaged phone?
- Yes. What is priced is what does not work — the microphone, a camera, the port, the screen — and a phone that will not power on at all is bought at its model's minimum.
- How do I know if my phone has water damage?
- Most phones have a small water contact indicator in the SIM tray slot that turns red or pink. Beyond that, test the microphones, both speakers, every camera and the charging port; those fail first.
- My phone got wet but works fine. Do I have to mention it?
- Declare any fault you can find. If nothing is faulty, there is nothing to deduct — but check properly first, because water damage often shows up in one small thing rather than all at once.