With every passing month it seems that a new phone emerges on the horizon, promising us everything from faster speeds to eventual space exploration. Ok, so maybe not space exploration, but just about any other features you can think of under the sun. As we busily head out to purchase the latest and great phone though, have you taken time to consider what to do with that model you just bought a year ago or so? Do you just throw it in the top dresser drawer until your forced to clean it out again or would you rather sell it and put it towards that newer model? Sure Ebay is out there for you to try to make a deal on, but in the case of old IPhones, how about trading it in for cash? Well now you can do just that!
Money for a trade-in can be exactly what you need to finance that latest upgrade and do you know that some sites out there will offer as much as $300 or more for certain IPhones. That's right, there are a number of reputable sites out there doing a brisk business in this manner. Five of the best include Cell for Cash, FlipSwap, Gazelle, NextWorth, and YouRenew. These sites vary in the amounts they will give you for different models of previously locked Iphone, but you must admit any money is better than the old Iphone collecting dust in your sock drawer! There are even certain scenarios where the money may be enough to buy you an Iphone 4 to replace it with!
The first thing to remember though is this is not "Cash for Clunkers". If you send in IPhones in beat up condition, that do not work, or are missing accessories, then chances are your not looking at getting the high end of the payoff scale. These sites are looking for quality used items, and the better conditioned the phone, the better your chances of getting a nice payout. Another important thing to do is when you go to these sites; check on their policies page to find out what they do if your Iphone comes in below wear-and-tear expectations. There are some sites that will send you your money back without letting you know your getting less than expected or will not give you the option of getting your phone back if you don't like their quote. Just something to keep in mind.
Now let us take the five sites mentioned above and slip in some consistent data into their forms for getting an offer on an old phone. In this case, selecting middle of the road assessments, calling the Iphone we would be turning in to be in "good" condition and with all of the accessories with the phone. The results that came back might amaze you, though you have to understand the quote is one for today's date and might certainly vary with the amount of time you let go by. What you find is that on a typical 32GB Iphone 3GS, the average quote that came back was around $275 dollars. What's astounding about that is that the amount is almost enough to purchase the newer phone straight up. The highest price back quoted was via Cell for Cash, coming in over $310, but this site does not ask you a condition when you’re plugging in your answers. You can only assume if your phone shows wear and tear that your quote is heading down.
How about other models you say? Well, you still seem to be able to get a respectable price in these arenas as well. Across the sites, if you were trading in a 16 GB Iphone 3GS, you would be looking at bringing in around $228, which is hardly shabby for an older era phone if you will. If we ventured back to the Iphone 3G from back in 2008, you might be surprised to find that you can still get around $150 for that model. That is of course for the 16GB, whereas a 8GB Iphone 3G will still get you around &130, which is almost half the cost of your new Iphone. If you can believe it, you can also get money for even older stuff as well. A few totals are below:
16GB version of original Iphone - $100 (FlipSwap being the most generous at $114)
8GB version of original Iphone - $81
4GB version - $67 or so (highest offer: $78, from YouRenew).
Cell for Cash usually had the highest returns offered, but again it is hard to judge that when you consider it does not give you a condition button to select when your getting your quote, so make sure the check across all of these fine sites before making a selection as to which one you want to go with. Some might ask how in the world can these sites offer such great deals, considering that when we buy the phones we typically pay much less. The reason is that most of these companies know your phone is worth much more than you paid. Companies like AT&T subsidize the cost of your phone, knowing they will get it back at bill time. This then enables trade-in sites to be able to sell working phones they receive to wireless resellers, which refurbish the used phones and put them back on the market. They can also scrap them and sell the parts or recycle as well. Either way, these trade-in groups do well for themselves.
In the end, these trade-in sites seem to be a win win scenario for everyone. Do remember though that it is not a next day process. Most of these sites can take anywhere from a week to two from the time they receive your phone to when they will cut you a check so don't head out for the new one tomorrow expecting that cash to help. Oh and also make sure that you, and not the trade-in company, is responsible for wiping your personal data off the phone. Don't leave that to chance! Now trade in that older model clunker and use it to upgrade to the latest and greatest!
Some data in this article courtesy of http://news.yahoo.com/s/ytech_gadg/ytech_gadg_tc2535