Not sure if the phone you're looknig at on eBay is compatible with the service in your area? Many sellers do not guarantee local compatibilty, and while some will, it is always the buyer's responsibility to check before buying. This guide will tell you how.

Call your Local Provider

  The best and most accurate way to determine if your phone is going to work in your area and that your provider will activate it is by calling your local store. Many times local providers have different lists of phones they will activate from the national branch. Thus calling the 1-800 number to your provider will not always get you accurate information.

  Do not depend on the "Cell Phone Coverage Check" button you see in the ad. This link is responsible for more inaccurate information than anything else I know of.  This link is from eBay, not your seller, and only checks the national list of activatable phones.

Ask the right questions

  When you call into your local store, be sure to have the make and model of the phone you are looking at.  For example, Nokia (Make) 3589 (Model). If they do not have a specific list to check with, note the band the phone works with. Example, CDMA, TDMA, or GSM. This is very important as many carriers are phasing out TDMA phones (also called Digital) and will not activate them, even though sometimes the national provider says they will. 

  There are a few exceptions to check on.  Your carrier should allow you to replace your current phone with a similar phone, even if it does not meet the "standard" requirements - e.g., if you are on a digital plan, and not ready to switch to GSM, your carrier may allow you to put another TDMA phone in your current one's place.  Also, if the non-GPS-compliant phone you use now goes out, check with your carrier.  Although they would not let you add that phone to your plan, if you already had one in place, you should be able to replace it with the same model.

Get the ESN

  This is only important with carriers like Verizon, US Cellular and Sprint who tie former account balances to the phone they were using. Your seller more than likely does not have the time or the means to check every phone they get in, so it's up to you to find out if the phone has a balance before buying.

  This can be done by calling in the ESN number of the phone to your local or national provider. They will make sure that the phone is useable by you before you buy. If you don't see the number in the ad, be sure to ask the seller before the auction ends. Most sellers will give you the number. If one won't, your safest bet is to look elsewhere for a phone.

  EBay is a great place to find a cheap replacement phone to work with your current contract if you just follow these simple rules of wise buying. Call your local provider, not the national, give them your model number and band, and check that ESN if you need to. If you remember these tips you will eliminate one of the more common problems buyers encounter when shopping for a new phone.