Cash For Old Cell Phones - Compare Services

Why not get cash for old cell phones after upgrading rather than stick them in the drawer?!  There are a number of services currently available, and it's not always immediately obvious which one or ones are the best.  Use the table below to compare a few popular companies that offer cell phone recycling services.  In fact, some will also recycle other gadgets as well (ex. tablets, iPods, digital cameras, and even PCs).

Below I've listed what I believe to be the most important information when making a recycling decision.  Gazelle is by far the most popular and well known service, however, that doesn't mean that they'll give you the highest price.  If you have first-hand experience with other companies that offer cash for old cell phones that you think should be added, please feel free to Contact Me.  I recommend that you compare the price of each phone you have with each of these services, and of course choose the one that will make you the most cash!  

	Shipping	Products Accepted	Payment Terms
Gazelle	They pay for shipping	Most electronic devices	3-5 business days after inspection
BuyBackWorld	They pay for shipping	Most electronic devices	Within 2 business days of inspection
C7 Device Recycle	You pay shipping	Phones & Tablets	Undefined; need to submit request & wait for email quote
CashForPhones	They pay for shipping	Phones & Tablets	Within 48 hours of inspection
ItemCycle	They pay for shipping	Apple devices only	Immediate payment following inspection

Alert!  It's important to emphasize that if you have a relatively new phone or other electronic gadget (let's say six months old), and you research the prices on these various recycling services right away, you can get some pretty decent money for a phone that you would otherwise have let rot away in your closet or garage.  However, if you hesitate for even a month, the value of your phone will truly plummet.  Also, if you're the type of person who is upgrading your phone very regularly, getting cash for old cell phones using these services can really be a wise and rewarding experience.

Even the average person who upgrades our phones every 12 to 24 months, can get get some worthwhile cash with very little effort.  If it's many years old, however, then chances are that the money you'll get from these services will be pretty pathetic (speaking truthfully!).  Even an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy smartphone that's in immaculate condition could be worth only a few dollars after two or three years.  So what's the point I'm trying to make?  The point is that you should act quickly when it makes sense to, and don't expect too much as your phone gets older.

Lastly, you could try selling your phone on eBay, however, you'll have to work much harder to undertake that process, and you'll also have to manage to buyers who may not be happy with the condition of the phone, or who later run into unexpected problems despite your warning of "Buyer Beware - Buy As Is" type of statements.  You may also consider just recycling your old phones for the sake of the environment and not worry about getting money for them at all.  You can usually drop them off at any wireless store, Best Buy, or even use the services above to have them send you a recycling envelope or box.  Your reward will be helping the environment!  Also, many donated phones that are in good working condition end up being donated to people in need, so taking the effort to proactively recycle them is really worthwhile.

Also worth noting is that some wireless carriers are offer buy-back programs, though expect their price to be lower than these other third parties, because they tend to sell the phones to a third party who will either in turn re-sell them or recycle them.  But sometimes this is a easy and quick option, and certainly a better idea than trashing.

To learn more about the general phone recycling process, and getting cash for old cell phones head over to Cell Phone Recycling.

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