Tuesday, April 3, 2012

How Can I Sell My Cell Phone?

Most cell phone plans come with an included upgrade- you hold onto your current phone for a certain amount of time, and your phone company gives you the chance to switch to a newer one for free. That's great, but it can end up being a huge waste. If your old phone still works, why switch? A lot of people end up trading up anyway, and get stuck with a lot of old, still working, cell phones. If this is the kind of position you're in, you're probably asking yourself... Can I sell my cell phone?

The answer is yes. No matter how old your phone is, if it still works, someone wants it. For example, if I have a working first generation iPhone, I can sell my cell phone to someone who prefers that model over the later ones, or who wants an iPhone and just can't afford it. I don't have to worry about taking ads out in the newspaper, or going on sites like Craigslist to sell my cell phone, either- I can use a simple website geared towards helping people buy and sell used phones.

The average cell phone owner has an abundance of spare phones lying around, and this creates somewhat of a problem. All of these phones might work, but just sit around in drawers collecting dust. If they're still good, why not put them to use? Sure, it's great to hang on to one old phone as a spare, but who needs more than that?

I had an old iPhone, and was considering donating it to a shelter. Unfortunately, they had strict standards about what they would accept, and my phone didn't fit the criteria. I tried another one, but they wanted me to mail my phone in, and I had to take it apart and remove the battery first. I tried a recycling center, but I had to mail it in and pay for the postage myself. I considered throwing my phone away, but then I learned about all of the hazardous materials that phones can contain. For example, did you know that the screens of many phones contain trace amounts of mercury, or that batteries can contain toxic metals? I knew my phone was safe to use, but I didn't want to be responsible for that stuff getting into the environment. The easiest solution, for me, was to sell my cell phone.

When I first considered trying to sell my cell phone, I went online to see what I needed to do. Was it even possible? Could I get help doing it? Where did I need to start? As it turns out, there are tons of great websites that want your old phones, and are willing to give you cash! All I had to do to sell my cell phone was take some good quality pictures of it, type up a short description that accurately reflected the phone's features, model, and condition, and post it. A short time later, I was contacted by a buyer- someone wanted my old cell phone! The site processed the buyer's payment, and I was able to collect my money, mail out my old phone, and not have to worry about a thing. It really couldn't have been easier, or more worry-free than that.

Getting rid of my old phone couldn't have been easier. I found out that selling my old phone was actually kind of fun, too. Now, I take donations of my friends' old phones, and scour flea markets and thrift shops for working phones that I can sell online. It helps me make money, keeps these phones out of landfills, and helps out people who want to buy these phones, but simply can't find them anywhere else.

If you're in the position that I was- you want to get rid of your old phone, but simply don't know how- don't worry, and don't throw your cell phone away. When I made the decision to sell my cell phone, it was one of the smartest moves I ever made. If you try it, you'll agree. You can empty out your junk drawer, and turn would-be trash into actual money!

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