How to Sell an Old Phone Before a New One Arrives
Everyone wants to sell their old phones, but this is somewhat intimidating. Getting rid of old devices is a huge challenge, especially when you need to clean them up, deactivate accounts, and find a place that will actually give you a decent amount of money for your device. This is a routine job that no one wants to deal with.
But exchanging your device for cash, especially before new smartphones debut, is a pretty straightforward process if you take it step by step. You will feel better clearing the clutter of your life, you will earn some money to spend on your next device, and you can do it without meeting some Craigslist stranger at Burger King to transfer.
Find out where to sell it
Depending on the condition of your device, you have several relatively painless ways to get cash. If you don’t want to deal with another person, you can use sites like Gazelle or Amazon, fill out a survey and mail your device. You will receive your money (or gift card) when they check the health and functionality of your phone.
Sites like Swappa and eBay are marketplaces for personal contacts, which means you have to wait for someone to buy your device from you. Sites like Swappa may not let you point your device if it can’t activate, has a cracked screen, or is damaged by water.
If you want to make sure you squeeze every penny out of your sale, you should subscribe to your selling site’s mailing lists. Some, like Gazelle , may post additional deals on their social media pages and email subscriptions, which could earn you a few more dollars when you sell or trade your phone. “We are offering different promotions during the iPhone launch,” said Yanyang Ji of Gazelle. “Instead of a 30-day price lock, we offered 45 days. There are many things that drive consumers to responsibly recycle and trade with us at launch. ” And if you never want to see offer codes and coupons in your inbox when you’re done selling, consider using a filter-friendly email address to keep things separate.
Clean up the look of your phone
Before you list your thumb’s best friend for sale, you should do your best to get it ready for prime time. That means taking it out of that battered drawer (it’s in the suitcase, right?) And taking it apart properly . If your smartphone has any physical damage, such as a cracked or scratched screen or a broken volume rocker button, you can expect to receive a price below the market average.
Right now, a 128GB iPhone 6 with minimal damage can fetch you $ 150 on Gazelle, although a device with a broken screen will set you back just $ 55. If any expensive repairs are required or your device is out of order, you better sell it as is, after deleting your personal information – more on that later. You can fix the device yourself, but the time and money you spend will negate the amount you would make with a phone in its best condition. (This dead iPhone 6 costs $ 40.)
Avoid harsh chemicals in cleaning products that you may have in your home, as they can remove some of the fingerprint-resistant coating on your phone screen. Instead, use a slightly damp microfiber cloth to clean the device. You can use compressed air to clean out any ports or openings, and a toothpick to get into nooks and crannies on your phone, such as seams, grills, and ports.
Remove minor scratches with a scratch remover or polish if you want to present your phone in the best possible light. Gazelle electronics exchange site offers guaranteed prices for 30 days based on condition, so make your phone better than the alternative and you can make more money.
Show them your good side
When selling a phone over the Internet, images are everything. Sites like Swappa and eBay ask you to post photos of your device, as opposed to sharing sites like Gazelle or Amazon, which assess its status upon receipt of the device. Your photos should be well lit and showcase your phone from every angle.
If there is any obvious damage or wear and tear, you must include a photo of the damage. This is better than trying to hide it from radar and will reduce the risk of the recipient claiming that you sold them a damaged device based on misleading advertisements. Of course, if you prefer a camera on your phone, you probably have to borrow another one.
Don’t forget to give up your phone
You may have removed all the dust and debris from your phone, but now you need to clean it from the inside, which means formatting it. Your iPhone or Android phone is most likely connected to your personal accounts and likely has a location tracking feature to find your device in case you lose it.
If you do not disable services such as ” Find the iPhone” or “Find my device” by Google for Android phones, you can not restore the device factory settings, which will make it impossible to use by someone else, if you plan to sell it. Sites like Amazon and its Trade-In service will not accept devices still connected to users’ online accounts, so double check your settings before submitting.
On iOS, tap your name in the Settings app, then tap iCloud and turn off Find My iPhone. Android users can go to Settings> Google> Location and uncheck the two check boxes to allow remote device location and remote lock and wipe. After disabling the location tracking service, you should also delete your personal data from your phone and restore it to factory settings. On iOS, go to Settings> General> Reset and tap Erase All Content and Settings. In Android, you can tap Settings> Backup & reset> Factory data reset> Reset phone> Erase everything.
Find out how much it costs
Walking through the sites of used device marketplaces such as eBay, Swappa, and Gazelle is a great way to gauge the value of your device. Just find what you are trying to sell and rate your device accordingly based on similar options in the market. Swappa offers a price history chart that shows the market value of your device and helps you determine the best time to sell.
If you want to keep your device until the very end, Gazelle has a handy 30-day price guarantee , meaning the company will honor the offered price as long as it receives the device during that period. With rumors that Google’s new Pixel XL will debut in October and Apple’s iPhone 8 is rumored to launch in September this year, that window might be enough to save you a few bucks and cut your phone-less time. If you decide to sell sooner the new model comes out when the prices of your old phone are likely to be higher. (Phone prices tend to drop after new ones are announced due to the large number of people ditching their current models.)
Trade in person
You can always walk into a store and exchange your device for cash if you are anxious to get to the post office. Stores like Best Buy and GameStop will offer you money for your device, but they tend to be slightly lower than prices on online sites, anywhere from $ 10 to $ 50. However, depending on the promotions and deals in the week, you can probably get additional store credit from your trade if you choose a store-specific gift card. If you buy a new phone directly, you can pay for both swapping your old device and buying a new phone from a store.
If you know you are purchasing this phone from this store, you can apply the value of the gift card to your new device and not worry about running out of your old one for a long time. But be aware that if you exchange your old device for its successor in the same transaction, do not expect to receive the same amount of money as if you sold it earlier.
If the thought of cold cash doesn’t bother you enough, trading from your phone will be good for the environment. Recycling electronics is not difficult, and the EPA has a list of sites and businesses that will recycle your old electronics. More used phones in circulation means fewer devices in landfills simply because you forgot to get one out of the house before it turned into a paperweight.