This eBay Seller's Custom Built iPhone is a Disaster

-------------------------------------Socials------------------------------------
Website: www.hughjeffreys.com
Store: www.hughjeffreys.com/store
Instagram: / hughjeffreys
--------------------------------------Links--------------------------------------
Get parts, tools and repair guides at iFixit:
Shop US: iFixit.com/hughjeffreys
Shop AU: ifix.gd/hughjeffreysau
Tools I Use: www.hughjeffreys.com/tools
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(DISCLAIMER: This description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, l will receive a small commission.)

[@electrofreak0]

What a joke. And you know that seller only responded cuz they don't want bad feedback on ebay and can continue scamming people.

[@OverTheHorizon840]

Like April Fools Day. thats why trust sellers like Facebook MarketPlace.

[@Lynnfield3440]

I think I got tricked like that a few times on ebay too. I wonder if anyone ever sells something working on ebay. Literally everything I have ever bought from there has been broken. Besides stuff from China/ Hong Kong, and 1 guy from Arizona send me the stickers I ordered. Oh and Japan is the worst, only got broken stuff that was clearly not tested but sold as working. But it's so far away and expensive to send back it's usually not worth it to even bother.

[@Yippeee5959]

How is it a scam?its just like all the other trash IPhones

[@Lynnfield3440]

@@Yippeee5959 not sure about modern ones, but unlike my modern androids my iPhone SE2016 is still going strong. Old androids were also good, but I swear these new ones barely last you 1 full year. But that might be the same with modern iphones too. I can't say because I will use that 2016 SE until I absolutely can't anymore.

[@Yippeee5959]

@@Lynnfield3440 that's nice

[@DjDestinyChicago]

You know that customization went wrong when there’s blood inside 😂😂😂

[@DurkMcGerk]

TIL offering a blood sacrifice to the repair gods when opening a device isn't something that everybody just does.

[@FinkHD]

@@DurkMcGerkOnly the good stores

[@sharkey086]

If you don't bleed, were you really even trying?!

[@RedVRCC]

​@@DurkMcGerkhe was hoping the tech priests would bless it and make it just work

[@DurkMcGerk]

@@RedVRCC I will prepare the appropriate unguents and poultices.

[@foxyfoxfilms]

“I’m no scientist, but I know a gold sticker can’t double your battery capacity” 😂😂😂

[@dynlenoir]

Good morning to my neighbour, seems I woke her up, didn't expect myself to burst out laughing at 4AM.

[@lspci]

Its like RGB lights gives extra 15% of FPS

[@bunnies8773]

@@lspci Or putting stickers on your car to add HP

[@borghorsa1902]

Look up pictures from Putin inauguration room, all gold plated, painful to watch. This what it looks like :)

[@GreatestCornholio]

At least you can make it faster by downloading more RAM.

[@panagiotispappas1001]

The moment I saw that battery on the thumbnail I immediately knew!

[@TheSpotify95]

Yeah, I saw the battery in the thumbnail and remembered Hugh's video on the battery before! Something about rlsk of fire or burne!

[@OverTheHorizon840]

@@TheSpotify95 Just like the note 7

[@TheSpotify95]

@@OverTheHorizon840 the note 7 exploded because Samsung put in a battery that was too large. If they'd have replaced the original batteries with 3200mAh ones as seen in the Note FE then they'd have been alright (albeit with a smaller battery than the S7 Edge). I'd actually really like a Note FE (re-released note 7 with the 3.2Ah battery)

[@baoquoc3710]

the design flaw in the chassis at the time made the whole disaster. The battery had the anti exploding mechanism built-in so the only worse case scenario is swelling which is still better than battery obliterate the phone. The note 7 ones are design issue.

[@acz6017]

eBay is full of scammers. He didn’t respond until reported.

[@pearelectronics3083]

EBay has a feature were you can get ai to write your description, I don’t use it but that seller clearly did

[@TheSpotify95]

Yep, I saw that immediately. I've seen several listings pop up with these AI-powered descriptions, and tried once myself - before not being happy with it, and using the AI description to just write my own.

[@dieseldragon6756]

Artificial? Yes. Intelligence?... 🙃

[@enqquerthahhgut1842]

@@dieseldragon6756looks up its information it can’t think for itself that’s not possible yet

[@peterthepanda]

A portable time bomb, if we ever saw one. 😂

[@joshm264]

Note 7: _allow me to introduce myself_

[@salguodrolyat2594]

With a totally random timer.🤣

[@dieseldragon6756]

It's definitely *UKCA¹* compliant, then! 🔋🇬🇧🔥✅😉 (¹ - UK: Combustibility Assured. 🇬🇧🔥✅)

[@SubwaySurfersPL]

When I saw this battery with gold sticker I immediately knew everything will be messed up.

[@elsiehupp]

Some important context with eBay is that the platform has recently added generative AI features, and it has been aggressively encouraging sellers to use them. So that overly effusive item description was probably *literally* written by ChatGPT. I’m surprised there wasn’t a garish DALL•E image to go along with it. (And, yes, all this AI glurge makes eBay substantially more difficult to use as a shopper.)

[@dgwdgw]

That would explain the nonsensical, suspiciously similar descriptions I found recently when checking to see how overpriced secondhand Limited Edition models of Steam Deck OLED are (very). Only generative AI would crow about stereo speakers offering "3D audio"

[@jonessii]

lol so Ebay encourages sellers to scam buyers now

[@TheSpotify95]

@@dgwdgw I've seen AI based descriptions for various other items on eBay, too, including watches and other electronics. At least it looks better than the default app description though, which is basically just the title, the condition, and the shipping service selected.

[@elsiehupp]

@@TheSpotify95 I mean the better thing to do with, e.g., electronics would be to copy and paste the manufacturer’s description and spec sheet, because it would at least hopefully be accurate.

[@elsiehupp]

@@dgwdgw I remember waaaaaay back in the 90s when 3D games were first starting to become a thing, one innovation was to simulate audio sources in the 3D space for the purposes of attenuation (distance) and balance (direction). This is IIRC also called “3D audio”, and even with just stereo speakers it can create an impressive effect (due to the brain’s eagerness to interpret recordings as reality). Granted, this meaning of “3D audio” is probably lost on anyone under the age of, say, 35. (Also, to be fair, I wouldn’t feel surprised if the Steam Deck is generating more than stereo audio and just not doing anything with it unless the user attaches an external surround sound system. These features are built into the games and the hardware drivers, so there isn’t really much of a way to disable them entirely, and the Steam Deck really is just a PC under the hood.)

[@f1ndGeo.]

As someone who used to do iphone housing conversions for fun, this is diabolical.

[@Ararou]

This custom phone has me questioning so much... Why even sell it if you can't even do it correctly??

[@tydshiin5783]

Because most others are just as good or worse haha

[@panickedshears]

Money. That’s the only reason

[@Ararou]

@@panickedshears pretty muchly.

[@PatrickBaptist]

I like buying broken stuff on ebay, but as long as I know about it before I buy it..... I buy non running cars and all sorts of stuff, I prefer broken stuff, I usually can fix it cheaper than buying something new.

[@tiramika]

to scam people. same reason you get so much fake shit on ebay these days.

[@alext6933]

I think the person who tried to repair and then sold that phone should learn a lot before they attempt to do it again. If you do fail to repair a phone be honest in your listing at least.

[@mikaelbiilmann6826]

Yeah… this is borderline scamming… 😂

[@TtechA-ml2ju]

I'm 12, repair phones and I never forget screws😂😂😂

[@BiosElement]

Yeah no, it's just a scam. They knew full well what they did.

[@rottyonamac]

Scammy seller: selling sketchy phone Hugh: It's free content

[@TheSpotify95]

0:26 That isn't an over the top description, it is an AI-generated description. eBay allows you to fill in the item specifics and generate an AI description based off the item specifics. It uses over the top language and can be misleading if you haven't filled in the specifics correctly.

[@LawpickingLocksmith]

I once converted a Nokia to look so golden. Then the only person that was impressed was my mum. Now I see this on Mothers Day.

[@rockpie]

cool i guess

[@donnysmokes4641]

How someone can do this bad of a job is honestly impressive. I managed to make my iPhone 15’s back transparent without breaking anything.

[@harryroesser3916]

The phone looked like it went through a dumpster fire and a meteor strike lol

[@McSynth]

I hope the seller some day gets the help he so clearly needs.

[@tonystechrepairs]

Custom Dumpster Fire indeed...

[@rockpie]

no that's a landfill fire

[@niclikescakes]

I hope you gave him the most negative of feedback.

[@Covid_42069]

Bro came back when we needed him the most

[@waifuowner911]

I’ve ran into issues like this on eBay for new and used phones so I just stopped buying electronics from eBay or anything used

[@elsiehupp]

I imagine “certified refurbished” devices on eBay tend to be perfectly fine (and you can get third-party warranties on these devices, too).

[@yousseftunisia638]

I've never seen a battery like that in my life

[@avery581]

When he showed on the gold wrapper it was from a brand called “business batteries” I just had to laugh

[@rontidyman6286]

Thank you for a great video. Classic Hugh Jeffreys! I really miss the weekly posts.😊

[@foxyfoxfilms]

Me too :(

[@jaymueze]

Hello Hugh, I always enjoy watching your videos. Keep up the great work 👍🏻 Tanks to you I learned how to repair my own devices 😊

[@AkashYadavOriginal]

Because of this I prefer if Apple and other companies instead of disabling features just put a disclaimer somewhere on the phone that it was repaired by a third party.

[@GH3PC]

This is why you don’t buy iPhones with the description only being written with the AI writer tool and not describing the actual device itself

[@themac6356]

AI writer tool? Wait, is that the reason that so many damn eBay listings I’ve looked at have such weirdly worded descriptions that don’t actually describe the product being sold? That is just unbelievable. People really get so lazy that they can’t even be bothered to write out the description of their own product.

[@GH3PC]

@@themac6356 yeah, some people don’t know about iCloud locks and that so they just use the AI writer tool for the description

[@Kingcloudii]

@@themac6356 yes, chinese people generally dont know english and have it auto translate through the AI writing prompt which makes it even worse english ontop

[@VedM]

@@themac6356yes, ebay can automatically write an Ai description for you. in the ebay listing settings it tries to recommend you to do it

[@sdjmchattie]

@@themac6356eBay encourages sellers to use the generated description. I do not with my listings. It reads like a school boy’s essay where all they were trying to do was hit the word count without putting any useful information in.

[@jaymueze]

What a scam. Thanks for showing it off. I personally also repair my phones myself, but I wouldn’t sell these devices further- I rather giving them away.

[@DarkwithPeace]

Man, a 5C. These were run to repair. The screen replacement was the easiest out of any iPhone thanks to the plastic body. It was such a cheap phone though a lot of people said they’d rather replace it. Thank you for the nostalgia

[@_Midori]

I once bought an iPad 9 256gb model for $50USD on Facebook marketplace as the lady who owned it, her hubby failed the DIY and when I bought it, they damaged the LCD and lost the Touch ID module so I replaced it, and kept it for months until I decided to sell it recently due to it still holding good value

[@Itsraminstech]

the fact that you could fix this is so cool

[@joshuafischer2452]

I must say, I have DEFINITELY missed your older iPhone content!

[@louisdisbury9759]

Never knock diy rs without him no video, a good businessman always looks at the bigger picture.

[@YigitCanAydinSS]

When I first started to watch you you were at 330K subs I love seeing how you have grew up.

[@scrook1027]

Good job. As always, entertaining.

[@ranjnijan3446]

Still a better job than Apples Genius Bar.

[@_BangDroid_]

Calling these idiots geniuses is just one example of how deceptive Apple is

[@TRENX_]

I remember seeing a iPhone 6 styled replacement shell for the iPhone 5 / 5c. Would love to see a video on it

[@Wtrxprs007able]

I remember actually doing that to my iPhone 5 back in the day

[@moormoor4281]

Wow fantastic job fixed!

[@djarenicz]

Hugh I really liked your video in Cuba, if you get the chance I'd love to see you do more of those types of videos

[@ArtistryVibes_new]

The phone was so bad that this guy had to repair (replace) the whole phone💀

[@jindrasmutny4181]

Impressive, I love to see that it’s fixed up now. By the way, did the seller really removed it from iCloud?

[@LadyDeath6666]

I hope you opened a case and got a refund. I know you can fix anything, but this person was just straight up scamming. Gives the rest of us good eBay sellers a rough time.

[@jameswoll]

Touch up the outside with a metallic gold pen!

[@JankPods0201]

A repair that I had made on my iPhone 4S was bad, But not as bad as that 5C!

[@BryanSteacy]

Based on the fact that the photos didn't have the phone as damaged leads me to believe that it had all its good/unbroken parts swapped out before it was sent to you.

[@MandoMonge]

Unfortunately these are the people giving “right to repair” a bad rep. Hugh is among the few I know who do things properly

[@walpoleandworcester]

It’s like a Frankenstein of a phone! Thankfully you brought this thing back to life.

[@TheM0nkeyBomb]

The seller must have had a stroke after being roasted by Jeffrey, LOL

[@PeaceLoveUnityRespect]

Seriously you're like genius level at this stuff

[@half-qilin]

Some of the phones I’ve repaired are missing one screw on the display bracket, because I don’t want to risk tearing the relevant ribbon cables, and often the battery adhesive is just some double-sided tape after I replace the battery (makes it easier to replace in future, plus is cheaper). It can be jank, but it does its job. It’s not perfect, but it’s an amazing repair job in comparison to this hot mess. And if I’m gonna sell something, I’m gonna do it right

[@JenGM24]

Best video I've seen in days😂

[@stevenbliss989]

wtf???? I hope you got your money back, INCLUDING shipping!

[@stevenbliss989]

OK get this liar to pay for a replacement LCD!

[@charliecharliewhiskey9403]

I don't know what an Effrey is, but I'm glad to hear that yours are indeed huge.

[@THAT1ZELDAFAN]

I've replaced the charging port from an old iPhone, and it works great, however I followed an iFixit guide, as well as videos like this from Hugh so as to not damage or break anything. The same can't be said for my Nokia 9 Pureview, which I cracked the back glass of, and am struggling to find a replacement that's the same thickness that still have the Nokia logo on the back. However I still followed guides and tear downs to minimise damage. The Nokia is now in need of its second replacement battery (as the first swelled, forcing me to put the original back in as it was in better shape), new back glass, a new wireless charging coil, and USB C port. In total, depending on the cost of parts, it will set me back approximately AU$200, which is still cheaper than a new Nokia, and taking it to a repair shop. The hard part is sourcing that back glass, as OEM ones lack the Nokia branding, and 9 Pureview parts phones aren't easy to find from my hunting. Still, repairing a phone can be done, as long as you're patient, careful, and use as many guides as you can to make sure you're doing the right thing

[@dangrblx]

Did you ever get the phone unlocked?

[@maxkrone6239]

I had my phone professionally repaired with a new screen, it looked like this in the inside when I had to repair it a year later. Watching this video brought back that anger.

[@musicviolamusician4392]

wait what laptop keyboard is that at 4:17 did you do a custom led keyboard for macbook?

[@Jiiu27]

You're Awesome Mate ✌🏻

[@Hailstormand]

I am so sorry but me trying to fit into an XXS shirt probably would look better than this phone internal AND external. [EDIT] Also, CHEWING GUM?! WHAT?!

[@Peugeot308_2.0hdi]

I ve been repairing an ip 6 plus that got the same special Housing, it was the same disaster with loose screws or missing, battery was glued in with an bad double side tape and also an broken mute switch cable.

[@roxcyn]

Wow, that was crazy on the inside.

[@DeoVenator]

should return it fully repaired and tell them 'i fixed it for you'

[@jagged6373]

Hey I’m gonna sell my custom gold iPhone I did all by myself! God damnit, Hugh Jeffries bought it, I’m going to get so roasted.

[@shadesoftime]

This was so bad that I refuse to believe the seller wasn't doing it as a shitpost. Like with some stuff, it seems that doing it the right way is also doing it the easy way - and they always chose the harder

[@monad_tcp]

2:06 are you going to try to repair it using pasta, I'm kidding

[@DJDa9L]

Im not through the video yet, but i get the feeling that this is one of the cases where it would have been easier to state what wasn't wrong

[@alexander1989x]

Bro, this phone should've been free.

[@jozsefizsak]

Always a pleasure.

[@borghorsa1902]

I don't wanna come across as someone who's too patronizing, too judgmental or too snobbish but I grade people based on their ability to create simple tools in dire situations. I love disassembly of things, especially electronics. The Devil is in details - each "new" custom device is someone's point of view on technology, someone's skill and someone's mindset. That little replacement pin that author Hugh Jeffreys has created at 06:19 is exactly what I love to see in people. Cheers from New Jersey, USA! 😀

[@paulthompson8613]

When a phone looks like a crime scene . Who you gonna call

[@dalyxia]

Selling your failed DIY project on ebay is fine, you just need to be honest about it.

[@AttorneyBCollins]

Only Hugh would still be saving a 5C. I know why though. Hugh now has a White , Yellow, Pink, Green, Blue and a GOLD 5c. You have to collect them all. It's a collector thing.

[@mrfrankiej932]

Spot on, if you're going to do a custom job at least have the decency to hold onto it. Shocking doesn't even come close to describe this. Just another scam.

[@dumb_shakal]

Oooh, the iPhone 5c, I clearly see from thumbnail due to countless hours of pain to getting fully working one (and still no luck) in my country.

[@AmirRazan]

OMG Hugh Jeffreys I miss you 😭

[@ttppro1985]

Bro said “chewing gum” lmao

[@dwdwalcott6]

You should go into the custom phone business. This is why I just put a case on a phone. I don't like having a naked phone personally. Only if it is a company phone. They should provide the case if they want to get me after hours.

[@moormoor4281]

Sorry for your loss rip Gold phone

[@BMWdanevidq]

This is just like buying an old BMW from some gipsy, looks shiny from 10 meters and sort of works, but when you dig deep everything is fucked up.

[@Dedubya-]

It never ceases to amaze at how poor some people are at anything that requires using tools.

[@andaroo79]

What an oddly satisfying video this is.

[@bladecap]

hi there hugh can i please know what kind of double layer tape u use for phones that orange tape in every vid which is double sided pls ❤

[@southernflatland]

Ah, how I love Boot Loops in the morning...

[@kenneth6102]

The lack of repairing skills is never a problem. everyone starts off on ground zero. The actual problem is the seller's shameless honesty. If he had listed the phone as spare parts with a detailed description of its conditions for a reasonable price, it would be a fair trade.

[@m.h.quraishi285]

Bet that guy only replied because he didn’t want to lose money on a refund and get a bad review. There’s no way that guy looked at that wall of defects reflecting his incapabilities and only then found it appropriate to reply to your first request of unlocking the device.

[@SproutyPottedPlant]

The only way to get good is to practice and NOT sell the failures on eBay 😅

[@Nebby_99]

Or at least don't sell them dishonestly! Hugh probably still would have bought it if they were up front about what a mess it was 😆

[@superNova5837]

Yeah this would’ve been different if they said it was a failed mod

[@ryans413]

The seller only responded because they got the warning from EBay. What a joke.

[@Jbrimbelibap]

Jesus christ, I'm no repair technician but I take a phone completely appart, not break anything and put it back together. To be fair, I've never worked on an iPhone yet but even harder phones to repair shouldn't end up like this. btw, anyone else feels like people who sells broken iPhones either never respond, or have outrageous prices, or they sell phones with broken everything that no one in their right mind would fix ?

[@user-yl4lz8le5s]

Hello I had a question is it possible to upgrade the storage on m2 iPad Pro 2022 model

[@tomybartok99]

I don't think the sloppy job or the fact that they tried to sell it are the problems. What's really problematic in my opinion is the dishonesty in the listing.

[@sinebar]

I'd report that seller to eBay. They need to have their account closed.

[@TruckFan542]

What. A. Mess. This thing is an absolute physics dragon.

[@metalema6]

bro straight up picked up a phone from a dumpster

[@cartitechnology]

Thanks for this awareness video, I’m taking your advice to improve eBay sellers, fixing phones is the disadvantage idea because it can cause more damage if it’s not great enough of their skills.

[@Dawid_The_Man]

The same happened to me! I bought an iPhone 12 replacement battery for my old 12 and it never came. So I filed a refund and got my money back. Stay safe on eBay guys

[@rickoneill4343]

That has to be one if the worst purchases ever. Thanks for sharing.

[@Unknown_Ooh]

Used uncleaned dildo would the worst

[@Thenormalone7610]

The only good thing about this phone is that it makes for a good video.

[@Akotski-ys9rr]

I like how people just throw their phone on eBay and don’t wipe it or anything just sell it with all your info on it with a password

[@Djoki1]

This is like that one car that the owner has been DIY fixing for the past 15 years in order to save cash.

[@wayne8797]

If the seller is actually serious, there are tons of resources online about how to repair this phone and there is no shortage of parts neither.