Buying mobile phones for export?

[dtw]

Here’s one for the brain trust – how would one go about buying cel phones/smart phones in quantity, for export? A friend in Colombia has a growing import business and has demand for phones. Maybe I could ask one of the spambots that posts here on the board…

[id10t]

Might well be illegal - the encryption, etc. may make them "unexportable"

[red-beard]

Talk to a distrubutor. I just arranged for 6 x iPhone 5 64GB, 4GB, factory unlocked phones. We did this with an Apple Store. Phones were not in stock so they shipped them all direct from China. Mention you are a business and tell them what you're doing. They will want to help you.

[HardDrive]

Be very careful with this. Its only cell phones, but running afoul of federal law can land you in prison. That may seem like big talk, but my parents had a friend who spent 18 months in Federal prison because he sold high resolution maps to a foreign government. He was a scholarly type, and was defiant when confronted. The Feds nail him hard.

[stomachmonkey]

Import export laws can be funny and some just make no sense so don't assume anything that you are doing is legal, check it out first.

[dtw]

OK - to clarify - I plan on doing exactly nothing - legal or otherwise. I just want to connect my importer friend with a legitimate/legal wholesaler or reseller that can provide her with phones that are functional and legal in her target market. I have neither the time nor the inclination to play middleman.

[porsche4life]

[QUOTE=dtw;7157269. I have neither the time nor the inclination to play middleman.[/QUOTE]

Unless its the middle of a hot Colombian broad?

[dtw]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

Unless its the middle of a hot Colombian broad?

Well, I was trying to be discreet about the 'friend' but uh...