It’s not hard to understand why you might sit on old tech, since restrictions on electronics and battery disposal can make throwing out old gear a real pain. And sure, while most phone companies have trade-in programs, the price you get for an old smartphone can seem downright insulting. Not to mention the panoply of e-readers, speakers and smart-everythings (watches, tablets, you name it) that accumulate like subscription boxes in the modern household. Where are the trade-in programs for those?
That’s why we’re big fans of Decluttr, which makes it easy to sell old stuff in a sustainable way and get real cash while doing so. It’s an option that’s truly smart for you and smart for the planet, and now through September 30, you can get an extra 10% back on all tech items you trade in with code CNNTEN.
The laws of tech depreciation are savage: By Decluttr’s estimates, the average product experiences a 26% drop in value over the course of a year. That means the estimated $43 billion of unused tech in American homes is expected to depreciate by $11 billion in the next 12 months.
Spoiler alert: The faster you can sell unused tech, the better for your wallet. And with the Apple Watch Series 6 on pre-order, now is a good time to trade-in to get the most for your money before Apple’s next device comes out. Did you know that iPhones depreciate in value by an average of 40% after it’s launched? Currently, the iPhone 11 has decreased in value by 45%.
There’s no easier way to sell your tech than with Decluttr. The process is simple: Search for the product you want to sell; select the make, model and condition; get an instant valuation; and voilà, ship it for free and get paid.
The site boasts that $300 million has been paid to over 6 million happy customers — and with 4.6 stars out of 5 and nearly 14,000 reviews at Trustpilot, Decluttr has made fans out of thousands of sellers and buyers.
According to Decluttr’s research, most of us have money on the table and don’t even realize it. The site claims that the average American has $199 in old tech just lying around. Plus, the company claims to offer up to 33% more cash than your phone carrier. So when you upgrade your smartphone to one with a more teleconference-friendly camera, you know you’re getting the best deal.
Reselling old tech is also good for the environment too. According to the UN, e-waste contributes 20-50 million metric tons of waste every year. Keeping even a percentage of that junk out of landfills is a win for all of us.