What To Do With Your Old Tech

Technology moves on and changes so quickly. Most of us will get a new mobile every two years through contracts, and that’s without all the additional tech such as cameras, laptops, games consoles and more. So most of us probably have some old tech lying around.

According to research by Carphone Warehouse 60% of Brits admit to have old mobiles lying around the home. And about 25% of us hang on to laptops we no longer use. There’s probably the thought that it might come in handy in the future. Or that we’ll be able to refresh it. But generally they sit lying around gathering dust to wait another day.

But do you know what to do with your old tech? The quicker you look into selling or recycling it the better price you’ll get. Or if you’re donating it the more use you’ll get.

How to trade-in your old tech

If you’re upgrading your contract most phone companies will offer to trade in your old phone for money off your contract price. Or if you’re buying a brand new phone you may be able to take money off that purchase. We’ve just bought the new iPhone for Luke and by trading in his old phone we’ve got over £300 off the price. And you can do this as soon as you buy or upgrade to get the best price for your old phone. You may also be able to sell it back for cash upfront as opposed to money off your contract/ monthly instalments.

Amazon let you trade-in old  Kindle re-readers and tablets, Echo smart speakers, Fire TV streaming devices and devices like Ring doorbells in exchange for Amazon gift cards. And if you use the Amazon Trade-in programme you’ll get a 20% voucher to use on your new device. They also offer this on some non own brand devices as well.

Loads of other stores offer this option as well to get money off new products or credit/ vouchers.

How to recycle your old tech

If you’re not able to trade-in or you want to just recycle your old tech for some cash you can recycle it. Recycling sites will offer cash for your item and these sites will recondition your gadgets where ever possible. Once they’ve done this they’ll either sell them on, or send them to developing countries where devices are unaffordable for the masses. For example, Mazuma Mobile aims to reuse 95% of the phones it receives.

When I go down this route I use comparison sites to see what the best price for my device is. But keep an eye on reviews and their T&C’s before making a decision. You can also try EcoATM which is a kiosk service that will pay you to recycle your old phone instantly. You place your phone in the machine, it will example the device and then give you a price. If you decide to sell it then you’ll receive the money instantly. You’ll find the kiosks in some shopping centres and supermarkets.

MusicMagpie are a site I’ve used quite a few times for old tech and other items including DVD’s and books. Annd CeX will buy most of your old tech, including phones, cameras, laptops, eReaders and more.

How to donate your tech

If you don’t need cash to put towards a new device, or you want to do your part and help someone else you can donate your old tech. There are initiatives such as Three’s Reconnected Scheme where you can donate your phone and they’ll pass it to charities in need. Three also give. recipients of donated phones 90 days of free calls, texts and data which is really nice.

Most charity shops won’t take electronic devices as they need to be checked, but the British Heart Foundation is an exception.You can check its list of items that can’t be sold in its stores and either take it to your closest store or arrange a collection.

WeeeCharity collects working electrical goods free of charge if you have laptops or electrical devices to donate. They recycle items and refurbish them to sell on.

What you should do before selling your old tech

The biggest thing is making sure your item is completely wiped off all data, passwords, and everything on the item. This includes unlinking all iCloud/ storage services etc.  A lot of phones have Factory Reset tools to remove all stored items like photos/ music etc. But make sure you make a copy or save those items before resetting.

For mobiles you may get more money if your phone is unlocked. But check if it’s worth paying to get it unlocked.

Do you have old tech at home?

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