How to buy phones and electronics from Lagos if you live outside Lagos

You don't need to travel for every order, and you shouldn't order everything from a distance either. As a rough guide, the bigger the risk, the stronger the case for seeing the goods yourself.

• Travel, or send someone you trust, for a first large order, for used stock where condition varies, and for high-value items such as iPhones and MacBooks.
• Order remotely for repeat orders from a dealer who has already delivered well, and for sealed or low-risk stock such as accessories by the carton.

Work out the real cost of each option. Add the transport, your time away from the shop and the risk of bad stock. The cheapest price in Lagos isn't always the cheapest stock on your shelf.

When you can't point at the item, your message is the order. Write the exact model and variant, the condition and any grade, what must be in the box, the quantity and where it's going. Our guide to what to ask for in a bulk quote has a template you can copy.

Ask the dealer to confirm the spec in writing. A WhatsApp message is enough, as long as you keep it. If they reply only with "we have it", ask again.

• Get the full store address: the street, the plaza and the shop number. Then check that the business name matches the account they want you to pay.
• Ask for a live video call from the store, not photos or a recorded clip, which could be of anyone's goods.
• Ask for the IMEI or serial numbers of the units you're buying, and check they match on the call.
• Ask other traders in your city who they buy from, and whether they know this dealer.
• On Dealrs, look for the verified badge. It means we've checked who the dealer is and that their shop is real. It doesn't guarantee a product, so you still need to check the goods.

Be careful with sellers you only know from social media. A page full of photos and happy customers is easy to fake. Our guide to common bulk buying scams shows how these usually play out.

A person on the ground in Lagos is the best protection you can have. It could be a relative, a trader you know or a technician you trust. Pay them for their time if you need to, because it's small compared with a bad order.

Give them a written checklist so they test what matters. Our checks for UK-used iPhones and used laptops are a good start. Ask them to count the units, test a sample and watch the goods being packed. If nobody can go, do the same checks on a video call and ask the dealer to show each step.

• Start small. A first order that's small enough to lose tells you more about a dealer than anything they say.
• For larger orders, agree stages up front: a deposit, then the balance once your person has inspected the goods or they've arrived.
• Pay into an account in the dealer's own or business name, never a third party's.
• If account details change by message, call the dealer on a number you already know before you pay.
• Get an itemised invoice before the goods move, with models, quantities, conditions, prices and serial numbers.

Goods usually leave Lagos by a courier or logistics company, or as a waybill with a transport company from a motor park. Whichever you choose, settle these questions before you pay:

• Who arranges the transport, and who pays for it?
• Who carries the risk if goods are lost or damaged on the way? Ask the carrier what they cover, and whether you can declare the value.
• How will the goods be packed? Screens, TVs and laptops need proper padding and shouldn't be stacked loose.
• What will you receive to track it: a waybill number, a receipt, or the driver's name and phone number?
• When should it arrive, and who do you call if it doesn't?

Ask for a photo of the packed goods and the waybill as soon as they're sent. Be suspicious of a message saying your goods are held and you must pay a new fee to release them. Call the carrier yourself, on a number you found independently.

1. Check the packaging for damage or opened seals, and take photos before you open it.
2. Open and count the goods at the park or depot if you can, before you sign for them.
3. Match the models and serial numbers against your invoice.
4. Test the goods the same day. Test every unit if they're used.
5. Tell the dealer about any problem the same day, with photos and serial numbers.

Agree in advance what happens to faulty units, including who pays to send them back. Returns between states cost real money, and it's better to settle that while the dealer still wants your order.

Send a product request with the item, quantity, condition, the price you want to pay per unit and your delivery area. City and state are enough. You confirm it with a one-time code, and it costs nothing to send. Our team looks for it among verified dealers in Computer Village, Alaba and Saka Tinubu, then sends your quote by email, usually within 24 to 48 hours. The quote shows the delivery details. If you accept, our team calls you to arrange payment and delivery.