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A shiny new cell phone is hard to resist, until you look at the price. But you can get a new-to-you smartphone and save hundreds of dollars if you buy a used cell phone.

Used iPhone 6S models in like-new condition sell for as low as $425 on Swappa, an online marketplace for used phones and tablets. That鈥檚 $225 less than the retail price of a new iPhone 6S.

And you can get an even better deal with a gently used phone, says Brendan McCue, sales manager and gadget analyst for NextWorth, which buys used phones and recycles or resells them.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e OK聽with a phone with some scratches on the back or a dent 鈥� you can throw a new case on it, and you鈥檙e going to save a lot of money,鈥� McCue says.

The first step to buying a used phone is finding a trusted site, which can be tricky. Craigslist is riddled with scams, and it can be hard to tell whether newer online retailers are legit. Then, once聽you settle on a site and start shopping for phones, it鈥檚 important to ask the right questions before clicking the 鈥淏uy鈥� button.

Where to buy a used cell phone

Look for a retailer that has buyer protections, says McCue, who bought his used phone on聽eBay. Seller ratings and detailed phone descriptions are also helpful when purchasing a phone online, as is the ability to ask the seller questions.

Here are a few trusted places to shop for a used cell phone:

1. : Sellers can upload photos and give detailed descriptions of the phone鈥檚 condition. You can also ask questions to get more information (more on that below). With聽, you can return the phone for a full refund if it isn鈥檛 exactly as the seller described.
2. : You can purchase used and refurbished phones directly from manufacturers such as Apple, Samsung, Motorola and LG, or from a third-party reseller. Sellers on Amazon are rated and reviewed by other buyers, so be sure to read reviews before purchasing. Certified refurbished phones sold through Amazon come with a 90-day warranty. Warranties on other phones vary by seller.
3. : The site reviews listings to ensure the device serial number is clean (read: not stolen) and requires sellers to upload photos of the phone, powered on, next to a custom listing code to ensure the seller has the device. Swappa uses PayPal for all payments.
4. : Each device is inspected to make sure the phone charges correctly, the speaker and microphone work, the touch screen is functional and the phone will connect to Wi-Fi. You鈥檙e buying the phone directly from Gazelle, rather than an individual seller, and there is a 30-day return window for all devices.
5. Your carrier: Most wireless carriers sell refurbished phones. These phones are typically more expensive than what you鈥檇 find on other sites.聽, for example, sells a certified preowned iPhone 5S for $312.聽The same model sells for about $150 on Swappa.聽But buying from a carrier means that聽you know the phone will work with your carrier. You also know it鈥檚 not stolen and it typically has a limited warranty. This聽should give you more peace聽of mind than buying that used iPhone on Craigslist.

What to ask before buying a used cell phone

Buying from a trusted site takes some of the risk out of buying a used phone, but you still need to ensure you can activate and use the phone when it arrives.

What is the serial number?聽Also known as the ESN or IMEI. This is a crucial piece of information to get, because you鈥檒l need it to verify whether the phone has been registered as lost or stolen. If it has, you won鈥檛 be able to activate the phone. The serial number will also tell you whether the phone will work with your carrier. Most carriers let you check this online, but you can also go to a store or call customer service.

Is the phone under contract or lease agreement?聽Phones under a contract or lease can鈥檛 be reactivated until the agreement is fulfilled. So, if the seller has a year left on the contract, it will be at least a year before you can activate the phone.

Does the phone have water damage?聽Moisture erodes a phone鈥檚 components over time. So while the device may look fine and work well now, it won鈥檛 last long if it鈥檚 been exposed to water. Unfortunately, you typically can鈥檛 look at a phone and tell if it has water damage, so you鈥檙e trusting the seller to be honest.

For added security, don鈥檛 pay cash or directly from your checking account. Instead, pick a payment method that has built-in protections, such as PayPal. Ramon Khan went that route when he聽purchased a used phone on Swappa.

鈥淚 did a triple-threat kind of deal here in a way,鈥� Khan says.聽鈥淚 went through a site that had buyer protection already built in, used PayPal to protect my purchase and also used my Discover card,聽聽regardless of the refund policy of a website.鈥�

Kelsey Sheehy is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email:聽ksheehy@nerdwallet.com. Twitter:聽.

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