Sellers listing phones online with TikTok installed for thousands of dollars

Published Jan 24 Updated Jan 24

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Karah Rucker Anchor

By Karah Rucker (Anchor), Jodie Hawkins (Senior Producer)

Sellers on eBay are capitalizing on TikTok’s uncertain future by listing phones with the app already installed for thousands of dollars. They’re trying to sell to the people who deleted TikTok off their phones when the app stopped working in the United States on Saturday, Jan. 18, after the Supreme Court backed a law that banned it.

The next day, the app started working again because President Donald Trump’s promise to sign executive order pausing the law. Then, a lot of people wanted it back.

But, they can’t redownload it, because Apple and Google removed it from their app stores to comply with the law.

As of Friday, Jan. 24, the app is still not available for download.

How much are the phones listed for?

There are currently over 18,000 listings of phones on eBay with TikTok installed.

Some are also being sold with CapCut, the editing app owned by TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance, which also got deleted from app stores.

Are people actually buying the phones?

It’s not clear how many of the phones are actually selling. There are some devices listed for up to $1 million.

The majority of the high priced listings show zero bids, but the phones listed for around $200 to $500 dollars do have bids.

Is this another Flappy Bird situation?

Some on social media are saying this is reminiscent of when Flappy Bird got deleted from app stores in 2014, leading to phones with the gaming app installed being listed for astronomical prices on eBay.

In an interview with Forbes, the creator said the app became addictive for people, which is why he got rid of it.

The same can be said for TikTok, with data proving its features can make it hard to put down.

Baylor researchers found that 24% of TikTok users involved in a 2023 study were addicted based on several factors, including losing a sense of time while on the app, a desire to keep up with what’s happening online and experiencing immense enjoyment.

So far, there’s no timeline on when TikTok could return for download.

What happens next?

Tiktok’s long-term future is also still up in the air. The law requiring ByteDance to sell the app’s U.S. business is still in effect despite Trump’s executive order.

Trump has said he is aiming to revive TikTok, but wants 50% U.S. ownership.

Tags: addiction, ByteDance, Donald Trump, eBay, Social Media, Supreme Court, TikTok

[Karah]

EBAY SELLERS ARE CAPITALIZING ON TIK-TOK’S UNCERTAIN FUTURE BY LISTING PHONES WITH THE APP ALREADY INSTALLED FOR THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.

THEY’RE TRYING TO SELL TO THE PEOPLE WHO DELETED TIKTOK OFF THEIR PHONES WHEN THE APP STOPPED WORKING IN THE UNITED STATES SATURDAY NIGHT AFTER THE SUPREME COURT BACKED A LAW THAT BANNED IT.

THE NEXT DAY … THE APP STARTED WORKING AGAIN BECAUSE OF PRESIDENT TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDER PAUSING THE LAW … THEN A LOT OF PEOPLE WANTED IT BACK.

BUT THEY CAN’T REDOWNLOAD IT, BECAUSE APPLE AND GOOGLE REMOVED IT FROM THEIR APP STORES TO COMPLY WITH THE LAW.

AS OF FRIDAY … IT’S STILL NOT AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD.

THERE ARE CURRENTLY 18-THOUSAND PLUS LISTINGS OF PHONES WITH TIK-TOK INSTALLED.

SOME ARE ALSO BEING SOLD WITH CAPCUT – THE EDITING APP OWNED BY TIK-TOK’S CHINESE PARENT COMPANY BYTE DANCE – WHICH ALSO GOT DELETED FROM APP STORES.

IT’S NOT CLEAR HOW MANY OF THE PHONES ARE ACTUALLY SELLING, CONSIDERING THERE ARE SOME LISTED FOR ALL THE WAY UP TO ONE *MILLION* DOLLARS.

THE MAJORITY OF THE REALLY HIGH PRICED LISTINGS SHOW ZERO BIDS … BUT THE PHONES LISTED FOR AROUND 200 TO 500 DOLLARS DO HAVE SOME BIDS.

SOME ON SOCIAL MEDIA ARE SAYING THIS IS REMISCIENT OF WHEN FLAPPY BIRD GOT DELETED FROM APP STORES IN 20-14 … LEADING TO PHONES WITH THE APP INSTALLED BEING LISTED FOR ASTRONOMICAL PRICES ON EBAY.

IN AN INTERVIEW WITH FORBES … THE CREATOR SAID THE APP BECAME ADDICTIVE FOR PEOPLE, WHICH IS WHY HE GOT RID OF IT.

THE SAME CAN BE SAID FOR TIKTOK … WITH DATA PROVING ITS FEATURES CAN MAKE IT HARD TO PUT DOWN.

BAYLOR RESEARCHERS FOUND THAT 24 PERCENT OF TIKTOK USERS INVOLVED IN A RECENT STUDY WERE ADDICTED BASED ON SEVERAL FACTORS … INCLUDING LOSING A SENSE OF TIME WHILE ON THE APP, A DESIRE TO KEEP UP WITH WHAT’S HAPPENING ONLINE AND EXPERIENCING IMMENSE ENJOYMENT.

SO FAR THERE’S NO TIMELINE ON WHEN TIKTOK COULD RETURN FOR DOWNLOAD.

TIKTOK’S LONG-TERM FUTURE IS ALSO STILL UP IN THE AIR WITH THE LAW REQUIRING BYTE DANCE TO SELL THE APP’S U-S BUSINESS.

TRUMP HAS SAID HE IS AIMING TO REVIVE TIKTOK, BUT WANTS 50 PERCENT U-S OWNERSHIP.FOR SAN KARAH RUCKER – I’M FOR ALL YOUR LATEST NEWS HEADLINES – DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP TODAY.