IMEI Tracking and Warranty Records for a Mobile Shop

Good IMEI tracking has three habits: record the number when the phone arrives, put it on the bill when the phone leaves and write down every return or claim against it. A shop that does all three can answer a warranty or ownership question in under a minute. This guide shows how, whether you keep records on paper or in software.

What an IMEI is and why you record it

The IMEI is a 15-digit number that identifies a handset. You can usually see it by dialling *#06# or on the box label. Dual-SIM phones carry two. Because it is unique, it is the best key for tracing a specific unit: where it came from, who bought it and what happened afterwards.

Recording it protects you in several situations: a customer claims warranty, someone alleges you sold a faulty handset, a phone is returned that you never sold, or a distributor needs your bill reference for a replacement.

Step 1: Record at purchase

When a carton arrives, do not shelve the phones first. For each unit:

1. Match the box label to the supplier bill: model, colour and storage.
2. Record every IMEI shown on the box.
3. For high-value phones, dial *#06# and check the displayed number matches the box.
4. Note the supplier bill number and date against the batch.

This takes a minute per carton and prevents the common problem of a wrong box inside a right sleeve.

Step 2: Print it on the sale bill

At sale, the bill should read like "Model, colour, storage, IMEI 1, IMEI 2". Do not allow "phone" as an item description. Hand the customer the bill and, where possible, show them the IMEI in the phone settings so both of you agree on the unit.

Add the warranty line: who gives it, for how long and what is excluded. Typical exclusions are physical damage, water damage and opened seals, but check the real terms from your distributor and never copy another brand's policy.

Step 3: Handle warranty claims

Search the IMEI, confirm the sale date and warranty end, then follow a fixed process.

Situation	What to record
Fault within warranty	Date, symptoms, accessories received, forwarded to distributor or service centre
Exchange or replacement	Old IMEI, new IMEI, date, reason
Out of warranty	Repair estimate, customer approval, parts used
Return within shop policy	Date, condition, refund or credit note

If a replacement unit is issued, link the new IMEI to the old one. Otherwise the history breaks and the next claim becomes a puzzle.

Step 4: Be careful with used and exchanged phones

Buying used phones is useful business but carries risk. Before a used unit enters stock:

• Record the seller's name, phone number and a note of their identity document if you take one.
• Record the IMEI and compare the displayed number with the box or label if present.
• Check the phone is not locked to someone else's account. A phone you cannot reset will be hard to resell.
• Note condition clearly: screen, body, battery, accessories.

If a phone is later claimed to be lost or stolen, a record of who sold it to you is your first defence. Do not buy a handset from a seller who cannot or will not give their details.

Step 5: Keep one clean master list

Whatever you use, keep one list with every IMEI you have ever received and its current status: in stock, sold, returned, in repair or replaced. A spreadsheet can work in a tiny shop, but it fails when two people edit it at once or when a version is copied. At that point software pays for itself in avoided confusion.

Common mistakes

• Writing only the first IMEI on a dual-SIM phone.
• Transposing two digits when copying by hand. Scanning or copy-paste removes this.
• Selling a demo or display unit without marking it, then disputing its warranty start.
• Recording IMEI at sale but not at purchase, which breaks the trace to the supplier.
• Failing to record a replacement IMEI.

Special cases worth a written rule

Unusual sales create most record gaps, so settle them in advance and write the rule down at the counter.

• Locked or account-bound phones: before taking a handset in exchange, ask the owner to sign out of their accounts and reset the device in front of you. A phone you cannot reset has little resale value.
• Gift or bundle offers: if a phone is sold with a free cover or earphones, record them on the same bill so accessory stock reduces correctly.
• Sealed and open-box units: mark open-box phones clearly and state any reduced warranty on the bill.
• Customer pays in two parts: record an advance, hold the handset and complete the bill when the balance arrives. Do not release a phone on a verbal promise.
• Wrong IMEI on a bill: do not overwrite. Cancel with a note and issue a correct entry, so the sequence of bills stays intact.

Having a rule for each takes the argument out of the moment and keeps new staff consistent.

Moving it into software

In WebsNP Mobile Shop Software, IMEI is a field of the stock record, not a note on the bill. Purchase entry stores it, sale selects it, search finds it. Warranty end dates are calculated from the sale date and the same record holds repairs and exchanges. If you also sell laptops or tablets, the same idea works for serial numbers in computer sales software.

Next step

This week, take the last five phones you sold and check whether you can find the IMEI, supplier bill and warranty end for each within a minute. If you cannot, your process has a gap. Message WebsNP on WhatsApp at +977 9846280400 and we will show how it works in a demo.

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