When you upgrade your electronic devices, there may be money to be made from your old ones.
Consumer Reports says there are plenty of online classified services, but if you want simple, eco-ATMs are popping up across the country for selling MP3 players, tablets and cellphones. You plug the device in at a kiosk, and it examines the storage, condition and value on the market. Then you’ll get an offer and get cash on the spot if you agree to it.
Online buyback services such as Decluttr and Gazelle work in much the same way. Answering a few quick questions gets you a price, and if you’re happy with it you can just print a free shipping label, box up your device and send it.
Before selling electronics that once housed any personal data at all, Consumer Reports says it’s important to protect yourself by logging out of any accounts, including cloud-based storage, and disabling any apps that track your device, like find my iPhone.
Also be sure the device has been completely erased. On a phone, you should perform a factory reset, which scrubs it clean.
