I’m now working on my third iPhone. I started with the iPhone 3Gs, then upgraded to the iPhone 4, and now just got my hands on the iPhone 4S. Yes, I’m a self admitted Apple Fanboy and have the devices to prove it! Really though, who are we kidding? Apple makes amazing products but they don’t exactly fall in line with your average parents budget. That’s okay though!
With my last 2 iPhone upgrades I either paid very, very little or nothing out of pocket. Now you could always sell it on eBay under a typical auction style. This is a great way to get the most money back from your phone. However, the last time I searched for an iPhone on eBay it returned 11,320 pages full of iPhones for sale!! With so many phones available I can only imagine how long it must take to sell one. If you have some time then I would definitely go this route as you could get upwards of $400 depending on model and condition.
However, if you’re reading this then you’re likely a parent. You’re also likely a parent that values their time and just wants to get the money for their old phone…like now! Well, eBay has helped those of us who are sensitive of the time we have to get things done by creating a dedicated site!! If you’re thinking about upgrading your older iPhone or other smartphone to a 4s (BTW, I totally recommend it!) check out eBay’s Instant Sale Site!
Here’s how it works:
Step 1: Go to eBay’s Instant Sale Site.
Step 2: Find your phone.
Step 3: Answer 4 easy questions
Step 4: Accept offer, print shipping label, and ship for Free!
Step 5: Wait 5 business days and collect money via Paypal!
That’s about all it takes and in a weeks time you can be on your way to upgrading to your new phone!
Now keep in mind that the longer you wait, the less you’re probably going to get for your phone. Also note, that as of this writing the eBay Instant Sale site is only going to be active until October 20th.
I am a member of the eBay Parent Panel which is a paid sponsorship between eBay and DadStreet. The views and opinions expressed on this site are mine and cannot be bought. However, I may want to buy yours if I run out of my own.
I would caution anyone thinking of using Instant Sale to think twice about other options.
I sent in my PRISTINE 3GS with everything originally included and when AllTech Wholesale got it they claimed it was “in used cosmetic condition: Scratches or blemishes to its exterior can be readily seen without close inspection. The exterior housing of the unit has sustained mild, normal wear.” Except my phone was perfect, not even ONE mark, scratch, blemish, ding or even a spec of dust!
AllTech’s CSR insisted that no matter how much I complained, they would NEVER review my case and live up to the original offer. She said it in such a way as to make me believe this was a normal “technique” of theirs.
All efforts to get a supervisor from AllTech to call me back have been useless. Ditto for anyone from eBay, apparently they just don’t want to discuss this situation. I’ve been to eBay hdqtrs and nobody will come out to talk to me, they just hide behind their voicemail. I showed the phone to the eBay security guards and they even used the word SCAM when they saw the condition.
I guess if it looks like a scam, walks like a scam, talks like a scam and smells like a scam….
As a follow-up……I eventually was able to speak with a representative from AllTech Wholesale. She agreed to have me ship the phone back for a second inspection. Our phone conversation was quite nice and based on the sincerity of her concern over the matter I’m willing to believe that the first inspection was just an honest error and not some sort of scam. As it turns out, however, I ended up selling the phone to a local party for more than the original Instant Sale offer.