5 tips for reselling your cell phone

We keep repeating it - millions of old smartphones are lurking in drawers around the world! 😱 So why not dust off your used iPhone or Samsung Galaxy and resell your old smartphone at the best price before it loses all its value? Compare prices and models and find out the best time to resell your phone here.

👉 Follow this short guide to find out how to sell your used phone - whatever its condition - and make the best profit.

When it comes to reselling, a second-hand smartphone in good condition is worth more than a broken or scratched one. A smartphone in perfect condition is even better! Take care of this fragile device from day one.

Most important: protect the screen and the casing! Bear in mind we all get caught in downpours, your cat may love pushing things off the table, and don't even get us started on meteor showers (ok, we know if this ever happened, protecting your smartphone won't be the most important thing on your mind). Nowadays you can find cell phone cases in all possible colors and shapes, so you can let your creativity run wild.

👉 At Back Market, you can opt for additional insurance when buying a device, which protects you against theft and damage. This way, you'll be sure to resell your used cell phone at the best price.

To prevent someone else from misusing your data, before selling it make sure you disconnect your phone from your cloud accounts and remove your SIM card. If you are still connected to one of your services, the merchant will not be able to refurbish your smartphone and will have to send it back to you.

To help you out here's a short checklist:

✔ ️ Remove the SIM card after checking that your contacts are all stored in the cloud or on the SIM card and not in the device's memory.

✔ ️ Sign out of your iCloud, Google or Samsung account, otherwise your smartphone cannot be refurbished. You can also sign out of your iCloud account remotely.

✔ ️ Erase data or remove the SD card

✔ ️ Unlock your phone for each operator

✔ ️ Restore to factory settings (to delete all personal data from the smartphone: photos, apps, ...)

Your old phone's now ready for a new lease of life. All that's left to do is pick the right time to sell it so you get the best price.

We recommend you follow and compare the prices offered on Back Market to estimate the value of your phone over time. Resell prices vary according to demand and the evolution of the cell phone market. 📈

Monitor prices for a month and see if you detect a trend. Are there, for example, days of the week when smartphones sell for more?

What is the value of your cell phone? The value of your smartphone depends on its age and model. Android phones lose value faster than iPhones (the Samsung Galaxy S10 lost 50% of its value in 30 days). But in general, all cell phone values see a sharp decline after 18 months.

If you want to sell your smartphone, avoid peak periods: before Christmas or major releases from Apple, Samsung and Huawei (for example, it's better to resell your iPhone before the annual September keynote). Likewise, if you want to resell your laptop or your MacBook, keep an eye on the manufacturers' planned release dates so you can sell at the right moment.

👉 Note: do the above the other way round if you want to buy a refurbished smartphone. Price drops after a new release mean you can get a better deal.

Reselling your smartphone is worth it, simply because you'll make money from a device that you no longer need. Your cell phone is likely to end up in the trash one day or another if you don't ensure it is properly disposed of.

👉 The consequences are dramatic, as metals used in devices detach from the phone’s parts and slowly seep into the earth and groundwater. This is just as harmful to humans as it is to wildlife.

By reselling your cell phone, it will be reused or disposed of correctly by experts. So selling it has two major advantages: it will help the planet and earn you money.

If you want to buy a new smartphone directly, you can exchange the old model for a new refurbished phone.

You'll find a few used cell phone purchase platforms or auction sites, such as eBay, where you can sell your smartphone to the best bidder. Of course, you won't know in advance how much you will receive for your device, as the selling price is usually left open. Since the price is not fixed, you may receive offers that are well below your expectations. You may try to negotiate, but the buyers invariably back out. All this takes a lot of time and energy, and you still end up stuck with your old device.

By reselling on Back Market, you receive a fixed price offer in advance that you can accept or refuse. This way, before selling your phone, you'll know how much you will receive for your device, without having to directly accept the buyer's offer.