Most tech geeks want to own the newest version of a Samsung, iPhone, HTC or other latest smartphones. They want to unwrap and explore the new features before the manufacturer announces another release. Saving to buy a newly released phone is pretty expensive and time-consuming; that's why you should really make the effort to sell your old phone. You garner some cash to finance the acquisition of the new phone. Of course, you don't want to sell it in advance, waiting for the new release. The guide will help you get the most out of a sale for your old phone.
Understand How Your Location Influences Price
A local sale gets you settling for a lesser bargain as you are likely to use a middleman. Local listing services like Craiglist don't charge any fees, and you can sell for a lesser price as you will earn the exact amount agreed on with the buyer. What's more, the cash is remitted to your account immediately; you don't need to wait for a selling service to remit the cash to your bank. While a local sale has its advantages, your location affects what you will earn from the smartphone sale.
There are two categories of geographical areas when making a sale locally; small towns and big cities. Small towns have a low demand, hence only a few buyers will show interest in buying a popular device. Big cities, on the other hand, are more competitive, which drives the price downwards. Here, you are competing with other sellers, and there are lots of potential buyers.
Determine the Sale Price
Before making a local sale, you want to make a sales price comparison in your area so that you can rule out options that don't have a good bargain. Sites like Swappa.com, Craigslist, and eBay provide reliable prices for used phones on sale. Be sure to filter out prices for new phones. Scratches, a broken screen, and other phone defects can impact the value of the phone. As such you should browse the current rates of gadgets in similar conditions to get a reasonable price for your phone.
Identify a Reliable Auction Site or Other Market
Swappa.com charges varying fees based on the price of the phone and whether you or the buyer will cover the shipping costs. The site also offers PayPal protection to protect users from scammers. eBay, on the other hand, takes a considerable chunk of the sale in transaction fees and may not be appealing to most sellers. You want to make a reasonable sale, which should be more than the transaction charges and shipping costs.
You also want to compare ongoing promotional deals by the cellphone carrier against selling the phone online. Craigslist and Reddit are ideal if you're going to sell your phone fast. However, these platforms attract a lot of scammers, hence the need to insist on transacting in public places and taking cash.
Amazon also provides a convenient way of selling your phone. You just need to find the device on the site, click the sell button, and punch in several details. Amazon will provide a listing of potential buyers in fifteen minutes. You may choose to ship the item or allow Amazon to handle the shipment and transfer the money (less the charges) to your account.
Keep Up With the Product Cycles
The cycles determine when you should sell your phone. A new phone model sells at a higher price compared to an older version, so ensure to sell before the company introduces another release. iPhone, for example, release new devices in September with most magazines, blogs, and other media announcing the actual date a month before. You should also note that a release by new players like Samsung outshines prior releases by older companies such as Google.
As such, you should keep up with these product cycles through blogs and social media platforms. You should also plan your sale once you identify a new release and ensure to have a backup device to use during the transition period prior to the sale of the old handset (a week). Sellers like Gazelle provide a price lock in case you commit in advance while Apple offers a trade-in program for their clients. However, if you are selling the phone online, you can take advantage of the few days before shipping the device to the buyer.
Conclusion
The guide should help you sell your old phone at a reasonable price and in good time to take advantage of a new phone release. Be sure to list the phone on more than one platform to make the most out of the sale.
