Question about buying a "spares or repairs"

[57paulimo]

Hi, I recently bought an iphone under the above heading. I messaged the seller asking questions about the item, like " is the phone icloud locked", " is it the original home button", to which the seller responded that it would work like " A new phone", however the phone IS icloud locked and has quoting that the phone was "spares or repairs"!

What is the point of asking specific questions to a seller when they don't tell the truth?

[*guinevere*]

Selling for spares or repairs is the best way to honestly describe an item that doesn't work. Sellers are under no obligation to describe what does and doesn't work, in fact it is advisable not to go into too much detail as that would give unscrupulous buyers ammunition to claim a refund.

It's always best to assume the worst and then you can be pleasantly surprised if you find some functions are working. 

[57paulimo]

So why have a message section, surely the buyer has a right to ask pertinent questions that the seller should truthfully answer?

[*guinevere*]

Sellers don't have to reply to any question if they don't want to. Many sellers have the message function turned off for this reason.
I have seen too many cases of sellers having to accept their 'for spares and repair' item back just because something they described as working, didn't. So the buyer claimed 'Not as described'.