'Twas the Trade-in After Christmas: Fast Cash for Used iPhones, iPads and Other Tech Gear - Shelly Palmer

You got a new iPad Mini and a new iPhone 5 for Christmas. Awesome!!! What are you going to do with your old iPad and your old iPhone? If you're thinking about selling them privately on eBay or trading them in, you're not alone. No matter what condition its in, there are dozens of companies looking for your used gear. But ... where should you go to get the best deal?

It would probably help if you knew that CExchange powers the buyback programs at RadioShack, Walmart.com and eBay. You can't sell your stuff directly to CExchange, as it only works with businesses. That said, of all the buyback programs I've looked at, CExchange seems to pay some of the highest prices. It also has a simple to understand pricing system and takes the protection of customer data and the environment very seriously.

I like the fact that CExchange powered programs don't ask you to figure out what condition your trade-in is in. No more Good, Fair, Poor, etc. It uses a very simple condition for trade-ins: working or not working. So, if your device powers on and works, choose working and if it doesn't power on or doesn't work ... well, you get it. The company also wipes the data completely off of your devices, which is helpful, to say the least.

CExchange's price on a working iPhone 4S 64GB on eBay Instant Sale and Walmart.com is $252.00. That same trade value on Amazon was $241.00 today and that was if it was in "Like New" condition. If it was used enough to be "acceptable," it was only $161.00. CExchange still pays $252.00.

Another popular site, Gazelle, offered $225.00 for the same phone if "Like New," but based on what "Like New" means on these sites, you shouldn't count on qualifying for that price. Looking at other iPhone trade prices, CExchange on average is higher without the guesswork of condition ratings.

Interestingly, in-person trade-ins at RadioShack offered a slightly lower price. RadioShack offered $246 for the same iPhone 4S 64GB that would bring $252 from eBay or Walmart. I asked Bob Kilinski, Chief Marketing Officer at CExchange, about the six bucks? Kilinski said, "In a retail store, the customer gets instant credit towards their purchase before we actually see the device to determine if there is in fact any internal problem with the phone. We have to factor that into our price to allow for the instant trade and resulting fallout from some devices that do have problems. In our experience, many customers would prefer to take a little less so they can buy today and eliminate the 14-day delay of getting paid from an online transaction."

I'm an instant gratification kind of guy so that makes total sense to me!

Payment types vary in these programs. eBay pays cash through PayPal, Walmart.com gives you a Walmart e-gift card and RadioShack credits you on a RadioShack gift card. If you want to trade in a product today, you can head to RadioShack and upgrade to the gear you want. Or, if you want to make a few extra bucks (and it's really a few) and don't mind waiting 14 days, check out Walmart and eBay's online trade-in sites.

In fairness, amazon.com and gazelle.com offer excellent value on some items and, if you are extremely clear about the condition of your trade-in, you will not be disappointed with the deal. Of course, if you click "as new" expecting a huge number and your unit is scratched or doesn't have original packaging, you going to get less than you expect – not less then you deserve, just less than you expect – and that can be extremely annoying for both you and the company you are dealing with.

So, this post-Christmas season, turn your old CE gear into cash with a CExchange powered retailer. RadioShack, Walmart and eBay will hook you up with some fast cash (or gift cards) so you can extend your holiday cheer.

Shelly Palmeris Fox 5 New York's On-air Tech Expert (WNYW-TV) and the host of Fox Television's monthly show Shelly Palmer Digital Living. He also hosts United Stations Radio Network's, Shelly Palmer Digital Living Daily, a daily syndicated radio report that features insightful commentary and a unique insiders take on the biggest stories in technology, media, and entertainment. He is Managing Director of Advanced Media Ventures Group, LLC an industry-leading advisory and business development firm and a member of the Executive Committee of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (the organization that bestows the coveted Emmy® Awards). Palmer is the author of Television Disrupted: The Transition from Network to Networked TV 2nd Edition (York House Press, 2008) the seminal book about the technological, economic, and sociological forces that are changing everything and, Overcoming The Digital Divide: How to use Social Media and Digital Tools to Reinvent Yourself and Your Career (York House Press, 2011) For more information, visit shellypalmer.com.

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