Alternative selling options
IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT THE BIG NAMES — THERE ARE OTHER MORE LOW-KEY PLACES TO TRY, TOO.
“As an extra precaution when making an in-person sale, consider meeting in a public place and only accept cash.”
Aside from eBay and Gumtree, there is not a lot of competition. Quicksales ( www.quicksales.com.au), The Trading Post ( www.tradingpost.com.au) and Craigslist ( craigslist.com.au) are some alternatives, albeit without as many users. Instead, it can be better to target nearby Facebook ( www.facebook.com) buy and sell groups or the classified sections on local community forums.
SELLER SAFETY
While fairly rare, there are scams that target sellers of highvalue tech items. Ideally, only ever accept cash or direct bank deposit for payments — never options such as Western Union. PayPal can be convenient, but leaves you open to various scams that attempt to recover the money without returning the item. Posting items gives you more potential buyers, but never send items until you have full payment. Make sure any tech is well padded and always use both tracking and insurance.
As an extra precaution when making an inperson sale, consider meeting in a public place and only accept cash.
BUYBACK SITES
Rather than going through the hassle of selling a device yourself, some websites offer a simplified purchase option. Most are aimed at phones, but some cover other tech, such as laptops and consoles. The websites provide you a buyback quote based on the model and condition of the device. The price is typically a lot less than what you would get by selling yourself. For instance, an iPhone 6 in good condition can be sold to a buyback site for about 2/3rds of what you might get on Gumtree or eBay — a difference of up to $200.
If the price is acceptable to you, the website sends out a return postage box (or you print off a postage slip), and you send in your phone. If the model and condition check out, the websites pay the quoted amount, or offer a lower value if there is any extra damage. Many of the websites will also buy back broken phones (such as smashed screens) for a lesser amount. There is a large range of buyback websites in Australia, and it can be worth comparing prices, but a good place to start is Fone Bank ( www.fonebank.com.au). Other worthwhile sites include Mazuma Mobile ( www. mazumamobile.com.au), Greener Mobile ( www.greenermobile.com.au) and Mobile Monster ( www. mobilemonster.com.au). For tech other than phones and tablets, Boomerang Buy Back is worth a look ( www. boomerangbuyback.com.au).
TRADE-INS
While mostly aimed at smartphones, some manufacturers and providers offer tradeins for your old devices when you upgrade. Payouts (and the process itself) are similar to buyback sites and typically significantly less than what could be achieved in a private sale. Some providers, such as Optus ( www.optus.com.au) give the tradein value as a discount on future bills. Telstra ( www.tesltra.com.au) claim a maximum tradein value at just $250, but actually use Bounce Mobile ( www.bouncemobile.com.au), which typically pays values similar to other buy back websites. Apple ( www.apple.com.au) also offers a tradein service, including other brands. The payout is in Apple Store credit, and the prices are typically a little better than other tradein or buyback options.