Gazelle does not purchase phones that have been reported as lost or stolen at the time of sale.

We always try to identify the owner of any lost or stolen device we find. If your phone has been lost or potentially stolen, make sure you report the incident to your service provider and or local police as they can prohibit the item from being activated by a new user.

Most phones can be remotely locked and erased to keep your information safe, you may even be able to put a message on the lock screen with a contact number in case your phone is located.

With iPhones for example you can use the Find My iPhone feature if it has been enabled. With this tool you can lock the device and provide a phone number on the screen.

When we receive an item that has been locked and has contact information we use that information to contact the owner and initiate a return. For your protection we will require information to verify that you are in fact the rightful owner of the device. Once that has been confirmed, we will return your lost property free of charge!