Having a cell phone is considered essential by many consumers, and every few months, newer models with different specs are released. It’s not uncommon to want an upgrade for your phone, but what do you do with your old phone once you’ve upgraded?
What to Do Before
There are a variety of ways to get rid of your old, unwanted phones, but before you pursue these options, there are a few steps you should take.
Repair and Clean
If you choose to sell your old phone instead of recycling it, you can use a repair kit to fix cracked screens, loose buttons, and broken headphone jacks to increase the value of your device. A microfiber cloth lightly dampened with warm soapy water can help remove any dirt, fingertips, or other smudges from your phone, making it appear more presentable to Consumers. Just be sure to keep water and moisture away from the various holes.
Privacy
Your privacy is important. Our phones tend to contain personal and confidential information, which can be devastating for someone else to get their hands on. Some of the things on our phones are also merely sentimental, like pictures.
Whether you’re selling your old phone or recycling it, it’s essential that you remove all of your information beforehand. If you choose to keep the same phone number, you can remove the SD and SIM card from your old phone and transfer them to your new phone. However, if you’re choosing to switch your number, the SIM card should be erased and the external SD card removed.
Under your settings, clear the information left on your phone through a factory reset. Before you sell or recycle your phone, double-check to make sure all of the information is deleted. Look through the emails, text messages, search history, and phone book, and ensure you are logged out of everything.
Recycle or Donate
If you have chosen to recycle or donate your old phone, there are many programs available that will happily take it.
Recycling Program
There are cell phone manufacturers, like Samsung and Motorola, who have recycling programs implemented. Most of these manufacturers offer to pay for postage.
Local Organization
Many communities have some form of electronic recycling program implemented. Some have it in the form of electronic collection days, While others have centers where you can donate your old phone. Because some of the resources used to create phones can be harmful when disposed of in landfills, donating your old phone to a local organization can help reduce the ewaste problem.
Donate to Charity
Your old phone can also be donated to a non-profit or charity, which will put it to good use and help benefit your community. There are many recreation centers in senior organizations looking for old phones. Not only will you be doing a service for your community, but you can also claim your donation during tax season.
Sell
There’s no reason you shouldn’t try to sell your old phone. After all, you paid good money for it, and there’s sure to be a consumer out there interested in it. Fortunately, there are different ways you can go about selling your old phone, and they’re all convenient for you.
Online Marketplace
There are online marketplaces, like eBay, craigslist, and Facebook marketplace, where you can sell your old phone at the price you set. With online marketplaces, you can sell your old phone from the comfort of your home. Do keep in mind that some of these marketplaces require a commission from your sales.
When you’re selling your old phone through an online marketplace, you want to make sure you provide plenty of images so that consumers can see the condition your phone is in.
Be sure to engage in safe practices when selling your old phone through an online marketplace. Through many of them, you have to meet with the customer in person to exchange the device, which can be unsafe for many reasons. Never give out any of your personal information, especially your address, and meet in a public place. Some police stations have designated areas for this sole purpose.
Buyback Sites
There are also websites that will buy your phone. When selling through these sites, you’ll put in the make and model of your phone, as well as the condition it’s in, and the site will offer up a price for it. It’s a quick and easy way to get rid of your old phone.
Local
If you don’t want to sell your old phone online, there are also options for selling it locally. Consignment stores and pawn shops are an easy way to sell your old phone, but they won’t offer you as much money for it as other methods might.
You can also try posting an ad in your local newspaper or on a community bulletin board. Or, if you want to narrow down the area more, you can choose to hold a yard sale. This way, the consumer can see your old phone and its condition in person.