Instagram may be your first stop when you are looking for ways to fill up the time and distract yourself from boredom. And, given the image-based platform’s success in advertising items like clothing and cosmetics, it’s understandable why you would click from one pretty picture to a brand’s website to make a purchase. But when it comes to buying an expensive iPhone, the social media platform is the last place you should turn to for deals.
“Buying an iPhone from an Instagram ad is probably not safe at all,” says Tech Expert Harriet Chan at Cocofinder.com. “Instagram is not a shopping store. It is a platform where different web/online sellers promote and advertise their products and then you buy from them. So you can't really say that you bought from Instagram.”
Tech Expert Miklos Zoltan of PrivacyAffairs agrees. “You shouldn't buy an iPhone from Instagram because you can't verify the authenticity of the vendor and the product,” Zoltan says. “Many people were scammed by buying iPhones from Instagram and then not having them delivered or having a fake phone delivered to them. You can also buy an iPhone from Instagram that have spyware and malware pre-installed by the seller. They can then hack your device including social media and banking accounts.”
Chan recommends buying your iPhone from eBay, Amazon or from the source, Apple store, so you can guarantee your right for exchanges or returns. “On Instagram, the seller will most likely not show up again or answer your questions if anything is wrong with the phone,” Chan says. “If at all you want to buy an iPhone from an IG ad, it's better to meet any seller face to face if they are into DMS and if they are legit online sellers then better to go on their website and find reviews about them.”