Have you ever used eBay to sell something? I have. Well, i've tried.
Here's a list of things I have tried (and mostly failed) to sell on eBay: Smartphone (fraud, relisted, sold), Car (fraud, relisted, no offers), Car stereo (failed), Car speakers (sold some), PSP (sold!).
The cost of listing, relisting and dealing with fraudulent and time-wasting 'clicks' resulted in my meager £300 overall sales value being taken up in around £100 of Paypal and eBay fees. My phone and car had to be listed twice after people clicked to buy it now, but didn't want to buy it - not now, not ever, but then found themselves messaging me shortly afterwards offering me less than half the price i'd listed the items for, or sending items to countries known for their fraudulent activities.
Sure, there are other websites you could use. Gumtree, Loot, Preloved and Bonsoni all have their benefits and drawbacks, but the main drawback for me is the element of trust you must give to the person you're about to send your phone to - and the fees involved if there are any. Call me a skeptic, but I just want a nice easy way to make money when the time comes to part with my cherished possessions.
I just want to sell my phone and I want it to be easy.
I like the idea of using a company that specialises in buying what I want to sell. They want mobile phones, so send one to them and get your money - hassle free. But how can you trust a company with a potential £300 of your shiny mobile goodness? I'd like to think OnRecycle helps quite a bit here. OnRecycle actively select recyclers who have an established track record of good customer service, and like to deal with those recyclers who stand out from the crowd. We're not just a comparison website where anybody can join in, and we don't try to get everyone with a website just so we look big.
I have no doubt you've seen both good and bad reviews about mobile phone recyclers, the same can be said for eBay, loot, Craigslist and others where a transaction can go good or bad, but rather than letting things come down to chance you should really choose a selling method that you feel comfortable with. You can rest easy knowing OnRecycle has already ensured the company you're giving your phone to are reputable, and as long as you're realistic about the condition of your phone, your transaction will go without any problems.
I've been mulling over whether I should send one of my phones off for a while now. I've got two phones, one for general phone stuff and one for data only. One is showing its age a bit so I have been looking for prices. I can get about £70 through a recycler or £100ish through eBay. I checked how much it would cost me to list on eBay and if I got £100, i'd have to pay back about £12 for the privilege of listing it online. Then i've got to wait for someone to want to buy my phone, and pay, and not complain about something. Oh yes, and Paypal might want to take money off me too, and it'll take 5 days to get my money to me...
One of our exclusive recyclers, Price My Mobile (www.pricemymobile.com) are dealing with this in a unique way by telling you how much you can make if you were to sell your handset on eBay. It's a novel idea, because the price is almost always more than what you'd get for sending it to Price My Mobile - that is, until you've finished counting the cost and fees and effort. Check this helpful example out:
I'd rather just stick my phone in an envelope and check my bank balance in a few days.
Come and have a look yourself: /sell-my-phone/
